Decluttering is seen by many as a hassle. That’s why our clients hire us! But did you know there’s a hobby out there that practically pays you to declutter your closet? It’s called consigning, and it’s both addictive and rewarding.
According to Wikipedia's Consignment page, the definition of consignment is: “the act of consigning, the act of giving over to another person or agent's charge, custody or care of any material or goods but retaining legal ownership until the material or goods are sold” ('Consignment', 2014).
Basically, your clothes are worth something to consignment stores. Some will pay you on the spot to have your unwanted closet items while others will pay after they’ve been sold. Read below how you can consign your unwanted clothes:
Research what each shop is looking for and what’s in style/season
This step might take some time to research. Some consignment retailers such as Crossroads Trading Co. have selling guides on their website which will let you know exactly what they’re looking for. If not, a quick Google search will tell you what’s in style right now.
If you can’t research, you can still use basic knowledge about what consignors are looking for each season, such as dresses and shorts in the summer and coats in the winter. At the end of the day, consignors are the ones who know what’s in season/style and will select which clothes they want to buy from you. If you’re not sure whether to bring in a piece of clothing, let the consignor see it anyway.
If something isn’t in season and you still want to take it to a consignor (ex: a Calvin Klein winter coat you want to get rid of in July), try to store it and wait until you can take it in! You can also ask the shop yourself if they’re currently taking items for next season.
Wash everything - especially if it’s been worn
This step speaks for itself, not to mention we’re still living in a worldwide pandemic. It would suck to have an in-style and in-season piece of clothing be turned down because it wasn’t washed. If you want your clothes to have a chance at being sold, wash them before you take them in!
Pack your clothes
Pack your clothes into bags that make it easy for the consignor to take in and out. Shopping bags and reusable bags with flat bottoms are perfect. If you have a lot of clothes, you could even take a suitcase. Trash bags, on the other hand, might make it difficult. They can break, it’s hard to see if you’ve taken everything out, and when consignors fold your clothes to put them back in, the folding will likely get ruined since trash bags don’t have a flat bottom.
Set up a wide time frame to visit your consignor
Consign your clothes when you know you’ll have free time. Consigning can be a quick process, but there may be a line of people to get their clothes looked at before you. Others might bring a lot of clothes too, so be patient!
Onto the next shop
When you’re done with the first retailer, make sure to visit another so you get the most bang for your buck!
If you're a Santa Barbara local reading this blog, we've compiled a small list of our favorite consignment clothing stores from Santa Barbara down to Ventura area:
Santa Barbara
Carpinteria
Ventura
Finally, you can donate
When you’re done carrying bags of clothes around, donate the rest to a nonprofit such as Goodwill. Now your closet is more spacious and you’ve earned some extra bucks in the process!
We hope this blog helped you learn a little thing or two about consigning! This is one of the many benefits of decluttering your closet. Be sure to check out the Klutter Kutters Website for more decluttering tips! Reach out to Karen at (415) 602-0949 or at Karen@KlutterKutters.com for consigning questions. If you're curious about furniture consignment, also feel free to reach out!
Thank you for reading our blog,
Karen from Klutter Kutters
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