5 Tips to Make the Most Money from Consigning Clothes and Household Items

I love consigning - it's so refreshing to clean out the closets, get rid of some of that stuff that's been weighing you down and get a little money back in return.  Here I share the basics as well as my 5 top tips on making the most from your consigned items.  

What is consigning?

Consigning is bringing your used or new items to a shop that will sell them for you and give you a cut of what it sells for.  Yes, you could have a yard sale and keep all the money yourself but consigning is great because you don't need a yard full of stuff and a free Saturday to make a little extra money - and you also don't have to worry about meeting potentially creepy strangers from Craigslist or Facebook Yard Sale groups.  With consigning, you can sell as little or as much as you want with no work involved - perfect for all those busy folks out there.  

There are lots of different types of consignment shops - some only do clothes or kid items, others do antiques and decor items, and some do a combination.  There are even really specific shops out there for things like bridal and formal wear, so no matter what you're looking to get rid of there's most likely a consignment shop for that.  

The format for all these types of shops usually goes something like this:  Items are generally consigned for 90 days.  If the item sells you get a percentage of what it sells for, usually 40-60%, and some stores offer you a higher percentage if you take the amount in store credit rather than cash.  Some consignment shops cut checks to you once a month, others keep tally using a computer system and you can even check in online to see how your items are doing.  If the item doesn't sell within it's allotted time you often get the choice to donate it to charity or come and pick it up.  We always do the charity option, that way we get the chance to make a little money back but if something doesn't sell it goes on to help someone else - it's just win-win.  

My 5 top tips on making the most from your consigned items:  

1. Keep with the seasons.
   Most consignment shops will only take what's in-season - if they don't, make sure to bring in only what's current or will be soon. Bringing in a snowsuit in May will get you no where - it likely won't sell in the allotted time and you will lose the sale and therefore the extra cash you were hoping to make.
   

2. Make sure your items look their best.
   This means making sure your clothes are clean, have no stains or heavy wear-and-tear, loose threads are cut off, and it's wrinkle-free. If you're consigning decor items, make sure they have no damage and are dust-free.
   Consignment shops won't take anything that doesn't look clean and ready to sell.
   

3. Know your market (consignment shop + audience).
   Some consignment shops are more "high-end" than others so it's important to know what kinds of items and brands they take and what they're looking for (there will be places that only take premium clothing brands like GAP, J-Crew, etc). Some shops will even post a list online of what they are looking for or no longer taking at this time.
   Once you get to know your local consignment shops, you'll soon learn where your items do best and you can decide where to bring what and when.
   

4. Always be ready to consign.
   Always have a designated space (a plastic tote, box, or even a paper bag) to put items you'd like to consign. How many times have you passed over that sweater in your closet? (a million) Put it in the box. A well-meaning relative sent you an outfit for your little one that's already two sizes too small? Put it in the box. You don't have to do a big purge to consign (though that's always a good thing), you can consign as you go.
   

5. Shop where you consign.
   If your consignment shop offers you a higher percentage back if you take your cut as store credit, definitely consider doing that - your money will go further for you.
   One of my favorite consignment shops is one of those "higher-end" boutique places where they sell a mix of consigned and new items. I love consigning and shopping there because they give me a higher percentage back as store credit and I can put it towards gently used premium-brand clothing or new clothes and gifts.

Where to start?

Ask around, Google around.  See what's near you, then give those consignment shops a call or send them an e-mail to get more information.  Make sure to find out what their policies are and if you need an appointment to drop off items.  

Happy consigning!  

A glimpse at our glamorous "To Be Consigned" system.
I have three consignment shops I use regularly: one for premium brand clothing, one that will take any brand of clothing, and one for decor items. I write the initials of the consignment shop on each bag/box and leave them tucked away but still easily accessible. Then whenever I have an item I want to consign I drop it into the box for the correct consignment shop. The next time I know I'll be going by a particular place, I make sure to bring those items with me and drop them off - it couldn't be easier!

Simple + Efficient Bib Storage

If you have a little one then you likely have a pile of bibs somewhere, probably taking up a drawer in the kitchen.  For us, using a drawer wasn't an option - we only have three.  Yes, three drawers in the entire kitchen.. ugh.  So I tried to think of another way to store the bibs out-of-sight but still accessible.  

| Bib Hook | Chrome Basket for kids cups + dishes |

My solution was to pick up one of those "over the cupboard door" towel hooks. I made sure to get one that had a good-sized hook on it to accommodate all the bibs. Then I just put it facing into the cupboard where we keep all the kid dishes and hung all the bibs from there - done!

Simple Chore List {Free Printable}

The easiest way to tackle household chores?  Get caught up and stay caught up. 

I’ve been able to stay on top of things (more or less) by making a simple chore list to follow during the week.  Once you get into the groove, it won’t take you much more than 20 minutes to accomplish most days’ chores.  

Monday – Laundry, Groceries
Usually I’ll throw a load of laundry in, then head to the grocery store.  By the time we get home, it’s time to switch loads. 

Tuesday – Bathrooms
Wipe down all surfaces, clean all the places no one ever likes cleaning, make sure there’s toilet paper stocked – you know, all that glamorous stuff. 

Wednesday – Kitchen
Wipe down the inside of the microwave, clean out the crumbs from the toaster, de-clutter the counter, make sure that last week’s leftovers have been thrown out or frozen (if it’s not too late). 

Thursday – Dust, Sweep + Mop Floors
Dust the TV and bookcases, sweep the kitchen and dining room and give it a quick mop. 

Friday – Vacuum, Water Houseplants
Give upstairs and downstairs a quick vacuum, water houseplants. 

Daily – Dishes, Go through mail
Staying on top of dishes and mail is key!  They tend to be the worst culprits for piling up fast and bringing you down.  I try not to go to bed with dirty dishes in the sink.

Obviously some days are busier than others and a particular day’s chores might get skipped.  Sometimes I’ll try to make them up the next day, other times I may just skip those chores entirely for that week - but trying to stick to this schedule as much as possible means that even when you skip something it’s not hard to pick up the slack the following day or week and catch back up.  

DIY Mail Basket

This is an old project, and while I don't have photos of the process I'd still like to share it with all of you. 

Like most people, when it comes time to mail something we've got to hunt down the stamps, and the return address labels.. or maybe it was the thank-you cards we can't seem to find.  To combat this, I wanted to make a little catch-all to keep in the kitchen and corral all these necessities in one place.  

Materials:  

• basket
• scrap wood
• saw
• paint
• stencils
• Dremel tool or small drill
• wire

How-to:  

I already had a cute little chicken-wire basket I found at the dollar bins in Target (yes!), but you could use any kind of small basket or bin.  The bottom of my basket was slatted so I needed to make a new bottom in order for the contents to stay in, to do this I cut a scrap of wood down to size and painted it black to match the basket.  

To make the "Mail" sign, I took another small scrap of wood and cut it to size.  I painted it black and used some stencils (I used a Martha Stewart stencil set) to stencil MAIL in white.  

After everything was dry, I lined up the sign where I wanted it on the basket and marked where I needed to drill the holes for the wire.  Once they were drilled I threaded some wire through and twisted it in the back to secure the sign to the basket.  Done!