Best Consignment Shops 2022
The Brown Elephant
Founded in 1974, The Brown Elephant is a resale shop based in Chicago. All three of its shops in the area offer clothes, furniture, home decor, and various vintage items. As one of the country's largest LGBTQ organizations, The Brown Elephant also provides primary medical services, counseling, HIV/STI prevention, elder services, and other community initiatives. It assists more than 40,000 people with a budget of $145 million yearly. All of the company's proceeds go to uninsured and underinsured LGBTQ individuals' health and fund care.
Sophie’s Closet Consignment Boutique
Sophie’s Closet Consignment Boutique is a go-to destination for an array of designer clothing labels at a fraction of the original retail price. The Chicago-area shop specializes in providing high-quality designer apparel, fashion accessories, and home décor items that are both stylish and affordable. Customers can always expect to find the most in-style casual wear, formalwear, business attire in a variety of sizes from petite to extra-large. Sophie’s Closet Consignment Boutique has something for everyone including name brand designer clothing, shoes, fashion accessories, handbags, scarves, jewelry, furniture, and home décor at all price points. Ann Taylor, Banana Republic, Coach, DKNY, Liz Claiborne, and Gucci are some of the top designers available in the store. Sophie’s Closet Consignment Boutique welcomes customers to enjoy an upscale boutique shopping experience that will not break the bank. The shop also supports local crafters and artisans by featuring beautiful new handmade products for sale.
C&J Collections
C&J Collections is a consignment shop open to customers in Chicago and nearby areas. It offers several categories of new and gently used women's clothing and accessories, including handbags, jewelry, jeans, and jackets. It also has a collection of footwear ranging from shoe sizes five to 11. The shop has an arsenal of kids' shoes and clothing, as well as a plus-size category. Its staff conducts in-home closet consultations, providing wardrobe and style advice to clients.
The Silver Umbrella
The Silver Umbrella offers Chicago-area fashionistas a great way to de-clutter closets and earn extra cash. The upscale family-owned shop specializes in offering customers trendy clothing, jewelry, shoes, accessories, housewares, and art at a fraction of the original retail price. The Silver Umbrella features designer and better quality new and gently used items for fashionable and environmentally conscious men and women. All consignment items are carefully selected and strategically merchandised to provide the highest possible visibility for client merchandise to sell. The talented clothing marketing specialists feature items on the online eBay store and simultaneously display them in the retail shop. The Silver Umbrella wants to help consignors earn back a portion of the original investment and receive the maximum return for items no longer needed. The store welcomes designer and contemporary brands, vintage, clothing, footwear, accessories, jewelry, and handbags, home goods, and art.
Trends
Trends is a go-to place for a fun and unique resale shopping experience. The Chicago-area consignment boutique offers an array of trendy and fashionable merchandise in virtually every size and style. The friendly and knowledgeable staff welcomes consignors with gently worn women’s designer fashion. Trends has something for everyone at a price point that will keep customers on-budget.
Mr. & Mrs. DIGZ
Mr. & Mrs. DIGZ has been helping people turn closet contents into cash for over a decade. The Chicago-area upscale consignment store provides a fun and unique shopping experience complete with stylish, trendy clothing for a fraction of the original price. The shop specializes in consigning new or gently used designer items. Mr. & Mrs. DIGZ offers and expansive collection of women’s luxury items by top-notch designers like YSL, Armani, Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Prada, and many others. Work and play apparel designers including Ralph Lauren, Coach, Eileen Fisher, and J. Crew are also available at the trendy shop. Mr. & Mrs. DIGZ supports local fashion designers and features new items for sale in the store. The friendly staff knows that accessories are the holy grail of resale and encourage consignors to bring in handbags, sunglasses, scarves, watches, and jewelry. The shop pays consignors monthly, offers local pick-up service, closet cleanouts, and aggressively markets items on eBay, Facebook, and Instagram.
My Sister’s Closet
My Sister’s Closet provides discerning shoppers with the ultimate resale boutique experience. The upscale Chicago-area consignment shop has been a mainstay for fashionistas on a budget for more than 30 years. The unique resale boutique maintains 6,000 square feet of space that feature some of the trendiest and most fashionable items available. My Sister’s Closet specializes in carrying women’s and children’s clothing, accessories, books, antiques, collectibles, and gift items. Customers can expect to find an array of quality brands from which to choose including Gap and Chanel. My Sister’s Closet has something for everyone from women’s sizes zero to plus, maternity apparel, workout clothing, perfumes, and new cosmetics. The talented fashion intake specialists at the shop carefully hand select each item featured in the store to ensure the highest level of quality.
York Furrier
York Furrier has been a go-to resource for the discerning fur garment collector for more than 80 years. The upscale Chicago-area store is a purveyor of exceptional quality fur garments and fine outerwear for women and men. York Furrier offers an expansive selection of garments of the highest quality materials available as well as accessories, novelties, and footwear. Customers can enjoy an unforgettable shopping experience while browsing the premiere inventory of sheared mink, beaver, feathered fox, trimmed cashmere, and much more. York Furrier has something for everyone and features a full range of sizes and lengths. The specialty store also offers a fur coat consignment service that will help customers sell quality gently used fur garments. The friendly and knowledgeable staff works one-on-one with clients to thoroughly inspect consignment garments. York Furrier experts ensure garments are of the highest quality and display the least amount of wear to determine the recommended resale value at the store. New York Furrier can also help customers with restyling of older garments to ensure many more years of use.
Let's Change
Let's Change Resale Shoppe was started with a focus on creating a global impact. The Chicago-based clothing store is staffed with volunteers who pick up and sort the donations. Committed to promoting sustainability, it offers a variety of resale clothing items for men, women, and children. It also carries shoes, accessories, small furniture, vintage items, and home decor. Let's Change supports its parent organization, Army of the Kind, by delivering humanitarian relief to developing countries.
Mercy Beaucoup
Mercy Beaucoup is a high-end resale boutique serving Chicago and the surrounding areas. It carries various consignment quality items of brands such as Free People, Coach, Eileen Fisher, Ann Taylor, and Michael Kors. The store's collection includes clothing for both men and women that are replenished every week. All of the profits of Mercy Beaucoup go to Mercy Home for Boys & Girls, a children’s charity that has been saving young lives since 1887.
Cynthia’s Consignments
Cynthia’s Consignments has been a go-to spot for top-of-the-line luxury designer brand fashions at a fraction of the original retail price for over 20 years. The upscale Chicago-area resale boutique specializes in providing customers with the highest quality merchandise from some of the top designers in the world including Gucci, Hermes, Prada, Chanel, Versace, and Manolo Blahnik. Discerning customers can rely on Cynthia’s Consignments to seek out and display the most up-to-date luxury clothing, handbags, and shoes available. Talented consignment intake specialists carefully select each item to ensure authenticity and quality. Cynthia’s Consignments commits to providing an exciting shopping experience where customers can peruse and an array of fashionable clothing and discover the occasional rare find. The shop also provides convenient closet cleaning services and complimentary clothing pickups.
2nd is the New 1st
2nd is the New 1st is a family-owned resale and consignment shop serving clients in Chicago. It accepts a variety of items that include designer purses, acrylic modern furniture, love seats, and dining sets. As it grows its crew, the shop is adding items to an offsite warehouse, such as jewelry, textiles, appliances, and clothes and accessories. The shop has set several quality guidelines, including sanitation of products before they are brought into the store. It has been in operation since 2016.
The Second Child
The Second Child is a Chicago-based high-end consignment boutique that carries sustainable items. The shop's catalog includes products from well-known brands like Burberry, Calvin Klein, Gucci, and Kate Spade. It resells various pieces of clothing, from onesies to swimwear for babies, kids, and pregnant mothers. In addition, it accepts furniture and toys for consignment. The Second Child has been in business for over 30 years and has been featured in several publications, including Entrepreneur Magazine and Newsweek.
Expert Answers To Common Questions:
- Introduction
- What’s a consignment shop?
- How do consignment shops work?
- What is the difference between a consignment store and a thrift store?
- What is consignment basis selling?
- Is consignment a good idea?
- How to sell to consignment shops?
- What do consignment stores buy?
- Do consignment shops buy prom dresses?
- Can I sell my clothes to a consignment shop?
- Do consignment shops pick up furniture?
- Do consignment shops negotiate?
- What should be included in a consignment contract?
- What is a fair consignment percentage?
- How do you price consignment items?
- Q: Introduction
- A: Consignment shops are retail businesses that consign items for sale on behalf of individuals or consignees. Once an item sells, the consignment shop pays the consignee a percentage of the sale proceeds. The terms of the pricing agreement between consignment shops and consignees can vary widely, with splits of 50/50, 60/40 and 40/60 being most common.There are benefits and drawbacks to selling items on consignment. Consignees save time by not having to list items for sale locally or on eBay, Mercari or other online platforms, and then shipping or delivering sold items to buyers. However, they generally earn less than they would if they sold their items on their own, and they have to wait longer to get their money, as most consignment shops only pay consignees once a month.
- Q: What’s a consignment shop?
- A: A consignment shop is a type of second-hand or thrift store where people can sell their items without having to be present to complete the sale. It saves people the hassle of hosting a tag or garage sale, posting the items for sale online, or donating them to Goodwill or some other organization.
- Q: How do consignment shops work?
- A: Consignees drop their items off at a consignment shop. The shopkeeper evaluates the items, determines pricing, and places the items on the sales floor. When items sell, the consignee’s account is credited and they receive payment according to the split previously agreed on with the shopkeeper.
- Q: What is the difference between a consignment store and a thrift store?
- A: Rather than selling items that belong to a consignee and paying the person a portion of the proceeds, thrift stores typically purchase or receive donations of used goods that they then resell for a profit.
- Q: What is consignment basis selling?
- A: Consignment basis selling simply means selling goods on a consignment arrangement as detailed above. In a nutshell, goods for sale are entrusted to a consignment shop, and then the consignee and the shop share the proceeds when the items sell.
- Q: Is consignment a good idea?
- A: Selling items on consignment can be a good idea for individuals with items for sale who don't wish to go through other channels to find interested buyers. It can benefit a person who doesn't have the time or inclination to post items for sale, package them for shipping, and then deal with possible damage or unsatisfied buyers.
- Q: How to sell to consignment shops?
- A: To sell at a consignment shop, you simply take your unwanted items to a shop and allow the shopkeeper to place a value on them. After filling out a consignment agreement, you leave the items there for the shop to sell.
- Q: What do consignment stores buy?
- A: Consignment stores generally don't buy items outright. However, they do take a variety of items on consignment, such as clothing, shoes, tools, toys, furniture, antiques, and household goods. Not all consignment stores take all types of items; in fact, most specialize in just a few categories, such as clothing, shoes and accessories, or sporting goods and equipment.
- Q: Do consignment shops buy prom dresses?
- A: Most consignment shops don't buy prom dresses, but many that specialize in clothing do accept prom dresses on consignment. The seller drops the dress off at the shop, signs a consignment agreement, and gets their portion of the proceeds when the dress sells.
- Q: Can I sell my clothes to a consignment shop?
- A: While most consignment shops don' buy clothing, there are many that accept clothing on consignment. Generally, clothing should be clean and in good condition. Some shops may give preference to clothing from designer or high-end brands.
- Q: Do consignment shops pick up furniture?
- A: Some consignment shops may pick up furniture from local sellers, but not all do. The easiest way to find out if a consignment shop will pick up furniture items is to call a nearby shop and ask.
- Q: Do consignment shops negotiate?
- A: It's possible that some consignment shops may negotiate with consignees about the value of the items they're placing for sale. A shopkeeper may also be willing to negotiate about the percentage of the proceeds each party receives following a sale.
- Q: What should be included in a consignment contract?
- A: A consignment contract or agreement should contain:
- Names and contact details of both parties
- Description and proposed price of item(s) being consigned
- Time frame for and percentage of possible discounts
- Who's responsible for insuring consigned items
- Details of any exemptions for theft or damage
- Details of why and by whom the contract may be terminated
- Q: What is a fair consignment percentage?
- A: Although what's considered “fair” is subjective, most consignment shops offer consignees 40, 50, or 60% of the amount an item sells for. Some shops may offer more or less, and some charge a per-item or commission rate instead of a percentage.
- Q: How do you price consignment items?
- A: A general rule of thumb throughout the consignment industry is to price items at 30% or less of their original retail value. For example, a coat that originally sold for $100 may be priced from $25 to $30.