Consignment store percentages -- what's fair?

[Flaxbee]

*This was also posted in the Lounge*


I have some suits from my former life as a corporate attorney that I'd like to sell ... eBay isn't always the most lucrative option and we have a few consignment stores here in town.

I have some nice items -- designer suits, and items that are 100% wool, 100% silk, etc. (hard to find that anymore at a good price point).

One told me that they keep 60%, and give me 40%.

Is that fair? Skewed?

Any guidance/advice appreciated. Thanks!

[OffWithTheirHeads]

1. Sounds pretty republican to me. I'd take my chances with e- bay or give them away.

Fwiw, I often buy clothes on e-bay.

[Flaxbee]

5. If the items don't sell this week on eBay, I'll re-list them once and then try

consignment ..

Thanks for your input

[cbayer]

2. Are these women's clothes?

If so, there is a great organization called dressforsuccess.org that you might consider looking into.

[Flaxbee]

6. I'm also considering dress-for-success type places...

I have a lot of clothes I'm going to donate today to a local charitable thrift -- plus a ton of books.

I'm not by any means flush anymore at all (happier outside of the corporate world, but ...) -- and if I can get some cash for the designer suits, I'd like to try...

[Curmudgeoness]

3. I would think that 60/40 would be fair.

The store does have all the expenses involved in keeping the physical location, including rent and utilities. I have never gone the consignment store route---I just donate clothes that I don't wear anymore to people who I know who need them and will use them, or to charitable thrift stores. But that is mostly because the consignment stores in my area require that the clothes be no older than 2 years, and I don't get rid of them that fast.

But if you are intending on getting some money out of them, I would definitely talk to all of the consignment stores in the area before I made a decision.

[Flaxbee]

7. I have a bunch of separates I'm donating...

would like a little cash if at all possible from the 'designer' pieces ...



No one mentioned an age requirement, but if these items have to be less than 2 years old, I'm toast. These are all from the late-90s.

[Lars39]

4. I've used 2 different consignment stores and both were 60/40 split.

One store was seasonal with a 2 week window of accepting properly labeled clothes, and a 2 week window of pickup. The other store would just keep the clothes until they sold or for up to a year,iirc.

[Flaxbee]

8. OK, that's good to know.

Thanks.

[dimbear]

9. It varies on location, 50 50 is pretty common too.

Clothing is really tough to sell for any significant money, unless it's high end stuff from the 30s or 40s.

[Flaxbee]

10. I'm giving eBay another go ... will see what happens.

If I were closer to a bigger city (I'm about an hour from DC) I'd probably put my items into consignment there - not necessarily that the percentage is better, but that the pricing is.

I'd donate all of these items if I didn't need the extra cash. Hopefully soon I'll be in a better position and that won't be a concern.