SPRING CLEANING: A TIME TO CONSIGN + 10 HELPFUL TIPS

So you dove into a closet cleanse and you're ready to clear the clutter? While donating all those garments is wonderful, another means of clearing your closet clutter can be to consign. Consignment is a way for you to turn the clothing and accessories you no longer wear into funds for something new. Consignment can help moms extend kids clothing budgets: Sell the gently used clothing kids grow out of so fast, into dollars to buy clothing for the following season or that they can grow into (See Resale Shopping for Kids at SheKnows.com). Consigning clothing can also be a great money saving system of rebuilding your wardrobe for a lifestyle change, especially if you've moved to a new climate or location - or you're just a simple fashionista!

Not all consignment shops are brick-and-mortar - Some consignment businesses also sell on-line now-a-days. Here are 4  to look into: 

 

"Everything SOLD is new again" -at Tradesy.

Tradesy

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My Sister's Closet

The Women's Closet Exchange

You might recognize The Women's Exchange from the popular TV show, ReSale Royalty, which is located in St. Louis, MO, but also has an excellent assortment of designer goods online, for a fraction of the cost of buying them retail. A great means of adding a little splurge while you save and purge. For additional consignment shops and locations, do a search in Google for (your area) Consignment Shops, plus also visit The High Low, which offers not only a list and links to 5 Online Consignment Shops, but also calls out a few others in the comment section as well.

Locally here in Phoenix, I've had success selling clothing from a closet cleanse at TurnStyle Consignment. I've been able to reinvest the funds from clothing I no longer wear (because of lifestyle change + personal style & fit) into 'new to me' secondhand style finds to build my wardrobe for the lifestyle I live today. This is especially helpful when you've bought and worn something, and you're not comfortable with your purchase. Just clean the garment and take it to consign to help recoup some of your loss. Besides carefully reading the Consignment Terms from the establishment you want to partner with, here are, from my own personal experience with consigning clothing...

 10 helpful tips to consider when it comes time to consign:

1 - Consign only your best and present your consignment items the best way possible


2 - If not dry cleaned pressed or ironed, sometimes a quick spritz & light dryer time can remove wrinkles (especially for knits) just be sure to hang immediately after cycle complete.

3 - If you have pets, a quick pass with a sticky lint roller can help to remove pet hairs - even if item is already cleaned.

4 - Hang clean & wrinkle free consignment clothes vs using a bag drop off: Your items will not only look their best, but you'll be able to keep track of how many items the shop takes to consign. Some items will need to be bagged (such as shoes or accessories) which the blue Ikea Tote is great for.

5 - Clean and polish shoes, boots & bags, especially if these items have been lingering in your closet, they may have collected some dust. If it's a tote or purse you've grown tired of, but it's still in good condition: check all pockets, clip any stray strings, and shake out any bottom dwellers. Be sure to include the bags dust bag (if it came with). GooGone helps to quickly polish bags, boots and shoes - works especially well on patent finishes.

Women's Closet Exchange

6 - Check your local or online consignment shop site for a list of brands they do & don't accept. Typically, consignment shops are looking for gently used to new items, from the past year, up to 4 - 5 years. The exception would be authentic vintage or retro items. Besides clothing, fashion items can also include: purses, wallets, travel bags, better costume + fine jewelry, sunglasses, shoes, vintage bags + jewelry, hats, and scarves. 

Good to know: Some consignment shops will also take that perfume you spritzed once and didn't care for, or had a reaction to. Again, just check site or call to verify.

7 - Check consignment site to see if an appointment is necessary plus what the item limit is. Some may be split: 25 item walk-ins Monday - Friday, while weekends may require an appointment.

 

From the New York Times: How To Monetize your Closet

8 - Check which season consignment shop is accepting, or when the following season will be accepted. Typically January - June are Spring / Summer consignments while July - December are collections for Fall / Winter consignments. Fur season can typically be October - January. To sell your wedding dress or accessories, look into PreownedWeddingDresses.com

9 - If you're selling clothes online, take photos showing what makes your item unique. If there is visible wear or damage, be sure to photograph it. Remember, online today is all about being transparent plus building a good online reputation.

10 - Whatever doesn't consign, donate to your local Goodwill, Salvation Army, or church thrift shop. For extra thrifty savings, drop off donations to Savers Thrift, and receive a $3 off your next purchase coupon. Across the pond, a charity organization to donate to can also be cashinthecloset.
  

From Tradesy who says, Your Closet is a Goldmine! Great online source to sell on:

Your listing is 100% free, you can sell as many items as you'd like plus you can set your own prices. Your listing will remains active until the item sells. See Tradesy: How it Works.

One example of Consignment Terms - From TurnStyle.

Some consignment establishments will offer you 45% of the selling price (if you want to receive a check) and 55% as a shop credit to use towards your new purchases. Remember though, consignment shops aren't selling items at retail prices - they are usually priced 60% to 70% less than retail. Granted, consignment isn't going to necessarily turn your bank account into a Trump account, but if you're looking for a budget friendly wardrobe solution - other than thrift - consignment is it! For additional tips about how to consign, see this article at Lucky: Consigning your Clothes: What you Need to Know.

After your closet cleanse, you'll be ready to shop for a few updated pieces to layer into key items, which just like accessorizing your home, can make the old seem new again. Here's a checklist of 50 Closet Classics to keep - and if you don't already have, consider investing in...

 

50 Closet Classics from Matchbook Magazine 

 And don't forget - Skinny hangers help save space!

Happy Spring Cleaning and Closet purging!

Thanks for stopping by!