Tips for making the most of your consignment account
Consignors are the heart of our business! We couldn’t do what we do without the intentional dedication of our 1000+ consignors that bring in their high quality, gently used gear to find new homes. With the ever growing number of inventory in the store it is important for consignors to understand how to keep track of their items, and how our seasonal model works. Here are 5 tips for making sure you get the most from consigning at Colchuck Consignment!
Get the app!
This is the single best way to stay on top of your account. The app will notify you at the beginning of each week if you have any items expiring, it will ping you when an item sells, and it is the most visually easy way to see different parts of your account.
Key to inventory terms
In Stock: your item is out on the sales floor, ready to find its new home
Sold: your item has sold and your account has been credited
Paid: you have been paid for this item
Picked-Up: you have come to retrieve your item and it is no longer in the store to be sold
Expired: your item’s contract has ended and it has expired from the store. If it is not picked up in 10 days it will become store inventory.
Sold Expired: your item’s contract has ended, it was not picked up and became store inventory, and then it sold, with all proceeds going to the store.
Donated: Your item has been donated to a local thrift store to continue on its journey to find a new home.
2. Know how our seasons work.
We operate on a two season model at Colchuck. Plenty of gear is used year-round, but most gear is shopped for at specific times of year, and for this reason gear coming in gets put onto either a winter or a summer contract. Gear expires at the end of its season and must be picked up or it will become store property and get donated. Here is a rough timeline of our seasons, which can change year to year based on weather and demand.
Summer
Beginning of March: Begin accepting summer gear
Early April: Store flips for summer
End of August-Mid September: End of season sale, all summer contract items go 50% off!
October: All summer contract items expire from the store and get donated if not picked up within 10 days of contract expiration. Be sure to check the items in your own account to see their specific expiration date.
Winter
September 1: Begin accepting winter gear
Mid September: Store flips for winter
End of March: End of season sale, all winter contract items go 50% off!
April: All winter contract items expire from the store and get donated if not picked up within 10 days of contract expiration. Be sure to check the items in your own account to see their specific expiration date.
Contract lengths get shorter throughout these two seasons so that all seasonal items expire at roughly the same time, which is the end of the season.
Different contract lengths, depending on when items come into the store.
Example:
A pair of snowpants consigned in October gets a full 6 month winter contract and expires in April.
A pair of snowpants consigned in February gets a 2 month winter contract and expires in April.
3. Verify pricing on your account.
After dropping off items, wait 24-48 hours and then log into your account and check the prices for your items. If you are unhappy with the pricing on any item, contact us and we can change it. We price things using a formula based on original price, condition, demand, and how many similar items are in the store. Our ultimate goal in pricing is to help make the outdoors more affordable, while getting you a good value for your gear. However, the gear still belongs to you, so we want you to be happy with pricing. We can’t adjust pricing once the item has sold, so be sure to verify your pricing shortly after drop off.
Looks great!
4. Wash your gear!
Three years of experience in the shop has taught us that people don’t like buying dirty gear. We can have a top end puffy jacket in the shop, priced great, but if it looks dirty it will sit on the rack all season long. Taking the time to wash your gear before bringing it will increase its value and chances of selling ! We will not accept obviously dirty or smelly gear or apparel. If we notice your apparel is dirty after accepting it, we will charge a $5 wash fee to clean it for you.
Here is the before and after of a puffy we charged a wash fee for. Without the wash, it would have sat on the rack, however after being revived, it sold in a day!
5. Get your credit!
Don’t forget to grab your credit! You’ve earned it! As a reminder, we don’t auto-payout as many consignors like to use their credit in store! Here’s how to get your funds:
Venmo: come in to the store, call, or email, if you would like to get your credit sent to you by Venmo. We will verify your identity and send your credit same day in most cases.
Check: come in to the store, call, or email if you would like to issue you a check for your credit. We can give you a check in-store, or send one to you by mail.
Store credit: come in to the store and shop! If you spend your credit in store, you receive a 10% bump on your balance. For example, if you have $50 in your account, you’ll get $55 to spend in store.
Questions? Don’t hesitate to ask! We are here to help. You can reach us at 509-899-9818 or by email at hello@colchuckconsignment.com
