Want to know what potential consignors really think of the whole process?
Eavesdrop on this no-holds-barred conversationhere, where they’re not afraid of hurting your feelings.
Then come back here and tell us how YOU handle it. Or do you just, like, figure that these types, you don’t need?
Auntie Kate The Resale Expert 
Connie’s comment reminded me of an incident two weeks ago that I try to forget.. As the new consignor was wiping a little scuff off the Diaper Genie that her husband was handing me I opened it to find it completely full!! ;(
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Tara and ZsaZsa…total agreement! And how about the kids clothes that come in in a ball, inside out like they have just taken it off and tossed into the bag…the ones with dried snot and spit up…sometimes we feel like we need surgical gloves on! 🙂
We tell them “These items are not in the condition that we can accept.”
As a store owner, we also have to keep our emotions in check when they bring their stuff to the window and outright tell you the baby needs formula, or diapers, or they need gas, and remember we are in the biz to make a living, and not be a charity.
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And then there is the idea of an item being a “classic” design, which somehow grants the item some sort of immortality in the consignor’s mind. I now have a little speech that I gave when someone mentions the word “classic.” I use the example of a notch collar blazer which is a classic design in both men’s and women’s fashions. However, I then point out that even thought the basic concept of a notch collar blazer is a classic design, the actual specific item can and most certainly does vary greatly, even from season to season,not to mention year to year. For example, how deep is the notch? How long is the lapel? How wide is the lapel? How long is the blazer? How many buttons does it have? What kind of buttons does it have? Does it have shoulder pads? Is it fitted or boxy? What kind of material is it made from. What kind of material is it lined with? Usually by the time I finish this list of rhetorical questions the person is chuckling and realizes that there is no way that the fashion industry would ever create a true classic that would last and last so that you would never have to buy that item ever again!
My mom was in the fashion idustry her whole life starting from the age of 14. She used to keep huge files of fashion illustrations from the trade newspaper Women’s Wear Daily. When some “new” design would roll along, she’d usually say, “Hmmm, that reminds me of a desgin from 8 years ago” Then she would disappear into our basement and return with the original illustration from 8 years ago and start to point out the things the designer changed to make the design current.
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What a great story, Dwight! The “classic” blazer is exactly what I used for the same purpose!
And your mother’s files re the once around-go around? The fashion advice I take most to heart is
“If you wore it the first time around, you’re too old to wear it this time around” 🙂
You (and your more-understanding consignors) might enjoy this Pin from HowToConsign.com: http://pinterest.com/pin/105834659963519148/
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I always worry that people get frustrated that the process is too much work. But I am shocked at how many people who responded were in favor of the fb swap sites. Now, this seems like a crazy amount of work.
I think for some it’s more about the idea “I’m keeping all of my money”. In most cases they’re selling at less than they would have made consigning at my store and they’re not risking no-show’s etc.
I suppose it all boils down to what excites the individual more and how much available time they have to invest. The FB swaps seem exhausting and destined for seller burn-out. But we just never know. lol
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Interesting convo. It’s always tough because all this info is 2nd and 3rd hand, and we have no idea about the actual quality/age/condition of the clothing. As we store owners know, even what “new with tags” means to the seller/consignor might be very different than what WE think of as “new with tags.” Just because that Carter’s outfit still has the tags on it from 10 years ago does NOT qualify it as “new with tags” for the store owner’s purposes.
I thought it telling that no matter what others suggested, the original poster was not willing to consider that any of those factors might have come into play with her batch of items. HOWEVER, the store obviously did not do a good job of communicating to the potential consignor what they were looking for in the first place OR why they couldn’t take items.
When I am looking through a batch, I set aside items that are good examples of what we DON’T take (stained, too old, missing button, pilling, torn, etc), especially if I’m going to turn away the bulk of the items. When I repack the items for the consignor I put those on top. IF the consignor asks OR if I feel that this could be a really great consignor with a little guidance, I gently point out the reasons we couldn’t take those on-top-of-the-stack items. It’s always touchy though…if they don’t ask and I point out, they might take offense.
Sometimes you just can’t win. We certainly don’t want to alienate our buying customers by accepting items we know they won’t buy, and sometimes it is tough to tactfully explain to a potential consignor why their items just won’t sell for us. I have some great fall-back lines for adult items we pass on that I learned from a VERY smart lady years ago…
“This IS a beautiful piece and I bet you turned all the heads in the room when YOU wore it! Unfortunately, young people today just don’t understand quality!”
“This was a beautiful piece in it’s time.”
“You obviously have great taste. It’s too bad our clientele don’t have your refinement!”
It’s kind of frustrating as a store owner when a brand new consignor/seller walks into the store without ever having called, visited our website, visited the store, checked out our FB page, or made ANY attempt whatsoever to find out how they can make money with us. We WANT to help them do that; after all, when they make money we make money! Especially when I end up saying no to most of their items. They’re mad at me or crying in my parking lot because they’re desperate for gas money and the mean ol’ store lady won’t take their perfectly good, “new with tags” items. Nevermind that they have been in her carport for a year and are encrusted with dirt, dripping now-dried battery acid out of the battery compartment, or that there are mouse droppings on the clothing and in the bassinet. I can’t help someone get the most out of their items if they give me NO chance to help them. If they had called, visited and asked questions and/or picked up a “How to Make Money with Us” brochure, visited our website, blog or FB page, I could have given them tips.
Great blog, Kate! Great ear-to-the-wall info. Makes me want to dig thru all our procedures/processes and make sure we are doing everything we can to turn these potentially negative experiences into a positive experience with a “try again” attitude.
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Well said, Tara! You are exactly right. I’m only 4 1/2 years into children’s resale and cannot understand how some people want to bring their items straight from storage or wherever and expect me to accept it and give them cash no matter how dirty or old . We know what current labels and tags look like!! Also, maybe new with tags but has a household or attic smell that RUINS the meaning of the “new” tags because they have to be laundered. Sometimes it feels like I’m just spinning my wheels with procedures and processes because people have their own ideas of what sells and how to sell it; hence social media. My biggest competitor now.
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