What's the best way to sell a shearling coat?
December 5, 2005 10:16 PM   Subscribe

Advice on selling an expensive shearling coat?

I bought a shearling coat about 3 years ago. It is a pretty coat and of some very nice quality fur/leather, though I am not sure what it is because I am not a fur expert. It is in pretty good condition though not of some especially trendy style or anything. Three years ago, I paid $1000 for it. Now I would like to sell it because 1) it does not fit me anymore 2) my ethics about wearing fur have changed and 3) i am moving and dont see a reason to store it. I dont think its value would really grow with time. Can someone advise me on the best/most profitable way to sell this? Ebay? Consignment store? Something else? What kind of return should I reasonably expect for it? Am I better off covering it with paint, setting it on fire and calling it a protest art piece? Please help!
posted by larva to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (2 answers total)
 
If you're established on eBay with good feedback and whatnot, you could certainly list it there. If you want, you can set a minimum reserve price to make sure it doesn't sell for much less than you're willing to take. That said, from your description, I'd guess the coat might fetch around $100 on eBay. Used clothing really doesn't hold its value well at all. Used clothing that was really expensive to start with fares even worse. You might be able to get $50 for a $100 GAP jacket on eBay, but you won't get $500 for your $1000 jacket. That's just the way it works.

Another option would be to donate it to charity and make use the tax write-off.

I once donated a leather trench-coat to a school auction, and it fetched $200 (for charity). I'm sure it wouldn't have gone for nearly that much on eBay. Even though I didn't get the money, I was pleased with the transaction, since I don't wear leather myself and the school could really use the money. The woman who bought it was pretty thrilled, too.
posted by bonheur at 2:52 AM on December 6, 2005


Best answer: To get semi-decent money out of expensive used clothing, take it to an upscale consignment shop. It will probably (assuming it's not a high-end designer name or a collectable vintage piece) bring more than you would get for it on ebay, simply because a buyer would be able to feel the materials, see the quality, try it on, and in general be seduced by the piece in person. Alternatively, you could advertise it on craigslist/wantads/etc in your area, but then you would have the hassle of dealing with the buyers themselves and would be out any ad money if it did not sell. The shop's % cut will be worth it for their service as a middleman, interested shoppers looking to purchase like items will be likely to encounter it there, and if it doesn't sell there you can try something else.
posted by gai at 9:19 AM on December 6, 2005


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