Furniture, accessories valued at half-million dollars retail to be sold for less than wholesale cost
 |
| Dallas designer Bil Milton, left, and John Antony Moreno, show off a couple of the designer pieces that will go on sale Oct. 27-28 in Oak Cliff at 2020 N. Beckley. The merchandise will be sold for less than wholesale to benefit AIDS Services of Dallas. |
Upscale designer furniture and accessories with an estimated retail value of a half-million dollars will be liquidated from a warehouse at 2020 N. Beckley for the benefit of AIDS Services of Dallas on Oct. 27-28.
“The prices are going to be about 75 percent off regular retail,” said Paul Parks, director of development and public relations for AIDS Services of Dallas in an interview at the warehouse. “There are going to be some great deals. There’s something for everyone. Designers would love to get their hands on some of the pieces.”
Parks said Design Source, a showroom in Dallas’ World Trade Center that relocated its headquarters to North Carolina, donated the merchandise to the HIV services group in May. The merchandise has since been stored in the
10,000-square-foot warehouse where the sale will take place.
Parks noted that Dallas businessman Ralph Eisenberg, who owns the Bank of America tower in Oak Cliff, provided the storage space at no cost until the sale could be held.
“Two volunteers have gone in and organized the sale for us,” Parks said. “Really, everything is profit for AIDS Services of Dallas.”
The warehouse has been set up like a giant showroom, noted Dallas designer Bil Milton, who along with designer Brian Alden organized and priced the merchandise with the help of several other volunteers.
The manufacturers represented include Bernhardt, Henri Don, Maitland-Smith and Labarge.
The inventory includes furniture, lamps, oil paintings, sculpture, mirrors, rugs and even luxury bed sets from the showroom that was operated by Larry Kenneth Payne for 27 years.
“Everything is going to be priced below wholesale and much of it will go for close to manufacturers’ price,” said Milton as he prepared to spend the day before the sale putting price tags on the merchandise.
For example, a $15,000 mahogany armoire in the collection will carry a $5,000 price tag when the sale opens, Milton said.
“If someone just wants to make a donation by paying full price, naturally that would be great,” Milton said. “It would be a big help.”
Parks said the donation of the merchandise was one of several made to ASD by the showroom during the past 10 years. In previous years, the donated merchandise was placed in the agency’s facilities, he said.
“This is actually their third donation, but by far the largest.”
Parks said he views the merchandise as spectacular.
“Every time I come over here, I find something I’ve never seen before,” Parks said. “It’s pretty overwhelming.”
The sale will run 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 27, and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 28. The warehouse is at 2020 N. Beckley in Oak Cliff. Call 214-941-0523 for information or visit www.flickr.com/photos/15252641@N08/sets/72157602451954814/.
E-mail webb@dallasvoice.com
This article appeared in the Dallas Voice print edition October 26, 2007
