photo by concreteframes on FlickrI'm into my third month of Project 333 and I am doing pretty well. The problem is that I didn't get rid of all of my other clothes. I put them in that room where things go to die or in the basement. I still have a basket of shoes that I still love and some clothes are just too good for Goodwill. I have to do something with all this stuff before the Washington Post gets wind that I hoard clothes and does a story on me. Step 1 is taking the clothing to the consignment store.
1. What is a consignment store?
Consignment stores typically sell mid to high end gently used designer clothing for a fraction of the cost. The buyers are pretty discerning about what they will buy to keep the quality of the merchandise in the store at a level where people want to buy them. No smelly vintage clothing here.
2. Where do they get the merchandise?
They get it from you. Most stores have criteria for what they will take so please review it before bringing all of your trashy Forever 21 mini to the store and realizing you have to take everything back home.
3. How do they set the prices?
This process varies from store to store. If you are going be a regular consigner, keep your receipts so you can prove your items value. In my experience you tell them the price you paid and the item will be 25%-75% of the price you paid for the item. It really depends on the condition of the item , the original price, and how well the item tend to sell.
4, How do you get paid?
This process also varies from store to store. The store I go to splits the profits with you 50/50 and you get can pick up a check every 30 days for the items that have sold. However if a item stays in the store for more than 30 days they reduce the price by 20%, 60 days gets another 20% reduction. After 90 days it gets donated and they provide you with a donation receipt. At least you tried before giving up on that Tibi dress.
You still have some stuff? Stay tuned for Step 2: The swap party!
DC Area Consignment Stores:
