Thrift and secondhand and consignment, oh my!

To the average shopper, these words could all mean the same thing. And maybe you’re even thinking to yourself, “Well, what do you mean? Are they not? Am I on crazy pills, what’s the difference?!” While both thrift and consignment stores resell goods at prices much lower than retail value, there are substantial differences between the two, and our team of French Cuff Consignment stylists is here to iron out any wrinkles of misunderstanding for you!

Everyone loves a good thrift store. And everyone knows one when they see one. They are stuffed with clothes and other items that were donated to the store. Individuals are welcomed to drop off their unneeded items, and either all or a portion of the profits is given to charity or a non-profit organization. Thrift stores can be overwhelming and disorderly, but if you find thrill in the hunt for a perfect thrifty treasure, just take your time and rifle through the racks. The prices will make you wanna happy-dance while you’re shopping, but do keep in mind the quality of your item; donations aren’t as scrutinized for saleability. Most thrift stores have set prices for sections (e.g. pants all $4.99, women’s shoes all $6.99, etc.) and are not priced based on condition, season trends, or brand names. This has more happy-dance potential, as you can sometimes find designer treasures hidden away in thrift store racks.

A consignment boutique, like French Cuff Consignment for example, is very different. Sure, consignment boutiques like us accept items people no longer need, but we follow specific guidelines before an item is selected, priced, and finally put on the floor for sale. The biggest difference between a consignment shop like ours and a thrift store is the potential for customers to make money off their items. Once an item is taken in and sold, sale profits are split twofold: a portion for our business, and a portion for our consignors. Think of our store as a showroom where your items are well-displayed and marked at the fairest selling price possible. We strive for both fairness and maximum profit so both buyers and consignors stay happy. And when our customers are happy, we’re happy!

Another big difference: Our items are all hand-selected, inspected, and made sure they are in tip-top shape prior to being put out on the floor. As boutique operators, we must be confident we can sell your item before it is taken into our store. “Sellable” and “wearable” are very different, so our trained and experienced stylists perform quality checks to ensure the item is worth selling and then given the fairest price possible. When customers bring items they’d like to consign, not only do we look for damages, we also consider the current season or trends. For example, we wouldn’t take a short strapless dress in the middle of chilly December, but would definitely consider taking it in the sweltering summer months. Our current inventory also indicates what we can take in at the time; if we’re overstocked on dresses the need for more would be low, or if we have lots of room on the racks we’d take a wider variety of items.

If you’re thinking about consigning with French Cuff for the first time, click on the “Consign” tab right up at the top of the page! ^^ Our guidelines for incoming inventory are there for you to decide whether you’d like to become a client! We look forward to meeting you.