HOW TO ACHIEVE THE BEST POSSIBLE PRICE FOR YOUR PRE-LOVED ITEMS

A GUEST POST BY A PRE-LOVED AGENCY ADDICT

Ladies, if you’re reading this then, like me, you’re a fan of designer items and a devotee of pre-loved designer resale. Who doesn’t like finding that fabulous piece at an affordable price?

Now with such a great selection of designer consignment agencies, we can pick and chose our favourite ones and, as a buyer, I’ve done this and stuck with them. So, what do people like me really want and expect when buying pre-owned? What will we pay a top price for? How can you, as a seller, maximise your income by selling via agencies?

CHOSE your pre-loved designer store with care. Some have much better reputations than others and stock only high-end pieces. This is the type of shop I go to with friendly, knowledgeable staff who have built up an enviable reputation.

BE REALISTIC and listen to the advice the agency can give you with regards to achievable prices. These ladies know their market and will probably know instantly which of their clientele will be interested. Although your items may have been very expensive to purchase, most don’t hold their value that well especially clothes. Handbags by Chanel, Hermes and Louis Vuitton are always in high demand and will hold their price Shoes by Christian Louboutin, Jimmy Choo and Chanel are equally high in demand but their resale value may be lower than you expect.

TO GET THE BEST PRICE, this is my simple guide as to how to go about this.

CLOTHES; get them dry cleaned, make sure they are fresh and pressed. If you’ve never worn them and the purchase tag is still attached, leave it on, buyers love picking up something brand new!

SHOES; look after your shoes, if they are a bit grubby then a little leather cleaner to remove surface marks and shoe cream to polish them up goes a long way to a good selling price. Clean the insoles with a baby wipe to remove the worst of the worn look inside. I’ve seen some shoes in a shocking state inside which I’d never try on, less than 2 minutes with a wipe can change this! If you’re lucky enough to buy Louboutin, Jimmy Choo, Gucci, Chanel etc from new, you’ll always get a better price if you keep the box, dust bags and receipt. Buyers love getting ‘the full set’ and will pay more for it.

HANDBAGS; the most popular item in any agency and my go to items! As with shoes a quick polish goes a long way, shoe cream easily bought from Amazon in a massive range of colours, make an amazing difference to scuffed corners and surface scratches and really takes very little time. Make sure you clean out the inside, a good shake or brush to get rid of any dust or the usual bits of fluff and hair we all find at the bottom of our bags. Check the pockets, I have found all sorts left in pockets, the worst being ‘feminine’ items and used tissues, the best-being money! Again, if you keep the dust bags it really helps, I rarely buy a bag without one. Care cards, tags, authentication cards and receipts will also greatly improve the chance of a quick sale at a great price. If I’m spending £3000.00 on a Chanel then I want the ‘full set’. I’m not alone with this requirement.

I hope you’ve found this helpful and consider my comments for your future sales. Keep consigning ladies, it’s recycling at it’s best and you can make some of your money back. As long as there are people like me around ( and there are plenty believe me ) then you’ll always be able to sell on which makes for happiness all around!