GAZELLES IN OUR MIDST
Style went off the air, another network made an offer, but McCarthy said
one season was enough.
“It was wonderful. It’s great memories, it spread our reach, but it’s a lot
to have the filming of a show mixed in with your life,” she said.
But fans wanted more. People continued to ask about the closets (or
parting the curtain) she visited. Thus, the idea of the recently released
“Good, Better, Best” was born – to fill fans in a little more on the
background and continued success of the business.
“And I’ve always wanted to write a book,” McCarthy said. “Above all,
I’m a storyteller. This won’t be the last one.”
The book takes readers through her trials and tribulations while
growing up, sometimes homeless for a few days at a time in-between her
father’s jobs, which were often scarce in the 1950s. Her journey to her
current store, The Vault Luxury Resale, is chronicled, and she includes
inside looks at lavish closets of socialites and celebrities.
And while the “stuff” in the closets is important, the story behind the
closets and the people who own them is often just as interesting. She also sees
her book as an inspiration for people to see that their dreams are possible.
“If you always do the right thing, it comes back to you,” said McCarthy,
who also admits she feels like she has always lived in God’s perfect favor.
“And I try to bend over backward to make people happy.”
Prior to luxury resale, she worked at other endeavors, like a painting
business, The Woman’s Touch, where her first job was painting a
mortuary when she outbid the competition. “It doesn’t matter what you
do, the important thing is to do it with honesty and integrity,” she said.
Since her first consignment shop, she has opened and closed 20 stores.
For 25 years, the business was known as The Women’s Closet Exchange.
After operating on a consignment basis for many years, a decade ago,
she decided to switch it up and buy outright. “We probably look at 1,000
pieces a day, and choose 400 to 600 to carry in the store,” she said.
The Vault has been at the present location for five years, with children’s,
gifts and women’s sections under one roof, many of it previously owned,
though the store carries some new merchandise, as well. Recently added
to the available items are men’s accessories, like Hermès ties.
And though the resale queen’s model is high fashion and exclusive
designers, much of the store’s offerings are affordable for the average shopper.
A $400 Kate Spade bag might be available for $89; an originally priced
$500 Michael Kors purse might be $198. It depends on what’s available.
“Everything comes from nice department stores, is less than two years
old and in perfect condition,” McCarthy said.
The Vault is also extensively utilized after hours as event space for
meetings, bachelorette parties and various occasions, where refreshments
are served, and shopping is part of the fun! A portion of event sales is
donated by The Vault to a range of charities – which over the last three
years has amounted to nearly $100,000.
McCarthy and her daughters have traveled to Paris and London, or
may find themselves in the closet of a celebrity in the Upper East Side of
Manhattan or in Florence, Italy. It’s fun, it’s exciting, it’s rewarding. But
awhile back, McCarthy thought she might be ready to retire. She gave it a
whirl for about a year, and said it just wasn’t for her.
“I wasn’t happy. I gained 20 pounds. The girls would tell me about
where they had been, treasures they had found for the store, and I wanted
to get back in,” McCarthy said. “So, here I am.”
Find “Good, Better, Best” at The Vault Luxury Resale, amazon.com and
other book outlets. Visit thevaultluxuryresale.com for more information.
Holding one
of the coveted
Chanel bags
SAVVY I SOPHISTICATED I SASSY
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