HAPPY NEW YEAR, friends!!

We are back with Christie Congdon from Wise Thrifts, as she gives away all of her inside knowledge for having a positive experience when selling items on consignment. In November, Christie shared such valuable tips and strategies for shopping secondhand here. But now the focus is on how to MAKE money by selling items secondhand, versus just spending your hard-earned pennies.

What is the general process for consigning items? Are there steps that sellers should expect before, during, and after consigning?

Generally, consignment stores like for your items to be on hangers or neatly folded.  Loose items like shoes, jewelry or handbags can be placed in a small tote or in a cart they provide, depending on their intake process.  Before you begin consigning with a store you will want to check out their website and read about their specific criteria.

PRO TIP: Organizing your clothing by style and color is very helpful when presenting it to the store.  I find that if my items are orderly and easy for them to view, they are more likely to accept them. 

 As a buyer when you walk into a messy store, you are less likely to take the time to browse and purchase items.  It is a similar process when you are a seller at a consignment store.  The store is your customer.  

All of your clothing should be clean and without stains or holes.  I find that some stores have a higher threshold for flaws than others.  If some of your items weren’t accepted, ASK why not! Sometimes it’s based on the condition of the clothing; other times it might be for a totally different reason like style or they have too much inventory right now. It is helpful to understand why your items were not accepted so you can learn from the experience rather than feel frustrated. 

How does payment typically work in consignment?

Each consignment store is different.  Typically, they will cut and mail you a check, but in some instances, they require that you come into the store to pick-up your check. Often, you may request a check in the store if your sales are under a certain amount, like $50. Two of the consignment stores in town offer to pay you electronically via ACH but they charge a fee per transfer.  It’s best to read each consignment store’s rules and know how they like to process payments.

Could you give some guidance on how to decide which items are worth consigning? For example, how can someone assess whether a piece has resale value?

Identifying what items to send to consignment versus donating can be tricky at first.  With time and consistency, it will feel like second nature. 

My general rule of reselling is that a garment meet 2 of 3 criteria; Brand, Condition and Style.

• Brand: Some brands are really hot in the Reselling world.  This can change from year to year.  Right now a good resale brand is Farm Rio.  The colors and patterns are eye catching and the pricing is approachable. This may not be the case next year. It does not hurt to bring in your clothing that isn’t the most popular or expensive brands. However, you will want to be sure that the Condition and Style criteria are met.

• Condition: The garment or accessory is free of major defects.  No large holes or stains that cannot be removed. The store may be willing to overlook a blemish that isn’t as noticeable like a pen mark on the inside of a handbag or a snag on the backside of a sweater. 

• Style:  The garment must be of a current or classic style.  We’ve seen the styles of jeans change dramatically over the past 5 years.  This will affect the quantity of skinny, straight or wide leg jeans that the store wants to accept at this time.  This is the hardest of the criteria for some to grasp. It will differ from store to store depending on their market. This leads me to my pro tip!

PRO TIP: Shop the store that you are selling to. If you don’t know the Consignment Store’s target audience, you won’t ever be able to guess what kinds of articles they’d be willing to accept.  You will want to check how the store is arranged.  Where are the luxury goods displayed? How much of their store consists of mall brands? How do they group their clothing? This will give you a feel for the brands that they like to carry and what sells well to their shoppers

Do you have any recommendations on when to consign to maximize profit or item turnover?

Start planning a season ahead.  Plan to clean out your closet at the beginning of summer in preparation for Fall consignments.  Stores will prep for Fall or back to school shopping in August.  They will want to start taking Fall items in the middle of July. It feels early but that’s how to maximize what the store will take from you.  They will be the most interested in collecting inventory at the beginning of the season.  If you wait until it’s sweater weather, you’ve missed your chance.  Each store will have their timelines posted for each season. Check out their website or ask in the store and they will generally provide you with a printout.

I’ve sold it all! - from swimsuits, flip flops, beach coverups, fur coats, leather jackets, to cold weather accessories and ski gear.

Some consignment shops are willing to hold your items that are out of season for a small fee. This minimizes your trips to the shop if you did a major cleanout.  Other shops will only accept during a window of time before the start of each season. 

Here is a general timeline to consider when to begin taking in your clothing.

• Spring: January 1st

• Summer: February 15th

• Fall: July 15th

• Winter: September 15th

If this process feels overwhelming to you and you don’t know where to begin, let The Baer Minimalist help you! We are experts when it comes to cleaning out a closet and are able to identify what items are great for resale and what items should be donated.  Heck, we will even bring your items to our favorite consignment stores on your behalf and set up an account for you. We also have recommendations for where to take donations locally so that they can be given to someone in need.

Could you provide any advice on building a good relationship with a consignment store (or even a particular employee) to enhance success and trust?

Building a relationship is very important when consigning. I know many of the employees who work in the drop off area.  They are dealing with a very high volume of clients and garments. Anything that you can do to make their job easier, will pay off in the long run.  I cannot tell you how many times I have been doing a drop off and someone walks in completely disorganized and doesn’t understand the in-take process. In being disorganized, you are creating more work for the employee which can be fatiguing.  None of this guarantees that your items will sell during the consignment period, but it may greatly increase the acceptance rate of your items. 

With time and practice, you will learn what items the store likes to accept and you will build trust with the employees who recognize that you are a competent seller.

Finally, could you discuss the role of consignment in promoting sustainable fashion, and how choosing consignment helps reduce waste and support conscious consumption?

This is a very important component of buying secondhand clothing.  There are many ways to reduce our consumption as buyers.  One of the ways that you help promote sustainable fashion is to “Buy Better and Share the Pre-loved.”

By selling your clothing at consignment, you are sharing your pre-loved items with others who will love them also.   

We can also Buy Better by shopping consignment stores.  You are likely to encounter high quality garments for half of the cost of retail.  This is a huge win as a consumer. By purchasing something secondhand, you are keeping an item in circulation.  You are also finding better goods at a lower cost. 

Remake world reports that 100B garments are produced annually. Many are discarded within years, mostly dumped in the global south.   We should all be striving to make purchases intentionally as we ease into the New Year.  It is far too easy to click a button on social media or websites that can deliver clothing within 2 business days. Many of these garments end up in the trash because they are not made as well as other high-quality garments.  We can do better.  Let us help you!

The Baer Minimalist helps busy families create ORGANIZED + STYLIZED spaces throughout Indianapolis. Owner, Maria Baer, is passionate about being a conscious consumer when it comes to filling her own closet, so meeting Christie was a match made in heaven. Her favorite purchase from Wise Thrifts was a vintage handmade 70s Mrs. Roper dress that happened to match a purse hanging in her closet all too well.

To keep up to date with all of the tips, tricks and inspiration doled out, subscribe to our newsletter, The Minimal-List, here.