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I’ve worked in the preloved/preowned fashion industry for over 20 years and I’ve loved every moment of it! Some take to selling like a duck to water, but others find it a difficult skill to master. Here are my top 5 tips on how to make selling your unwanted yet still beautiful things, a pleasure not a pain.

 

1. Seek out your vibe and your tribe

With sooooo many bricks and mortar and online consignment boutiques it can be hard to find the one thats right for you. So ask for recommendations from friends and family. Visit the store to see if your things will fit their vibe. They will have done extensive work to make sure their tribe is attracted to them, so if you fill a different niche you're better off going else where. It doesn’t mean your bounty is no good, just that it will suit a different stores customers better.

 

2. Use your agents pricing knowledge

We all have the tendency to believe our goodies are worth more than the reality. So be guided by the agent, they know current values and more importantly they know their customer... possibly had relationships with them for years. It’s perfectly acceptable to have reserve prices for special items, but if you go in with a list of prices for everything, it indicates that you’ve missed the whole point of using an agency. It’s their job to do the pricing, part of the commission you pay them is for their expertise in knowing what the customer is willing to pay. 

 

3. Be quick to let go

We all have those forever pieces in our wardrobe that we’ll never let go. But as for the rest, sell them on before fashion changes. And in this fickle world that can mean a quick turn around. So understand what the agent means by ‘no more than 2 years old’. Simply put, no one wants your low rise baggies from 1990, this time round they are cut differently.

 

4. Be prepared

Once you’re in the habit of reselling you can should get wise to the advantage of keeping certain artefacts. If you’re selling designer bags keep all receipts, dustbags care docs and anything that proves its authenticity and original price-this makes it more saleable. If you're selling designer garments that you cut the label out of, keep the label to be given to the agent. It can be shown to the customer and give validation that it is the designer you claim it to be. 

 

5. Spread the word

we can have the tendency to keep it to urselves when we find a special selling space. But if we shout about it, it helps create a buzz and more customers find it, increasing your selling chances. It will also increase your likelihood of finding something delicious to spend your winnings on! 

Of all the ‘How To Shop The Sales’ I’ve read, I have never found any of them useful! So I’ve written my own, for those of us who’s style cannot be described as ‘classic’!