Resale & Consignment. A Guide.
I use to be a snobbish shopper. I would only shop at places like Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, The Gap, Banana Republic, Abercrombie & Fitch, Macy’s, and expensive boutiques like Louis Vuitton, Gucci, and Burberry for my clothes and accessories. In my early 20’s I was living on my own and paying my own Visa & American Express bills and so my shopping dollar had to stretch much further so I started to dabble at Nordstrom Rack, TJ Maxx, Ross, Marshall’s, outlet malls, and the clearance racks. I saved so much money that I slowly started to shop in these places more often than not. I still dressed great, I just didn’t have $3000 in credit card bills every month.
Well, later on I had a couple of friends that fell in love with thrift shopping and down and dirty bargain hunting. Once they introduced me to the finds and deals that were available in these places with just a little hardwork, I was HOOKED on the art of the thrift! As I moved into my late 20’s I was lucky enough to have found consignment and resale boutique shopping which I just absolutely fell in love with. Ever since I have been mixing my wardrobe with saucy jackets from the clearance rack at TJ Maxx and major designer consignment shop jackpots. I have found Gucci, Hermes, Chanel, Prada, Dior, Cashmere, Seven Jeans, Vivienne Westwood, Anna Sui, and so many more in my hunting and gathering in these great little fashion nuggets.
For those of us with a nose for high fashion and a budget that would keep us in Old Navy jeans and the Macy’s weekend sale racks consignment and resale boutique shopping can be a dream! We can find the most amazing Marc Jacobs dresses, Louis Vuitton bags, Chanel sunglasses, Gucci shoes, Lanvin jackets, Versace tops, Dior wallets, Prada belts, Missoni sweaters, Diane von Furstenberg wrap dresses, and all of those other great names in fashion that we love and adore at really great prices.
Now there are a few rules of combat that should be observed when partaking of this wealth of designer cast-offs.
Most good consignment businesses strive to sell only the best of these previously owned treasures. You will usually find famous and trendy names and, of course, luxury names are the most sought after. You want to look for stores or sites where quality and cleanliness are mandatory from their consignments. If you visiting a resale website, it’s a good idea to read their consignment terms & conditions to get a good idea of the what they are demanding from their consignors as far as condition of clothes, age, and value. Be sure and visit a couple before making any big purchases. The level of consignments store offerings can vary from low end Charlotte Russe and GAP to high end Chanel and Hermes.
Now, with the evolution of e-commerce, eBay, and on-line shopping men and women in all four corners of the globe have access to beautiful clothes at great prices and never leave home. You can find Chanel suits for under $1000, Gucci sunglasses for $100, and Louis Vuitton handbags for $500 or less. The only cost you incur besides what you pay is shipping which is usually less than what you would pay in gas for a day on Melrose, 5th Avenue, or Main Street. You get amazing variety as well which is my favorite aspect. You just have to practice patience, be vigilant in reading the fine print, and figure out how to size yourself with a fabric measuring tape. I keep my measurements in a little notebook next to my computer so I have them readily available when I find that perfect Catherine Malandrino dress I have been dying for.
A lot of people poo-poo on this sub-culture of consumerism because these things have been previously owned, but the fact of the matter is that most of the women that can afford to buy Chanel suits for $15,000, Louis Vuitton for $4000, Ferragamo for $800, Louboutin for $700, or St John Collection for $800 or $900 wear these things once or twice or for a season or not at all and then have no use for them. They usually use only the best drycleaners and have immaculate well-kept closets. Our consignment store has had $5000 Rena Lange suits that were never even taken off the hanger!
If not for the world of consignment and resale often times these things would end up in a trash heap or on the way to a rag factory. That’s another great thing about consignment is that in this world gone green you can do your part to not only give these clothes new life but keep cars off the road by staying out of malls, garbage out of the dump by reducing the amount of materials needed to get new clothes to market, and keep more money in your pocket for good deeds while not having to sacrifice your inner fashionista.
In summation (did I sound lawyerly just now?), the best way to shop consignment is with the same savvy you use at the Nordstrom semi-annual sale. Look for bargains, know what you like, and have a good idea of what works on you. Don’t be afraid to ask for a price break if that St John Collection pant suit is just $50 or $75 dollars more than you feel comfortable paying and don’t be afraid to ask for a break on shipping when you buy multiple things from the same place. Read the terms & conditions or policies the seller provides and find out as much as you can about them and you may find a new favorite place to shop. Customer loyalty does not need to be the privilege of brick & mortar stores alone and many sellers will reward you for it! Strike up and e-mail chat with a good seller and let them know what brands you like and that you would love to be on their mailing list.
I hope this simple guide helps you feel better about shopping consignment and resale. Feel free to send comments or questions. Thanks!