Help me get rid of this stuff and make a couple bucks too.

September 6, 2008 3:39 PM

I need info about consignment shops.

I have several bags of clothes and shoes that I'm thinking of trying to sell through a consignment shop. It's too much for ebay and craig's list is pretty non-existant. What info do I need to know when I'm looking for a good shop? What percentage is good for my cut of the money? Should I be concerned with location of the shop? I was thinking something close to home but there are places on busier roads than mine. Please give me some insight into this. Thanks.

posted by CwgrlUp to shopping (5 comments total)

You're going to get the best prices if your clothes are vintage or retro in some way. Or, if you have some decent dresses, such as would be appropriate for prom or formal situations.

If your clothes don't fit in those categories, you might not get very good offers, although YMMV.
posted by achmorrison at 6:58 PM on September 6

A recent LA Times story about consignment shops.

I'm getting a lot of mileage out of this link.
posted by roger ackroyd at 7:15 PM on September 6

If you can (and are willing to) take the the time, go into the shops and see what seems to be the best match. Look for what kind of clothes they take, how they price them, what kind of clientele they seem to have, etc. Even more than other kinds of stores, consignment shops have their own personalities and it's hard to generalize. Spending half an hour browsing can give you a great idea of the quality and condition of their clothes, and how carefully or randomly they price them. You can always bring a few items to each place and see what they offer you for them; I don't believe you're obligated to sell them even if they offer to take them. Also, don't be surprised if you get a lot of rejections, and don't take it personally - just go to the next shop, or come back when someone with different taste is working intake.
posted by bassjump at 8:02 PM on September 6

Where you take your items depends on what you have. Call the places first and ask them what they are buying or taking for consignment.

If you've got a lot of nice designer stuff or high quality department store things, a consignment shop would be a good bet. The one I take my clothes to requires that the clothing be on a hanger, clean, ironed and in season. They look everything over very carefully for flaws and sometimes won't take stuff they think might not sell for various reasons. I leave my clothes at the store for 3 months. When my stuff sells, they take 60% and I get 40%. Towards the end of the 3 months, they start discounting stuff. I go in at the end of the 3 months and pick up my check and the clothes that didn't sell. This is a high end consignment shop with loyal customers and most of my clothes usually sell for an amount that I'm happy with.

I think that the location of the shop shouldn't matter too much. One of the best upscale consignment shops I know about is in an industrial part of town, but is always full of shoppers.

When I've got vintage or trendy clothes that I want to sell, I take them to either a local vintage store or the Buffalo Exchange type store and they will pick through what I have and give cash or trade credit for the stuff they want. Both places are really particular and sometimes I'll bring in like 20 garments and they'll only want 1 or 2 of them or sometimes they'll take everything. They also don't pay a ton for stuff since they have to make a profit. I average about $2-4 a garment when I sell to places like this.
posted by pluckysparrow at 9:43 PM on September 6

unless they are 'in demand' type clothes i would just donate them and get a tax receipt. clothes don't usually do well in a consignment shop. if they are 'in demand' type clothes and you are in a large city i would try to sell them at a used clothing store.
posted by docmccoy at 10:09 PM on September 6