AUBURN – Is there cash in your basement, attic or storage unit? Or are you a shopper who loves a bargain?

An Auburn business, Helios Quality Consignments, will soon specialize in turning gently used furniture, housewares, jewelry and collectibles into cash for sellers and bargains for buyers.

The store will open July 26 at 1120 Center St., in the building formerly occupied by Northern Tool. It will offer a safe, convenient and profitable way for consignors to sell good items they no longer need and for buyers to get great deals.

The store also will open for two preview events for people who want to consign items or simply learn about the process. The first is from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, and the second from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. July 2. Everyone is welcome.

The Helios staff will work with consignors to estimate the best price for their items, which will then be displayed in the retail store on Center Street when it opens.

The store and selected items will be advertised to tens of thousands of potential buyers in regional newspapers and, eventually, in a “virtual store” on the World Wide Web. Once an item sells, the consignor and the store will share the proceeds. If it doesn’t sell, the seller owes nothing.

The store may have come along at just the right time. According to a recent NBC Evening News Report, as the economy has worsened more Americans are turning to resale stores for bargains. In fact, according to NBC, resale store sales were up 25 percent last year.

Helios will also offer an eBay selling service, which will help customers sell their items to millions of buyers in a global market.

Ron Turcotte of Turner, who has 10 years experience owning and operating his own antiques business, is manager of the new store. Anyone thinking of consigning items is welcome to call him at 233-4761. Turcotte also spent 23 years with Geiger Brothers in Lewiston.

Brian Breton of Lewiston, is assistant manager and eBay specialist. Breton has been a paraprofessional teacher at three high schools, mostly recently at Poland Regional High School. He also has extensive corporate customer service and computer management experience, and has operated his own eBay store for the past eight years.

Why would a person consign an item rather than sell it himself?

The answer is simple, according to Turcotte. With a yard sale, you may only get a fraction of what your item is worth. Plus, there’s the hassle of having people come to your home, as well as the possible security risk.

Consigning items takes only minutes, and the store’s expert staff takes care of the rest, according to Turcotte. Regular advertising, plus constant store traffic, usually results in a far better final price.

Starting July 26, store hours will be 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, noon to 5 p.m. Sunday, and closed Tuesday.