MY TWO CLOSET MUST-HAVES
When I begin working with a new client we almost always start with their closet. No matter how much you have or how organized you are, a good stylist should always roll their sleeves up and get their hands dirty so to speak. For most people its incredibly hard to part with things (myself included) especially when it comes to clothes...and there is always a story! "I bought this for when I go on date nights but now its too tight...but when I lose 5lbs I'll start wearing again". "I need to keep this dress in case I get invited to a party that is business casual but you can't wear black". We all create excuses and thats where getting a second opinion can come in real handy.
So what happens after you've done that? You're staring at three piles: sell, donate, toss...now what do you do? After many years of helping clients through the process I'm outlining my favorites below. Truth be told (unless you have something that has increased in value) you should prepare yourself for some disappointment. Online consignment has its pluses and minuses. Plus: you have a much greater chance of selling your item and selling it faster. Minus: These websites know what people are willing to pay and they also want to sell your item fast so their perceived value for you gently used Prada loafers might be less than yours. Insider tip: you set the price! Many online sites and apps let you set the price especially if its a designer handbag. Don't do anything you're not comfortable with. Finally, enjoy it! You just gave yourself a fresh start and hopefully some cash to save or spend!
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SELL YOUR HANDBAGS
Hands down my favorite site for selling a designer handbag is a California-based company called Fashionphile. I have used them countless times and have had the same positive experience every time. Why I like them: selling a bag is SO easy. You upload pics of your bag to their website and they turn around a quote within a week. The best part? They offer a "buy out" price and a consign price! If you select buy out you receive a check directly after they receive the bag. Their pricing is very competitive and they have excellent customer service. Fashionphile rejects your handbag? Any of the other sites mentioned below can be used but this is the first choice!
SELL YOUR CLOTHING
The Real Real is a great destination for selling your gently worn clothing. They have a list of approved designers on their website (make sure you check it because its always changing) and they provide you with a dashboard so you can track your sales and commissions. If you want to sell something quickly and aren't married to a specific price (or don't care how much you sell it for) this is the place. I'm always up front about that with clients because I have been disappointed. Commission starts at 55% and once you sell $1,500 it goes to 60% and once you sell $10,000 it will go to 70% for two years. PS they take jewelry!
Tradesy if you don't mind doing a little more leg work, I find that you can make more money using this site/app. Listing an item should take less than 5 minutes and once you sell the item the process is very seamless. Tradesy will send you everything you need: shipping label, tag for your item, tissue paper, and a bag or box to ship the item in. If you sell a handbag or shoes and need a dust bag they will send that too - at no charge! Its all included in the percentage Tradesy makes. They deduct a flat commission fee of $7.50 for sold items less than $50. On sold items $50 or more, they deduct a commission rate of 19.8%.
DONATE YOUR CLOTHING
