Has anyone used a dress agency to sell clothes?

[PippaMiddleton]

I want to sell some clothes and accessories. Some designer, some high end high street. All hardly or never worn, some still with tags.

I have been put off Ebay by seeing a few friends get utterly scammed on there. I also tried local paper and facebook selling pages, but both are full of people trying to sell worn/old/broken items for 50-75% of the original price and people who basically only want free or token priced brand new stuff. In other words, very little buying/selling actually seems to happen!

I know I will make less money then I would on Ebay, but I just want to be able to drop stuff off and let the agency get on with it.

Has anyone done this? Was it a success?

Sounds ok to me.

Were they really snooty about what they would take and what they wouldn't? My stuff is good labels and as new or new condition, but still a bit nervous about taking it in after a bad recent charity shop experience (with my lower end clothes).

Also, does your agency only take the stuff for a certain amount of time, or do they keep until it sells?

Sorry for lots of questions!

I used a dress agency a lot in the past to sell (I still use it a lot but I'm on the buying end now )

You take your stuff in, in the condition they want it, ie clean and ironed, and then they go through it to pick what they think might sell.

I normally nip to the supermarket across the way while she does this, then you go back and take away what they don't want, and a ticket for what they do want. There seems to be no rhyme or reason as to why stuff is picked or not, just have to trust the shop owners judgement as to what will sell.

Then I go back in 4 weeks to see whats sold, or 8 weeks if you agree to things being reduced if not sold after 4 weeks. I never got as much as selling on ebay but its sooo much less faff, just drop it off and go back for the money.

Some agencies however do buy stuff off you when you take it in, but tends to be for lower prices as the owner takes the risk on whether they will sell.

Am curious as to what a bad experience with a charity shop could be?? I just take stuff in a bag, walk to the back of the shop, leave the bag and leave the shop. No chance at all for 'experiences'.

Thanks. :)

Charity shop bad experience was just bizarre. Took bag of stuff in, handed to lady on the till and then started gathering up sulking DCs to leave. Lady on till stopped me and said she would need to go through stuff to see whether its sellable or not. She then proceeded to go through my stuff chucking the majority onto a pile saying "that's not sellable", "that's no good" etc. It was only New Look/Asos/Dotty Ps stuff, but it was all clean and in decent condition! :(

Yes, the one I want to use says less than two years old, but most of my stuff is older than that, but brand new with tags or hardly worn in perfect condition.

I don't see how she would even know that its older than two years?!

Blimey you must live in an upmarket place for a charity shop to behave like that!

We have several in our little (impoverished) town. They would snatch your hand off for stuff like that. In fact the one I prefer to use will even take ripped/stained kids clothes because they take all the buttons off and sell( those separately, and the rest they bag up for the rag man who gives them £20 per sack even odd socks and old knickers can go in there!

Absolutely disgusting for a charity shop to behave like that, they don't deserve to get donations.

If I were you I'd sort it seasonally and put on ebay with reasonable buy I tnow prices. More faff I know, but got to be less than being insulted by even a charity shop!! (Don't list it till end feb though as people are buying xmas pressies now, and in January are skint or in the real sales in the clothes shops).

Actually is some of it kids stuff with good labels? I had a link on my facebook to an agency looking for preloved good label womens and kids stuff. Can put a link if you want.

We've taken all ds's old clothes to our local charity shop, as well as toys be had outgrown and equipment we no longer needed. They were always so appreciative. And if there's anything they can't sell, they donate it to shelters or send it abroad, at least that's what my local one does.
(After the birth and I was fine, I had unopened breast pads, maternity towels, and normal pads. I obviously didn't need the maternity bits, and I hate pads. So I took them in and the lady said they can pass them on to appropriate places.).
I hate to think what kind of shop that was