Ah, the bag. We all have one, or in my own case two, which get removed every time I need to cart a kid or a suitcase anywhere. Why do we cling to things we no longer want or need? There are a number of tricky issues (guilt, wistfulness for waist measurements and iterative identities gone by) involved in closet clean-out, and Zoomerist has walked through the psychology of letting go and replacing wisely.
The first solution is to buy your clothes their own apartment, says stylist and tv/film wardrobe buyer Roslyn Griffith Hall. She’s joking, sort of, but it is true that fashion diehards have been known to rent storage for their personal archives. “It’s the Anna Della Russo approach,” she says. (The former fashion editor for Vogue Italia, who goes by the initials ADR, has an auxiliary apartment in Milan that houses nothing but her wardrobe. I think about this a lot.)
Auxiliary apartments or even closets aren’t an option for most of us. But Griffith Hall has a great idea for how to share the wealth: “Throw a party! Clothing swaps have become a big thing these days. You can have drinks and canapes and gossip, and everyone leaves with something new to them.” This is particularly appealing, I must say, because I always want the clothes off my friends’ backs! Plus, you know where it is going, she says. “Rest assured, your treasure has gone to a good home.”
This concept also works in exchange for cash. “It’s the new estate sale,” she says. “We’ve seen friends band together to do a group sale, and they are really a lot of fun.”
If you want help in schlepping, negotiating and selling, it’s out there. Kindly revisit this archival column: (How Do I Refresh My Closet and Create My Forever Wardrobe?) in which we learned from another Toronto stylist, Susie Sheffman, that some individual stylists will do the consigning/donating for you, in exchange for a flat price or a cut of the profits. Another resource for customized closet culling and restocking is celebrity stylist Julianne Costigan, who leads a team offering customizable services around closet rehab.
As for online, be aware the process will take some work to research, photograph, list and monitor responses and, Griffith Hall adds, “it can cost a ton in shipping, which eats into your profit, and then there is dealing with haggling and unhappy customers, sizing issues and returns.”
But once you get the hang of it, there are lots of options, including the biggies, eBay and Etsy, which cater to individuals selling online as well as boutiques. Then there are Kijiji and Facebook Marketplace, but the last two likely involve cash and arranging a meet-up in person.
As for “middlemen” sites, we have more options here than we used to. At the top end, Vestiaire Collective is now in Canada, though the commission rate here is a little higher than in the U.S. at 15 per cent for items between $120 and $20,000. The best Canadian option is likely Poshmark. The site only allows sales within a seller’s own country, so you aren’t dealing with duties. For items under $20, the fee is $3.95; over that the flat fee is 20 per cent, but for that you get customer support, plus a shipping label and insurance for the buyer.
Regardless of which platform you choose, follow a few basic online marketing guidelines: clear, well-lit photos, lots of angles, complete and honest items descriptions with history and flaws.
As for selling your stuff to a store, “consignment stores can be really picky,” says Griffith Hall. They take on only goods they know they can sell. “That means the big designer labels, especially handbags. And whatever is on trend at the moment. Vintage clothes definitely have moments back in the spotlight.” Right now, that means a lot of sheer and lace, plus ‘90s vintage designer gear. “Sometimes you have to wait for your pieces to come back into vogue,” she says, “to sell them for the best return.” Good shops she has worked with include VSP Consignment in Toronto (and its sister store, Vespucci Consignment in Calgary, which is where the best pieces are, according to Griffith Hall), and Ian Drummond Collection in Etobicoke. It’s open only to industry trade, has a vast costume house of stock that he also sells on Etsy/Shopify, and will take inquiries about items you wish to sell.
For smaller vintage shops, the best bet is to call or contact them before heading out as they can identify specific types of things they are looking to acquire. One basically sure thing, though only for big-ticket items, is the Oliver Jewellery boutique in Yorkville. The Cash Man will indeed give you cash for your old Chanel and Hermes and Gucci and Vuitton gear and bags, but be aware: that speed and ease means you will get a lot less for your stuff than if you shopped it around.
Let’s make a deal, Sondra. If you get that bag out of the back of your SUV, I promise to get rid of mine. It’s fall, and time to get excited about cardigans and tweeds and boots! Make room and give them space to shine.
Always asking questions,
—Leanne Delap
