How to Get the Most Money for Your Consignment Articles

Is your closet bursting at the seams with last season’s fashions? Do you trip over bebe pumps, Diesel jeans and Chanel scarves every time you attempt to find your latest fashion purchase? Do you want to switch out that plum SohoConcept sofa for a new Uranio designer sectional couch? If yes is the answer, then perhaps you should consign your clothes and household furnishings. It’s a great way to make a little extra money for your pocketbook and a little extra room in your home for future purchases.

But to get the most money for your consignment articles, you need to follow a few rules. If you’re selling furniture, make sure it’s in top condition. Repair minor defects, like loose joints and scratched finishes. Loose joints can result from exposure to humidity, which can especially affect older furniture. Repair loose joints with an adhesive such as furniture glue. To clean up the finish of your furniture remove as much dust and wax buildup as possible. Don’t get carried away, though. Remember: the closer the piece is to its original state, the better—especially if the piece of furniture in question is an antique.

Refrain from using excessive amounts of water when cleaning dust and wax off your furniture, as water can warp and stain furniture. Instead furniture restorers recommend using carbon tetrachloride, which dissolves grease and dirt readily without dangerous fumes or presenting a fire hazard. After cleaning the piece, if you see spots where the finish is dulled, use a bit of raw linseed oil or beeswax to fix any remaining problem areas.

Clothing also needs fixing up before it can be sold on consignment. Try to following hints to remove stubborn stains from gently used clothing:

• Try OxyClean to remove stubborn stains from cotton and linen. Make sure you dissolve the cleaning solution completely in warm water before using, and make sure to use the manufacturer’s instructions. Bleach should always be used as a last resort, and only used on cottons with no other fibers mixed in them or special finishes.
• Underarm stains can be removed from clothing with lemon juice or a light dabbing of white vinegar.
• Leather items present special problems, as they have a tendency to dry out. If the item is quite valuable, you may wish to send it to a specialist in leather restoration. If not, try using saddle soap to clean the leather and then replacing the oils washed from the leather with mink oil. Make sure when you finish oiling your item that you then wipe off all excess oil and buff the item. Make sure you store items like leather jackets on padded hangers, and treat them every six months with a leather conditioner.
• Store woolen clothes in such a way that they will not fall prey to insect infestation. Consider storing your clothes in polyurethane bags, which can have the air sucked out of them via a vacuum. Or store your woolens with mothballs in containers with tightly fitted lids. Sachets of lavender and cedarwood will also keep vermin at bay.

Once your clothes are in tip-top shape, visit a few consignment shops to see which ones best fit your items. Some shops specialize exclusively in vintage clothing; others in contemporary designer clothes. Some shops only want children’s clothing, and others only men’s.Discovering which shops will accept your items will save you time and effort in the long run.

Keep detailed records of the items you have on consignment. Call every few weeks to check on the status of your consigned clothing and household furnishings. While shops will usually phone you should an item sell, it is always good to keep tabs on your stuff.

Eight Rules for Creating High Quality Photographs for Online Consignment

If you decide to go the online consignment route, you will need to take high-quality photographs of the articles of clothing you wish to sell. Follow these eight rules to ensure the photographs of your clothing do your clothes justice:

1. Get rid of harsh shadows that distort the shape of your clothing by laying your clothing flat. Look at websites that specialize in retail clothing for tips on how to arrange your clothing to best advantage.
2. Make sure your clothing is unwrinkled. Wrinkles will create distracting and unattractive shadows.
3. Use a camera that has a short focal length (otherwise known as a wide-angle lens). This type of lens allows for a wider angle, as opposed to macro lenses that zoom in on specific details (though you may want to use this type of lens to highlight any detailing).
4. Position your camera directly above the clothing for best effect.
5. To give your clothing extra dimension, consider filling it with cotton batting or tissue paper.
6. White backgrounds typically work best for taking pictures of clothing. Then take the digital photograph and manipulate it in a program like Arcsoft Camera Suite Photostudio or Adobe Photoshop to enhance the contrast or auto-correct any defects in the photograph.
7. Diffuse your light source. Direct light on clothing creates a harsh effect. Consider purchasing a light diffuser sheet for this purpose. Also, make sure you are taking your pictures in a brightly-lit room.
8. Rather than moving your camera closer to the object to capture a detail, use its zoom function. This will result in clearer photographs.

There is a lot of money to be made in consigning your clothes and home furnishings. To get the most money from your items make sure they are in pristine shape. Taking the time to fix a few minor scratches on that Ethan Allen bureau or removing a small stain from a Fendi bag can result in significant increases in profit, allowing you to make the most money for your effort.