Everything You Need to Know About Consigning Online

We're all about the whole "new year, new you!" way of thinking. So to start, we are cleaning out our closets in an attempt to edit down our lives (I mean who in New York has that walk-in closet of their dreams, really?). But editing down doesn’t necessarily mean throwing away. In the best cases, you can consign pieces, which not only can bring joy to other shoppers, but you also can earn back up to 70 percent of what you originally paid. We spoke to The RealReal’s Chief Merchant Rati Sahi Levesque and Vestiaire Collective’s Contributing Fashion Director Kate Foley on everything you need know about consigning online.

Clean Your Closet
"Make time to find out what you like in your closet regularly," says Foley, who edits her wardrobe twice a month. “Every two weeks, I go through and see what I like. If I haven’t worn something in a month or so, maybe it's time to go. It's a way of controlling your closet."

Pictures Matter
"Attractive, professional-quality pictures matter," Foley says. "I’m much more likely to buy something on Vestiaire than eBay now because the pictures make me want to shop. When taking pictures yourself, make sure you can really see the shoes or dress—lay them flat and don't scrunch them up."

But Price Matters More
"A lot of people try to overprice what they are selling on sites like eBay," Sahi Levesque says. "If something has been sitting in your wardrobe for two years, it's going to be worth less than something that you bought this season. Using a site like The RealReal is already going to know what the market price is, so there is value in that."

Keep the Details
"Always, always, keep the boxes and bags that the piece came in, and the receipt," Sahi Levesque says. "If you have these items, it will be easier to sell because shoppers know they are getting something authentic and current."

Have an Open Mind
"Of course, Chanel and Hermès are always going to have a high resale value, but be knowledgeable about what is happening in fashion now. For instance, everything Gucci is selling on The RealReal—​both Alessandro Michele’s collection and heritage pieces, as well. People are really loving Vetements jeans, so I’m sure everyone is going to be after everything Demna Gvasalia creates once he goes to Balenciaga. Céline is still flying—Phoebe Philo’s pieces and everything before her."