At Hibiscus Place Emporium, you can drop off your dry-cleaning, have your pants altered, buy a divine vintage jacket and find a funky lamp all before you walk out the door. That's because the emporium, on Fort Lauderdale's fashionable Las Olas Boulevard, is part consignment shop, part dry cleaners and tailoring, part gift shop.

The storefront offers a shopping spree that always surprises because you never know what someone dropped off that morning. You can come across Waterford crystal vases, ornate chandeliers, festooned lamps, lovely armoires, kitchen sets, framed art, designer dresses and accessories plus an array of new items like frames, wine stoppers and just-for-fun novelties -- anything from $3 cards to a $2,000 entertainment center or cabinet.

``It's a mix of old and new,'' says owner Manny Lopez.

He also sells Panama hats, which range from $28 to $1,200. ``It's like buying an Oriental rug -- the finer the weave, the more expensive it is.''

Just like the customers who love coming across finds at Hibiscus, Lopez gets excited when someone strolls in toting a family heirloom or hot label.

``It's an adrenaline rush,'' says Lopez, 27, who has owned the shop since 2006. ``Do I love it enough to keep it or not? I always ask myself that.''

On occasion, the young entrepreneur does keep the merchandise for himself, especially if he got a great deal. He bought two signed prints by artist Victor Vasarely from a woman for $600. He kept one and discovered it's worth about $5,000. He sold the other for $1,200 before realizing it was worth so much more.

Judging what something's worth isn't easy. Lopez relies on research -- and checking e-Bay prices helps.

Given the tight economic situation, Lopez is hearing from more people who need to unload their possessions.

``I get phone calls every day,'' he said. ``Sometimes people are downsizing or they lost their job and they just need the money.''

Take a gander around the shop and you can't help but be intrigued. There are masks from Bali brought in by a vacationer. A lovely $1,200 chandelier sits on the counter and Lopez had just sold an entertainment cabinet that the owner couldn't fit through the door of his home. ``It went from the delivery truck to here.''

Browse through consignment clothes and you'll stumble upon an Armani suit for $50, a Gucci dress for $400 (it originally cost thousands, Lopez said) and two Louis Vuitton purses for $300 each.

Prices are often negotiable, which, as Lopez jokes, is ``good for the customer, kinda bad for me.''

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