Ah, the season of giving is upon us and, with it, comes a whole lot of receiving.

The holiday arrival of new toys, clothes, sports equipment and more from relatives and other gift givers makes this the perfect time of year for families to clear out closets, drawers, toy boxes and storage areas, but not just to purge – to recycle and benefit the needy, as well.

Most consumers are familiar with the mantra "reduce, reuse, recycle" as it applies to product packaging and trash.  The National Association of Resale Professionals (NARTS) suggests a similar adage – recycle, reuse, resale – pertaining to all the "stuff" families have in their homes.  

And the new adage is being repeated in homes across the U.S., helping to fuel resale shop growth.  In its 2010 Operating Survey, NARTS showed a 12.7 percent increase in net sales from 2008 to 2009.  During the same timeframe, overall retail sales suffered a sales decrease of 7.3 percent, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce.

Locally, resale shops such as ReNew Family Consignment in Libertyville are experiencing similar growth. Erin Heard, who owns the shop along with fellow Libertyville resident Tricia Regan, said that the store – which opened in August, 2009 – already has more than 1,000 consignors, the bulk of whom shop there as well as sell. 

"A lot of people consign just to shop here," Heard said.

If an item sells, the consignor receives 40 percent of the selling price. Consignors can access this amount immediately in the form of a store credit, or they receive a check every other month when they accumulate $50 in their account.

Low price points are the store's biggest draw. "Even in a down economy, people don't want to give up everything. You can still decorate; you can still carry a lovely handbag that's new or nearly new, but at a fraction of the cost," Heard said.

Heard and Regan make a good team because their focuses are different, yet complementary. Heard is most in tune with green, environmentally-concerned consumers, while Regan relates best to cost-conscious shoppers. 

"Customers feel better knowing they are not consuming more by buying new things," Heard said.

Melody Carroll of Gurnee agrees. She buys and sells items at ReNew and said, "I like to bring things in that someone else could use.  he items are high quality and still very useful. I'd rather buy resale than buy new."

Another selling point for the resale shop is that all consignors are from the local community, so unlike big-box stores, the money generated by ReNew stays local.  "We like to call our shop the local stimulus store," she said.

The shop also is very invested in the local community, conducting many ongoing fundraisers for local non-profit groups and schools, such as The Haven, Libertyville High School Cheerleaders, Our House of Hope Animal Shelter and St. Joseph School. The group's supporters bring in their items for consignment and the seller's commission goes to the charity. 

"Fundraising is so hard in this economy but this program is so easy for the organizations," Heard said.

Patty Haworth of Libertyville is both a seller and buyer at ReNew and she likes the "treasure hunt" aspect of resale – particularly all of the "retired" items that are no longer available at retail.

She shops there year-round and buys mostly home décor items and women's accessories.

Home décor is the store's biggest seller, followed by women's handbags and accessories (costume jewelry, scarves, belts), and sporting goods – everything from snowboards and ice skates to golf clubs and lacrosse equipment.

"Every family is familiar with the $60 new pair of dance shoes that are outgrown in six months; or the $200 baseball bat that goes in the closet when your son decides he wants to focus on soccer. We want to give families the opportunity to sell their unused items and also get a good deal on things they need," she said.

Sarah Bending of Gurnee was in town shopping with her mother and said she appreciates the good deals available at stores such as ReNew.

"You pay a fraction of retail, and then when the kids spill spaghetti sauce on the dress you just bought, you don't feel so bad," she said. 

Alicia Coronado of Grayslake likes the jewelry at the ReNew store.  She is "big into recycling" and says she always finds cool things when shopping there.

Heard says the economic downtown has little impact on the business' success. 

"People who like consignment and like the green aspect of it won't change that mindset, no matter the economy," she said. "Besides, we have Black Friday prices every day here."