The short answer
Consignment means the store displays and sells your item, then pays you an agreed share of the sale price after it sells. You do not get paid up front, and the store keeps its share for its work. It suits people who want items sold without listing, messaging buyers or shipping. Before you sign, read the contract: the split, how long the store keeps items, how prices are reduced and what happens to unsold items.
1. Consignment, buyout or selling yourself?
- Consignment: you are paid only after the item sells, usually more than a buyout offer, but you wait.
- Buyout: some resale shops pay you immediately but offer less. Faster, with no waiting or follow-up.
- Selling yourself: you keep more of the price but do all the work. See how to sell on Facebook Marketplace or how to sell clothes online.
2. Find the right kind of store
Consignment stores usually specialise: clothing, designer and luxury goods, children's items, furniture and home decor, sports equipment and more. Pick one whose customers want your kind of item. Look at what they have on the shelves and their price points, and read their intake rules, often on their website. Many only accept current-season clothing or certain brands, and some take items by appointment only.
3. Read the contract
Ask for the terms in writing and check:
- The split: what percentage you receive, and whether it changes with the price.
- The consignment period: how long the store keeps the item.
- Markdowns: whether and when prices are reduced, and whether you agree a minimum price.
- Unsold items: whether you must collect them by a deadline, and whether uncollected items are donated or become the store's.
- Fees: any account, processing or listing fees.
- Payment: when and how you are paid, and whether payouts must be requested.
- Loss or damage: what happens if an item is lost, stolen or damaged in the store.
4. Prepare your items
Clean, pressed clothing and dusted, working items are more likely to be accepted. Bring clothes in season, on hangers or neatly folded. Include accessories, manuals, dust bags, boxes and receipts. For designer items, the store may authenticate them, so bring any proof of purchase. Our guide to cleaning items before selling helps.
5. Know the value before you go
Research sold prices for your items so you can judge the store's suggested price and agree sensible minimums. See how to research sold prices. For high-value pieces, compare more than one store or a specialist resale platform.
6. Track your items and get paid
Keep a copy of the list of items you dropped off and the agreed prices. Check your account or ask for updates, note the end of the consignment period in your calendar, and collect unsold items in time if you want them back.
Where WorthAI fits
Before you visit a consignment store, scan your items with WorthAI to identify them and see an estimated worth with a range, a suggested asking price and a reading of buyer demand, along with the marketplace listings behind the estimate. Tap Refine Result if an identification is wrong. Use the estimates as research when you discuss prices and minimums with the store.
Frequently asked questions
How does consignment work?
You leave items with a store, which prices and sells them. When an item sells, the store keeps its share and pays you the rest, according to the contract you signed. Unsold items are returned, reduced or handled as the contract says.
Is it better to consign or sell items myself?
Consignment saves time and effort but you receive only a share of the sale price and wait to be paid. Selling yourself usually keeps more money but takes more work. Many people consign items that are bulky or need a physical shop and sell smaller items online.
What happens to my items if they do not sell?
It depends on the contract. Usually you must collect them by a set date, after which they may be donated or become the store's property. Check this before you sign.