Christ Child Society

Wish I could leave 0 stars.
Had the most unpleasant experience this weekend in this store. After having shopped here with my mother as a teenager and consigned here as an adult, I find it difficult to understand how they now permit such rudeness by the volunteer staff.
(I only go occasionally now, after my chemo appointment, but used to go weekly when my chemo was more frequent.)
The particular two volunteer (s) were clearly of the opinion that helping me and another customer was beneath their dignity. So why are they there?
I have had similar unpleasantness with the female every time I have seen her in the store. I finally had enough this time and asked her why she was so rude. (After she grabbed a piece of jewelry out of my hand, that I wanted to purchase, threw it in the glass case and walked away). She actually replied «I’m a volunteer». Help me here, does that entitle her to be abusive and unpleasant?
So I asked to see the manager. She told me no! Then someone came up to me who pretended to be the manager. I knew he was not. The situation deteriorated. He refused to take anything out of the case to show me even after I told him I could not see it in the case. I am disabled. Unfortunately the story doesn’t end here. But there is too much to write in this forum. I shall contact the «real» manager.
I had planned to buy several items as gifts to myself for my birthday– at least one of which was already waiting for me at the cashier counter.
However, I told them I was not going to make any purchases because of her behavior and the little scenario by the «volunteer» manager.
I had planned to purchase several items totaling $ 1,000.00+. Not much money by Georgetown standards, but I would be willing to wager that $ 1,000.00, that the 5 or so consignors whose items were not sold, wouldn’t be too happy if they knew and knew why.
I must say that there was an absolutely lovely lady (also volunteer) who helped me with the item that was placed behind the cashier counter who could not have been more wonderful. And usually everyone is so nice, so this experience was particularly disappointing and upsetting.

Lovely shop. Although it says thrift it definitely has antique shop prices. Very high prices. Lots of art, jewelry, and glassware. Beautiful store just not what I was looking for.

I’m obsessed with Georgetown of the 60s.
The problem is it’s 2013, and the retail and restaurant scene has changed dramatically. M & Wisconsin have essentially transformed themselves into an outdoor mall, and the result is lackluster and disappointing. Albeit a charming shopping mall.
After spending a fabulous Saturday strolling through Georgetown taking in the holiday décor and architecture, I wanted to purchase something that would remind me of the inspiration from the neighborhood. I was in search of something that appeared to have plucked out of one of the homes I spent so much time gawking at.
Low and behold I discovered the Christ Child Society and squeezed in a quick visit before I hit the museums. So many treasures and unique items. Some had very fair pricing, some were a bit overpriced IMO.
I did find what I was looking for, a lovely pair of watercolor paintings from an obscure San Francisco artist from the 30s-​50s. Finding San Francisco art for my San Francisco home was too good to be true and I brought them home.
So if you’re desperate to get a bit of Georgetown from a bygone era, stop in for a visit!

I had a terrible experience as a consignor to the Christ Child Society’s Opportunity Shop (CCSOS). In January 2010, I consigned a variety of items to the shop, including an Edwardian pearl and diamond ring. The consignment contract stipulated that I would receive 60% of the sale price of the ring; if it did not sell within 6 months, the CCSOS would consider the ring a donation unless I paid the CCSOS 5 percent of the price to reclaim it. Oh, and there was a statement at the bottom of the form, «Reasonable care will be taken with items consigned to the Shop. Each item, however, is consigned to the Shop at the owners risk. The Shop is not responsible for the loss of or damage to any consigned item from any cause.»
On March 16, I received an e-​mail from CCSOS stating: «This is to let you know that there was a theft at The Opportunity Shop over the weekend. We are still in the process of accounting for all merchandise but at this point in time we have identified you as a consignor affected by this crime. A listing of your consigned items that have been reported as stolen will be provided once the master list is complete. We have filed a police report which has triggered the investigation process.. .. We have also contacted our insurance company to initiate a crime loss claim. We will forward information and compensation related to this theft as it becomes available.»
In a state of shock I e-​mailed and phoned the CCOS to speak with the author of the e-​mail, but neither he nor the manager were available, so I left a message, asking which of my consigned items had been stolen, and what the status of the insurance claim was. I learned that the shop had been burgled on March 6 (10 days earlier, not over the weekend) and only jewelry had been stolen. I had to conclude that the most valuable item I had consigned, my ring, had been stolen. When I did not hear back from the manager or assistant manager after several days, I went to the shop. One of the volunteers told me that the shop’s security camera showed a man entering the shop late in the afternoon and not leaving during business hours. The police believed he had hidden in a closet in the back of the premises until after closing, then retrieved the key to the jewelry case, unlocked it, removed the contents, and left.
I never did receive a return call or e-​mail from the Shop, but following a
phone conversation and multiple e-​mail exchanges with the Christ Child Society’s director of finance and administration – and more than 3 months after the burglary at the CCOS – I received the first official notice of the theft of my ring, in the form of an «Approved Denial» letter from the Christ Child Society’s insurer, Christian Brothers Unit of Broadspire. The claims adjuster pointed out that by signing the consignment contract, I had agreed to hold CCSOS blameless for losses, and therefore I was on my own.
However I argued – in a series of letters I wrote to the Executive Director and the Board of Directors of the Christ Child Society – that I put this ring in the Opp Shop’s hands in good faith, and the Opp Shop, as a matter of reciprocal good faith, had a moral and ethical responsibility to at least partially cover my loss. It is commonplace to sign such releases as the Opportunity Shop requires, but they are often overturned in the actual event of loss or accident. I must confess that I assumed that such language in the very unofficial-​looking Consignor Contract was pro forma; that in the extremely unlikely event that my property was stolen or damaged, the nearly 60-​year-​old Shop, public face of a religious charity and billing itself as a «high-​end consignment shop,» must carry insurance and would not risk its reputation in denying a consignor some sort of compensation for her loss.
It turns out that the Society’s insurance policy covers only the property it owns on the shop’s premises. One wonders, then, what incentive the operation has to safeguard its «stock» if the Shop and its insurer simply shrug off any and all liability for the loss or damage to same.
I challenged the assertion that «Reasonable care [was] taken with items consigned to the Shop.» Some of the most valuable items entrusted to the Opportunity Shop – and certainly the most portable valuables – are pieces of fine jewelry. Leaving $ 1000s worth of jewelry in a glass case after closing does not constitute «reasonable care.» Transferring jewelry to to a safe, arming a security system with motion detectors that sound an alarm with a monitor or the police constitute reasonable care.
I doubt that most consignors reading the Opp Shop’s consigment agreement understand that they are leaving their possessions in an insecure retail environment that carries no insurance protection whatsoever for the merchandise sold there. Anyone considering consigning valuables to the Opportunity Shop should know that in exchange for receiving up to 60% of the sale price, she truly assumes 100% of the risk.

I love this place. You can find really unique antiques, along with some other charming stuff. With some patience you can definitely find great little treasures and unique gifts.

I’d passed by Christ Child a billion times, and always thought «Oh, it’s for old people who love Jesus, definitely not me.» But while wandering around Georgetown today, I saw some great wall hangings in the window for cheap, so I decided to step in.
First of all, something you definitely can’t tell from the outside is that it is HUGE. 2 floors and about 6 rooms altogether. Downstairs has some gorgeous antique furniture and beautiful china sets in great shape. Some are more contemporary design, so floral-​haters rejoice! I wasn’t really in the market for a new china set, but there was a great set for about $ 145 that I had my eye on, including salad plates, dinner plates, and teacups in a blue-​rimmed white design.
Upstairs is more antiques. Silver goblets, some beautiful (and originally really expensive) crystalware for crazy cheap. I picked up a great crackled vase for my kitchen table for only $ 20 (down from $ 45). There’s also some fantastic jewelry — I saw (again, contemporary) turquoise necklaces that were stunning.
Something I’d definitely stop back in for is all their wall hangings. Paintings, prints, daguerrotypes, some wonderful Asian bamboo cuts… there were a ton and I was definitely wanting to pick up a bunch. I would have taken a couple of the Asian pieces but they don’t really fit in with my other wall hangings at home!
I’ll definitely be back into Christ Child. Yes, they do have the weird porcelain collectibles, but there are many treasures to be found. This is a prime example of not judging a book by its cover!

You just have to be a collector to appreciate this shop. Otherwise you will leave baffled by the apparently anachronistic, unrelated stock of merchandise. This place reminds me of my late grandma’s miniatures collection – the one that we auctioned off in a big cardboard box for $ 12 at the estate sale.
Right now you can get a garish nativity set — complete with rhinestone wisemen and velvet-​clad camels, or if you have kids in the house, check out the red-​faced santa clause dolls. I don’t know why they calll it an opportunity shop when so much of the merchandise has passed its prime and is effectively useless.
The only piece of interest that I found is an antique wood metronome for $ 50. I switched the gauge from «adagio» to «presto», trying to liven up the store… but all I got was a dirty luck from an porcelain-​shopping old lady.