Consigning for cash!

This week, I took one look into my closet and about passed out. It looks like a bomb went off in there! I just have way too many clothes. See for yourself... 

Okay, stop judging me. 

I think everyone out there has had a time when they realize, I need to purge my closet! And it is then, my lovelies, that you have the perfect chance to make a little extra cash. In a situation where a lot of people just pile their unwanted garments into bags and drop them off at the nearest Goodwill, take this opportunity to put in a little extra work and get paid for your clothes! 

I regularly take my clothes to a couple of area consignment shops and it is always a worthwhile experience - especially when I go back weeks later to collect my check! So, here are a few tips for all of you out there. If you have never tried consigning your clothes before, you should definitely try it! 

1. Search out shops in your area. Visit their websites for information on how to consign your garments and whether you will receive a percentage of the sale's price or a flat upfront price for your items. Practices vary widely from shop to shop - some stores require garments to be ironed and on hangers, some do not. Payout percentages to consigners vary also, in my experience, from around 40 - 60%. 

2. Consider only shops that pay a percentage of the sale price to you, the consigner. In my experience, shops that pay a flat rate to you for your clothes (places like Plato's Closet) do not pay much compared to those that give you a percentage of your sales.

3. Visit the shops where you are considering consigning your garments. Look at their overall merchandise and their prices. Is the shop in a good area? Do they seem to move merchandise quickly in and out? Do they ever have sales or promotional offers? Are there other shops nearby? Higher end consignment shops may pay a lower percentage back to you, but may guarantee a higher price for your items, because they draw a large clientele of upscale shoppers. Sometimes, these places are worth taking a lower percentage payback because prices are higher (so it all evens out in the end). For example, 50% payback of a $20 top is $10, but, so is the 40% packback if that same top is priced at $25. 

4. Look at your pieces very carefully and consider what you will try to consign. It is best to take items that are unaltered (we have all tried on things that we thought were our size, only to find out they'd been hemmed or taken in and they didn't fit us, right?). Also make sure that there are no stains or problems with the garments and that, of course, everything has been laundered appropriately. Additionally, most shops, especially higher end ones, ask that garments be current styles - no more than 2 years old. At times, it can difficult to tell how old your clothes really are (especially if you are like me and you have too many to remember quite when you got them!). However, in the last few years many designers have started putting season codes on their labels... but sometimes they are hidden so you have to know where to look! On many labels, for example, these codes can be found on the back tag of the garment, on the underside. Below, I show a J.Crew tag. The very last line indicates the season - SP 10 = Spring 2010.

5. When you take your items in to be considered for consignment, don't be afraid to ask a lot of questions, especially if it is your first time consigning at that location. Most stores will attempt to sell your items for a certain number of weeks before pulling them. Make sure to clarify to the shop staff whether you want unsold garments returned to you or donated to charity. Make sure you understand how the payment works - will they mail your check or should you come by after a certain amount of time to pick it up? Will any sales will held during the time your items are in the shop and if so, what will the possible discount be on your items (it is often good to know this, just to understand if it is possible that your items could be sold at a reduced price, thus lowering your payout). 

6. Think beyond clothes. Many consignment shops take shoes, jewelry, and purses. And larger shops may accept household items and furniture.

Consigning your clothes can be a little bit of work, but good reward! Happy money-making!

Deals of the Day!

I regularly like to peruse the selection of stuff on Goodwill's online auction site, shopgoodwill.com. They usually have a LOT of stuff and, sometimes, you find something really great!

Today, they seem to have quite a few quality secondhand items on the site... So, I thought I'd give you a sampling. This way, you can all see how worth wild it can be to keep an eye on this site! 

8 Vineyard Vines ties. Last (winning) bid was $100.  These ties are $75 each online. So, someone got a STEAL a bought 8 for a little more than they could buy 1. Amazing!!

Diane von Furstenburg carry-on/small suitcase. Still 5 days on auction. Current bid only $9 (although shipping is a good bit on this item)!!

Lilly Pulitzer jacket. So adorable! 2 days left on auction - currently only $11.50!

Pottery Barn cheese knives set. New in the box. Currently no bids and the first bid starts at just $4! 

Kitchenaid stand mixer. Auction ends in just 5 hours and bid is only at $56. This would be a steal!! 

2 pairs of Coach sandals. New looking! $60!

A couple of tips:

I have a post-it note (or 3) full of brands that I like to keep an eye out for. I have them on my wall right next to my computer, so, when I go on the site, I can search for each one quickly (without that lag time of "now WHAT other brands would I want to look for?"). I highly suggest doing this! And don't just limit your brands to clothing - the site is full of housewares and other great finds! 

Just like on e-bay, there is a "watch list" feature that you can use, as long as you are signed into the site. However, unlike e-bay, it does not remind you when the auction time on an item is about to end, so, you need to make sure you pay attention and check back on your "watch list" items regularly!

Pay careful attention to the shipping cost information. While some items might seem to be a great price, the shipping can be highly variable. Some items come from nearby and some come all the way from the West Coast (costing a good bit more). And, of course, remember that if something is heavier, it's definitely going to cost much more to ship - so, ultimately you have to decide if it's worth it or not! 

And, of course, there is no returning this stuff... so be careful! If you have any concerns about the quality or the condition of the item, consider your purchase wisely. Generally any clothing defects are noted on the listing... and Goodwill checks all electronics to make sure they work, before posting them! 

Happy hunting!!

Revente sale to benefit Sistercare

This local consignment shop in Columbia is one of my favorites. I have found some real treasures there and I have also taken many items there to be consigned.

Go by tomorrow night to find something fabulous and support a great local charity in the process!

Women Helping Women Please join us Tuesday, May 4,  from 5:00-7:00 pm and shop to benefit Sistercare! 20% of the sales will go to this organization. PS: Have dinner at Delaney's after shopping (right next door) and show your Revente receipt to receive 20% off your dinner (discount applies to food only). Many thanks to all for a fabulous 18 years............let's go for another 18! Revente 737 Saluda Ave. Columbia, South Carolina 29205-1647 803-256-3076 www.shoprevente.com

Friends - send me your great finds!

As much as I love to share with you the bargains and great steals I've acquired along the way, I equally love to see the fantastic finds that you have snatched up! And I hope that you'll share them with me! So that I can share them with everyone! Because let's face it, everyone loves to see a fantastic bargain find!

So please, if you have some great thrift/consignment finds, email pictures to me, along with a little description of the item(s) and where you found them - and I will be thrilled to post them here! I would love to be able to feature a guest find every week or two. And let's face it, it's your responsibility as a successful bargain hunter to allow the rest of us to lust after, um, be motivated by what you've found. So share away friends!

My very first guest find comes from my friend and neighbor Matt. He was thrilled to tell me about this great linen blazer that he found at a local Columbia Goodwill store. It was brand new - with tags still attached! Only $12! What a great find, Matt - you look like a million bucks! 

 

Oh, look what I stumbled upon on a recent thrifting excursion...

Sometimes when you go thrifting, you find things you never expected to find. Things you were never looking for in the first place. Things you never realized you would ever find in a thrift store! And, let me tell you, oh the joy that can come! 

That was exactly my experience this week when I popped into my neighborhood Goodwill for a few minutes. I really just wanted to walk around and unwind after a Monday of sitting at my desk and reading reports (ugh!). But what I stumbled upon was glorious... 

The Goodwill in my neighborhood often gets donations from Target. But, these donations are generally mostly clothes and shoes, which I tend to pay little attention to. But this week, they sent over some other things! Philosophy lotion and Bumble and Bumble hair products! I spotted these gems in a huge basket of stuff inside the jewelry counter and was elated to see that they were all new and unopened (and were priced SO low!). You can see the Target sale price tags still attached in the photos ($34.99 for the Philosophy lotion, $25.99 each for the Bumble and Bumble shampoos and hairspray) as well as the Goodwill price tags ($2 and $3.50). So, I snatched them up! And for $10.50, I left Goodwill with over $110 worth of hair and body products. Who doesn't love 90% off?

My Goodwill shoes...

Now, I know what you're thinking. Some of you, I dare say, shudder at the idea of buying shoes secondhand. Especially at Goodwill, right? I mean, Goodwill isn't the most, um, upscale place. Sometimes it smells. I get it. That is the exact reaction I had the first time my mother presented me with a pair of fabulous shoes she had found at Goodwill. Suuuure, they were gorgeous. Sure, they were expensive, but, they had come from Goodwill. And I was all sullen college student and, very unsure of why I would want to wear shoes from Goodwill! 

Well friends, I still have those shoes. Because, see, good shoes last. And cheap shoes end up in the trash. And, you can buy good shoes at a department store or online or anywhere else - and pay alot for them. OR, you can do what I do - you can be thrifty, and when you see a really great, quality pair at an unbelievable price, you snatch them up! 

I've never quite understood how really expensive shoes end up at Goodwill. Sometimes really expensive NEW shoes. Like these. 

 

I found these brand new Stuart Weitzman shoes at the Goodwill right up the street from my house recently.  And when I say brand new, I mean, the price tag was still on the bottom - the $298 price tag. So, I figured I'd shell out the $4 for them. Ha! Now, I DID have to polish the buckles, as they were a little tarnished. But, with about 10 minutes of work, using Wright's Silver Cream (which, if you don't have some at home, you should get some - it is good for EVERYTHING!), they looked as good as new. Below you can see my sophisticated technique for not damaging the suede...

Regardless of why beautiful shoes end up at Goodwill, I consider it my duty to give them a great second life. No matter how neglected or unloved they were by their previous owner (hag!), I promise to love them and treasure them. I have found some great shoes at Goodwill - ones I will continue to share with you in the future, hopefully to inspire you to get out there and search for great bargain finds of your own! But, if you still have some reservations about secondhand shoes, just remember, you are not alone. Just remember, we always have our dear friends Lysol and Febreeze - and that is generally enough to bridge the worry divide between you and that $300 pair of "used" kicks. 

$600 cheaper?! Don't mind if I do!

Often I find myself pining away over beautiful new items in store catalogs and online. Thinking how beautiful they are – and all the reasons in the world that I should just buy them – because, “I could wear it with so much!”. Indeed. But, always, my thriftiness comes alive and I think, this is just too much to pay. I cannot pay over $600 for a Kate Spade coat or $200 for a J.Crew necklace - no matter how fabulous I think they are!

This is when online consigning and thrifting can often be a benefit!  I hate to say it, but, so few things are actually unique these days. And, trends tend to cycle - which means that there are always vintage things out there that will eventually come back into style! And for us, the thrifty consumer, we should consider this an advantage!

So, what, you’re asking, am I suggesting? Use some of your favorite online sites (or some of mine, if you are new at this) to look for similar pieces to those most exquisite (and expensive) brand new ones that you’ve been lusting after.

I have been looking at this Katie Spade coat for months now. I want it! But, it’s $645. There is nothing I want badly enough to pay that much! But, after a quick search of Etsy, I found a similar coat, in both style and color – only $45!

 

 

Another strategy. If there is something you loved in the past, but just didn’t want to shell out the cash for it, look it up on Ebay, or other online auction sites. There is generally a good chance that you will find it there, possibly new, and, for a much lower price.

For some time, I was in love with J.Crew’s bubble necklace. I looked at it almost daily, in all its beautiful color choices – but, the price tag, $260, was far more than I was willing to pay. J.Crew stopped selling them several months ago and, now there are tons of them on Ebay! New ones! And, some selling for as low as $20.

 

 When I was a little girl, I loved saddle oxfords. Why? Well, because cheerleaders still wore them (and that was a BIG dream of mine - which, I did later fulfill in life - ha!). And, while you may not agree, there is just something really cool about them. Understated but cool. And I still think so. Which is why I am SO happy that they are BACK in style (Lucky Magazine even had a whole page of them in their March 2010 issue! Yeah!)! I just love how they can be so totally casual... and then, so dressed up... And for guys too, they are just too cute not to love :) So, thrifters, keep an eye out for saddle shoes! They are ALL over both Etsy and Ebay.

Another great site, is Goodwill Industries’ online auction site. Regularly on this site you can find current fashion and household items. I have purchased several things off this site (including a Nikon camera!) and have always been pleased. And don't forget about checking your area CraigsList for whatever you are looking for. Often we think about CraigsList for furniture or larger items - but it is loaded with people trying to sell clothing, accessories, household goods, and more!

Something old, something new...

No, this isn't a blog about weddings!

I have fallen in love with this blog and so, must Must MUST share it with you all! http://newdressaday.wordpress.com/

Marisa, the writer of this cute little blog, has taken on the remarkable task of creating (and then wearing) a new garment, from an old one, every day for a year! Yes, that's 365 new things! AND, she set a budget for herself of $365 - so, only $1 per day to find worthy and workable pieces from flea markets, vintage clothing stores, and garage sales.

When I stumbled upon this, I was instantly amazed. She has revived, restored, and restyled some of the cutest skirts, shirts, and dresses! I'll be checking our her handy work daily to see what crafty project she has taken on for the day! And who knows, maybe it'll motivate me a little more in the process...

$5 Vintage Wedding Gown

An insanely cool wedding dress found at a thrift store... for $5. Now this, my friends, is amazing!

Read all about it here:
http://www.glamour.com/weddings/blogs/save-the-date/2009/03/this-wedding-dress-cost-five-d.html