Michael Davis
Misty and Tyler Davis
Misty’s Consignments in Rancho Mirage is a mecca for many in the Palm Springs area. Misty Davis and her daughter Tyler— who will be taking over the family business when Misty “retires” in January 2023— say it’s a fun chaos: “The inventory turnover is fast paced and you need a lot of energy, spunk and a great memory to thrive in this environment.”
Regulars go on vacation and have FOMO (fear of missing out) and come directly to the store after landing at the airport; often you can see folks waiting for the trucks in the parking lot. The eclectic mix of furniture, home decor, fine art and patio furnishings has been moving through Misty’s for more than 30 years. She attributes part of her success to this trifecta: the inability to have garage sales in gated communities, the seasonal turnover and the wealth component in the area. Any day you stop by, you might see Bentleys, Teslas, Mercedes and Porsches in the lot, their drivers all on the hunt for the perfect couch or end table. The trifecta aside, many come for the great merchandise they move through the store and to enjoy Misty’s (and now Tyler’s) charismatic presence.
Both tall and leggy and finishing each other's sentences, mother and daughter sat down to talk about the business, their relationship and the passing of the baton from Misty to Tyler. With matching strappy heeled gladiator sandals, mother and daughter are quite stunning. Called “Kitten Caboodle” by some superfans who love seeing them together, scurrying around in their heels and jeans, mother and daughter are both fit and full of moxie. Tyler (27), who lives in Palm Desert, played collegiate volleyball at Temple University and graduated with a degree in finance. She, her boyfriend and dogs lived in San Diego where she had a thriving financial planning business. Tyler grew up hand-writing tags and cleaning table tops at the store, but it was always Misty’s thing. Tyler did some financial planning for mom, and when Misty started looking to sell the business, Tyler realized it was a once in a lifetime opportunity to take it over. Misty has two sons as well: Austin is an engineer and Cole is just graduating from college. Tyler says the transition has been seamless, and when Misty steps back at the end of the year, she will carry on the family tradition, introducing Instagram and catering to the changing demographic. Running this huge business is all encompassing, but Tyler can be found playing beach volleyball at the College of the Desert in her off time.
A walk around the expansive floor will accentuate the fact that this is not a thrift store, with more than 15,000 different consigners (2000-3000 at a time), and items “need to be worth taking up square footage.” Misty’s finds are cool, different and colorful, with 100-200 new items arriving each day, and gone in about a few weeks. Tyler says they receive 70 emails a day and a few customers coming in every day to make sure they don’t miss anything! From velvet couches to a series of 1950’s bathing beauty wooden hangings, the eye candy is electrifying. A colorful hibiscus-designed coffee table and a framed winter peasant babushka print caught my eye this time, but you could spend hours combing through their offerings.
Beloved by her entourage, Misty, who lives in Redlands with her husband and three dogs, looks forward to tending her chickens, bees, an orange grove and her first grandson. Still with six months or more until the transition, Misty and Tyler often call each other after leaving the store and love to share recipes. As a family they enjoy the outdoors and love to hike, swim, play Scrabble and card games, and I’m sure they are ferociously competitive. Tyler says they compartmentalize their relationship so they can enjoy the work camaraderie and then just be mother and daughter after hours. It seems like the perfect passing of the business baton from mother to daughter.
Misty’s Consignments
70007 Hwy 111
Rancho Mirage, CA 92270
760-770-4663
mistysconsignments.com
