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Selling designer clothing online is a daunting task. First you have to emotionally detach and part ways with the garment or if you’re savvy enough, shop a thrift store for brand name pieces worth selling.
Then you have to photograph, measure, list, ship and handle any customer service inquiries. After all of that (which can add up to a few hours fast), you may only sell the piece for a fraction of what it cost you originally or not at the mark-up you’d hoped to flip it for.
That’s why selling your designer, brand name and top-quality vintage pieces via online consignment stores is the easiest way to make money on your clothing. The online consignment store handles all the dirty work plus marketing of the piece to a large audience so you know it has a chance of selling at all.
So whether you’re a designer diva with a closet full of Louboutins or a vintage lover like me, keep reading after the jump for the best five online consignment stores for you to consign your clothing and make money!
I want you to read this article and feel inspired to contact one of the online consignment stores below. Who knows? You just might make money after reading this!
Let me know your experiences selling or consigning clothing in the comments below the post, or by saying hello on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram!
xx, SD
ONLINE CONSIGNMENT STORE #1: THE REAL REAL
POTENTIAL MONEY: 60 percent of selling price goes to you, 40 percent goes to The Real Real.
THEIR SALES: Unknown – they sell on their site, and not Ebay.
CONSIGNMENT PERIOD: 180 days
WHAT YOU DO: Sign up as a member and complete an online form with a description of your items and their approximate original price. A sales rep will email you with confirmation of what pieces they’ll accept.
THE PERK: Lucky enough to have 10 or more designer items and live in LA, San Fran, San Diego, Dallas or the NYC tri-state area? Then you can skip the shipping cost and set up an in-person “white glove” appointment with The Real Real by emailing [email protected].
KEEP IN MIND: You risk losing money on shipping costs. Although the website says shipping is “free,” the reality is that you’re reimbursed once your item sells via a credit for purchases on the Real Real.
YOUR UNSOLD CLOTHING: If you want your unsold pieces back after the consignment period ends, you absorb shipping costs for the return.
ONLINE CONSIGNMENT STORE #2: E-DROP OFF
POTENTIAL MONEY: 60 percent of selling price goes to you, 40 percent goes to eDrop-Off.
THEIR EBAY SALES: 72,052 sales at time of publish.
CONSIGNMENT PERIOD: 45 days
WHAT YOU DO: Visit the eDrop-Off website to fill out their online form with your contact information and description of the designer pieces you’d like to consign. They take clothing, shoes, jewelry, accessories and … modern-styled vintage!
THE PERK: Recently featured on VH1’s “House of Consignment” and the site averages 90,000 pageviews a day. The more eyeballs that see your piece, the better chance it has of selling for top dollar.
Also, eDrop-Off will schedule a complimentary (free shipping!) UPS pick-up at your home.
KEEP IN MIND: Your pieces need to be top designer and top trend. Think Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Burberry, Prada and Gucci or contemporary brands Theory, Tory Burch, Vince, Elizabeth & James and Alexander Wang.
YOUR UNSOLD CLOTHING: According to eDrop-Off, rarely does an item “go unsold,” since they have a 98 percent sell rate.
ONLINE CONSIGNMENT STORE #3: RECYCLE YOUR FASHIONS
POTENTIAL MONEY: 50 percent of selling price goes to you if the item is sold by Recycle Your Fashions for $499 or less. If sold for over $500, you receive 60 percent of the selling price.
THEIR EBAY SALES: 4,232 sales at time of publish.
CONSIGNMENT PERIOD: 90 days
WHAT YOU DO: Fill out their handy online contact and garment description form. They’ll contact you with their list of approved items for consigning with them.
THE PERK: You have to drop your own box off at the post office, but Recycle Your Fashions absorbs shipping cost by emailing you a pre-paid shipping label. Plus, brands accepted include names most women have in their closets right now (like Ann Taylor & J.Crew) and the site touts selling great vintage pieces, too.
KEEP IN MIND: You have to provide your own boxes to ship your clothing to them.
YOUR UNSOLD CLOTHING: Either the items are donated to a local thrift store or you choose to pay for return shipping back to you. The item can also be listed at a starting bid of $9.99, and if sold you will receive half the selling price minus the eBay fees.
ONLINE CONSIGNMENT STORE #4: LINDA’S STUFF
POTENTIAL MONEY: If Linda’s Stuff sells your item for under $1,000, you get 62 percent of selling price. If sold for over $1,000, you get 75 percent.
THEIR EBAY SALES: 270, 933 sales at time of publish.
CONSIGNMENT PERIOD: 90 days
WHAT YOU DO: No online forms here. Call Linda herself at 1-866-68-54632 to get the scoop on what brands she’s looking for and if you’ve got what she wants!
THE PERK: Out of the five on this list, Linda’s Stuff offers the highest percentage of profits to the consigner! Plus, on top of free UPS pick-up and shipping of your items, regular sellers with Linda’s can earn gift cards to brands like Tory Burch, Gucci and Coach.
KEEP IN MIND: Linda’s designer names list is quite expansive and even includes a few contemporary brands like Puma, Zara and J. Brand. Oh, and she sells vintage!
YOUR UNSOLD CLOTHING: No information listed.
ONLINE CONSIGNMENT STORE #5: THREADFLIP
POTENTIAL MONEY: Unknown, because Threadflip’s White Glove consignment service is brand new, so they aren’t advertising what the percentage split is yet.
THEIR SALES: Unknown, since the consignment program is still in “pilot” mode.
CONSIGNMENT PERIOD: Unknown.
WHAT YOU DO: Give them your email for an application form to be sent to you, and then wait and see if your goods are chosen.
THE PERK: Threadflip sends you a box and a pre-paid shipping label, but you have to drop it off at the post office yourself.
KEEP IN MIND: It’s currently in “pilot” stage, so Threadflip may or may not accept you to participate. Plus, they may or may not do a good job selling your clothing — this is a wild card inclusion that we’ll just have to watch and see!
YOUR UNSOLD CLOTHING: No information listed.
MORE SECONDHAND SHOPPING SECRETS
CONSIGNMENT CHIC: The Online Community for Consignment Lovers!
ENCORE: A Designer Consignment Store in NYC
VINTAGE: Where to Buy Vintage Fashion Online
SALES: How to Get Cheap Vintage Clothing
PLUS: Where to Buy Vintage Online by The Budget Fashionista
I’ve been selling my clothes to brick and mortar consignment stores for years, but I’ve never tried online consignment stores. Thanks for this post, I’ll definitely be using this info…in the near future!
I am so happy to hear this, Jasmine! Which e-consignment store are you going to try first?
Recycle your fashions is a huge scam! I’ve sent a 34lbs box with clothes/jeweleries/shoes and bags and there communication was great till they received it! I was really happy I found this place because it sound like paradise,they pay for the shipment, they sell your stuff they give you half of the money and you don’t bother at all. If they don’t sell they send your clothes back.
I wish!!! They didn’t sell my stuff which is fine but they also haven’t sent them back. I’ve sent my clothes on November 2011, I asked them back exactly 3 months after on February 2012 and that’s what I got as an answer on April 15 2012
Eleni, your items are being shipped back to you this week. I have to tell you, they were so very worn in and many of them had a very staunch smell of i dont know if it was cigarettes or what, but they were impossible to clean and we could not resell them. The only item worth listing was the vera wang piece but even that had some issues with the sequins. They are coming back to you in the same condition they were received.
I didn’t really care that they didn’t sell them but I expected a sorry and sorry but do juice couture jewelery smell? Anyway,they shipped a 5lbs box instead of a 34lbs I never got any money and they are so unprofessional that they are not answering my emails
My advice,don’t mess with them unless you want to donate your stuff (something that I didn’t want for sure) but why not give them to the homeless that really need them.
Eleni, I want to thank you so much for sharing your experiences here! I am so sorry to hear this! I hope that other readers of the article see your comment so that they have more information to weigh the best option for them. THANK YOU. I hope this is resolved. Sending good energy your way xx
Hi, My name is tony i’m in the process of filing criminal charges against recycle your fashions for theft by disposition, this is a charge for not paying the consignor or not returning clothing.I’f you have been taken by this co please give me a call 717-304-6274 or [email protected] and i will add you to the complaint. Thank you
Sammy-
Recently came across your article and loved it! I have recently launched a similar site http://www.designer-vault.com, I’d love for you to check it out and give us your feedback. Thanks!
Came across my new favourite online consignment shops a few months ago and now I cannot go back to buying regular priced merchandise. http://www.kimandkerriscloset They have great stuff and super fast shipping! I recommend them to everyone.
I agree with you that selling designer clothing online is indeed a daunting task. I have personally experienced this and it took me several days before I was able to move on.
Hi Sammy I’m happy to have come across this website. I have shopped on a few of the sites that you mentioned and Linda’s is one of my favorites. I to am in the process of opening an online consignment shop and hopefully one day I can be featured. Another great one is jillsconsignment.com just love it!!!
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RECYLE YOUR FASHIONS IS A SCAM!
Last September of 2012 I sent Recycle Your Fashions a number of designer pieces I no longer wear. It took them TWO MONTHS to list my clothes and that was only after I complained. All of my clothes which were listed sold on their website. It is now June of 2013 (9 months later) and I still have not received the nearly $750 I am owed nor have they returned the clothes they did not list. I have filed a complaint with BBB and sent them numerous e-mails which they have failed to respond to. No one picks up the phone when I call. Their website claims they “will respond in 24 hours or less.” False.
This website is NOT BBB Accredited and they have had 10 complaints within the past 12 months, most likely from people who have the same issue as I do. Their eBay reviews show a similar pattern of failing to respond to e-mails. Save yourself the trouble and consign with reputable consignors.
Do NOT bother dealing with this FRAUDULENT and DECEITFUL “business”.
Thank you so much for this article. I wish I had done more research on Recycle Your Fashions before sending hundreds of dollars in designer merchandise to them.
Similar to the experiences “Eleni” and “Young Kang”, I sent them my merchandise in October 2012. They were posted on eBay almost immediately so I felt positive. However, the communication then went COLD. I went months without hearing from them. When I attempted to call and email SEVERAL times, I never heard from them. In June 2013, yes, after 8 months of not hearing from them, I finally tried the Better Business Bureau. The company did respond to the BBB’s inquiries but told me that my account showed ‘paid in full’. I NEVER received any money from them at all. The BBB eventually lost interest as the trail went cold. They told me to contact the Atty General for PA, which I will do but I don’t expect anything to come of it.
Sadly, I’m out the merchandise I could have sold to a reputable local consignment store, or even donated since that’s essentially what I did.
They are indeed fraudulent and terrible. I wish someone would take down their site, which lists they have been mentioned in Forbes, Hallmark, PCMag and other well known publications. I’m sure if I researched, it would be to say they are referenced as being a scam and a waste of money.
I sent a box with 2 pairs of shoes (1 Prada and 1 Manolo Blahnik) to the Real Real, with their shipping label. Low and behold, the box is lost somehow (!?!). I’ve called 4 times, and written 2 emails, and no one returns my messages to tell me what they are going to do about the loss of my items, which were sent to them WITH THEIR OWN FedEx SHIPPING LABEL!!!!
My advice: Sell your stuff yourself. Unless you enjoy ‘giving’ your stuff away to some company.
WOW just what I was looking for. Came here by searching for car donations charities