Consignment Assignment

The furniture collection at Congeries Consignment unfolds like the stores of Harry Potter’s Room of Requirement.

Need a confessional from Mexico? Italian techno chairs from the 1960s? Silver carved Tajmahal chairs? All are available at Congeries (1368 Cerrillos Road, 989-3445) where new pieces are accepted Tuesday through Friday. “It’s all because of Santa Feans,” says Shawn Vallecillo, store co-owner, of the sundry items available in her store. “Santa Feans are well-traveled, interesting people. They collect fantastic, unequaled pieces and bring them here.”

Open October 2012, Congeries is among the local consignment stores that are flourishing in the wake of Santa Feans with second or vacation homes moving or downsizing. New residents are on the consignment bandwagon, too, whether eager to stock casitas with economical furniture while new homes are built or find exceptional antique pieces that vibe with their permanent residences.

La Casa Fina Consignment (821 W San Mateo Road, 983-0042) opened fall 2013 and just four months later doubled its retail space to the current 7,000 square feet. The stock includes a 4-foot-high Italian olive jar, an 18th-century church kneeler and an Industrial Age cart-turned-coffee table. Though diverse, the items the items displayed in this warehouse space are all well-made, solid wood pieces. New items are accepted daily, so the inventory is always evolving. “These pieces have character,” says Lisa Helman, who co-owns the store with her sister Seva Khalsa.

Among the nearly 20 consignment stores in Santa Fe, there’s a sense of camaraderie rather than competition, Khalsa says. “We’re not in competition with each other because these pieces are one-of-a-kind. If we don’t have something someone is looking for, we send them to another store,” says Khalsa.

Recollections Fine Consignments (1225 Cerrillos Road, 988-4775) is also known for a high-quality selection. Recollections’ antique and vintage furniture span styles and time periods, but most bear feminine lines and European influences, a reflection of the careful curation by owner Kateryna VanHeisch. New merchandise arrives daily and items, including a 1910 Kodak studio camera on a stand and a 19th-century French armoire, are priced to sell. For more masculine, rugged and Western items, hit up Double Take (321 S. Guadalupe St., 820-7775), which also has a revolving inventory.

The 14 dealers who operate Antiques & Interiors (136 Grant Ave., 983-0075) ensure this sprawling adobe just off the Plaza is always well stocked. Furniture items range from a 19th-century American stepback cupboard to vintage scoop chairs. The most diverse selection of all can be found at Stephen’s A Consignment Gallery (2701 Cerrillos Road, 471-0802). Thursday is the best day to shop for new pieces there, as the most fresh inventory comes in that day. This southside gallery appeals to knowledgeable shoppers who won’t mind sifting through the busting-at-the-seams inventory and “as is” items for unmatched finds. After all, vintage and antique shopping is all about the thrill of the chase—even if it does involve conquering the Room of Requirement.