Trunk show Saturday

Carson City resident Sherry Wellman sells clothes on the move.

This Saturday, she'll be at Comma Coffee, 312 Carson St., operating out the back room and selling straight off the rack. Next time, she might be somewhere else.

She calls it a "trunk show." Wellman, who once owned a clothing store in Torrance, Calif., sees the benefit of selling without the cost of a storefront -- low overhead, low inventory and a largely cash business.

"What we are doing is offering ladies' clothing at wholesale prices or less," Wellman said. An inventory of approximately 400 pieces, most of which are brought into town by Wellman's California partner, will be rolled into the coffee shop priced and ready to go.

Saturday's sale will take place from 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Wellman said it's the connections allowing her to buy clothes at "50 off the line," or half of retail. She deals direct with the manufacturers. "You have to go to the factories and the designers themselves and negotiate a better price," she said.

"I'm probably going to do it four times a year," she said of the trunk sales. "Maybe someday it will pay to have my own store."

Wellman said the sale will include designer labels such as Spencer Alexis, Rabbit Rabbit Rabbit, Top Secret and Nina Piccoloni.