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.
