Saving with Style

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In our house, we have a rule: one piece in means one piece out.

It didn’t used to be this way. When we first combined our households, we lived in an apartment with huge closets so the fact that I had way too many clothes and even more shoes was really not a problem.

Then we became home owners; home owners with very little closet space. And so the boy said, “there is no other way….if you want new clothes, you have to purge what you have.” Since I previously owned a clothing store, such things like “purging” do not come naturally to me. Not only did I not want to give my stuff up, I wasn’t ever sure what to do with it.

The easiest option would have been to drop them off at Goodwill or the Salvation Army. But many of the pieces that I just was not wearing anymore had cost me a pretty penny. I didn’t have time to take pictures and list everything on eBay, so I decided to drop it all at a consignment shop. Of course, this took a little more preparation than I had thought.

So, if you’re cleaning out the closet and you want to make a little cash back on the items you’re getting rid of, here are some things to keep in mind.

Take stock in what you have. While consignment shops might be “second-hand stores,” that doesn’t mean that they want a bunch of old funky gym t-shirts with sweat stains. For stuff that is truly gross, cut it into rags for cleaning your house. Pull out any items that are outdated; while the 80’s seem to be raging back in to style, the 90’s are still way out. You’ve been warned.

Now, make two different piles. Put all your really high end stuff in one place – this would be designer goods like Gucci or Prada. The other pile is all your mid-range items that most of us normal people wear on a daily basis. This makes it easier to take the appropriate items to the right stores.

Finally, make any small repairs (buttons, zippers, etc) and wash or dry clean as necessary.

Sell where the selling’s good. Let’s face it; some consignment shops are better than others. They might have a better location, or maybe they just have more current goods. Either way, if you’re going to spend the time sorting through your closet, you want to make it worth your time. Make the ultimate sacrifice and spend a day “shopping” the consignment stores in your area. Call your friends; make it a girl’s day. When you find a store (or stores) that seems like the Yin to your Yang, make an appointment.

Read the fine print. When you go to your appointment, expect a salesperson (or even the owner) to inspect your clothing. And don’t be sensitive about it. More often than not, they’re going to take only about 40-50 percent of what you bring through the door. Remember, you’re not the only consignor that they’re selling for. While they’re digging through your goods, you’ll be expected to read and sign a consignment contract. This is where they’ll give you the details about how long your stuff will be on the floor, when markdowns will happen, and what percentage of the sales you’ll be getting. Read this contract carefully. It will often have details about what happens in the event someone steals your stuff (you’re usually not compensated), when you can come pick up your check (usually once a month), and what happens to your clothes if they’re not sold (they’re usually donated).

Let the selling begin. Your work is done my friend. Now you can just sit back and wait. You’ve got clothes at several different consignment stores making you some money. For any clothes that were rejected, you can either donate them yourself, or try a few other consignment shops in the next town over. While you’re waiting, you can also do some shopping at Upromise to make up for those items you so lovingly just purged.