Shopping is something we love to do, and thankfully, fashions change every season. If you can afford it, you can buy the best designer clothing from high-end retailers. However, not all of us are in the same financial boat.
You may love haute couture but it does not make sense to buy brand items when trends change so quickly. So what do you do? Stick to down market supermarket clothing that you really detest and just pine after high-end fashion clothing? Consignment clothing is the answer to your problem. Consignment shops are a wonderful option by which budding fashionistas can clean out their wardrobes and sell fashion clothing they do not really want. The consignment store buys the outfits and then displays them at the store. When the item sells, the store keeps the money. Some stores prefer to work on a percentage basis where they keep the items and pay the owner about 20% to 40% of the money they make on the item when it is sold.
Finding a good consignment shop:
Now that you know about consignment shopping, you should start by locating a good local shop. The quality of items at a shop usually depends on the shop owner or the shopper in charge of new items. We recommend you Google and find the names of local stores that sell pre-owned designer clothing in your locality and visit them all. Look at the inventory and assess the goods. To help you out, we’ve also listed a few tips while choosing items from a gently used store.
1. Be strategic while shopping – Pre-owned stores are filled with beautiful items but we recommend you invest in classic pieces that you can wear anytime. Remember, buying trendy stuff is fine but if you can find a Chanel Quilted handbag, that wins hands-down over any other brand.
2. Have patience – If you are really interested in a certain piece or a particular brand, have patience. Let the storeowner know and provide your home address and phone number. The storeowner will keep an eye out and then inform you when the item is available. Believe me, this happens more often than you know, especially if the item was popular and talked about by fashion critics.
3. Don’t stop with just one shop – The shop owner’s personal style influences the items they take on consignment and this means that personal choices and shop inventory will vary. For example, if a storeowner is a hardcore Prada fan, you know that the store will contain primarily Prada products and that should be your go-to store for Prada. We recommend you check out at least five stores once a month to find affordable bargains.
4. Bargain or exchange – You can easily bargain for an item if you feel that the item has a few minor defects that reduce its value. Another option is to provide an exchange item in the form of an unwanted designer item. The policies of each store will vary but the choice is yours.
So now that you know where and how to buy from a consignment store, it’s time to get going. Have fun checking through the stock to find great classic or vintage items on sale.