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Vestiaire Collective: The Overview

This global consignment resource is dedicated to buying and reselling luxury and designer goods, along with brands like Zara, Guess, and Nike. However there’s a very modern social media component as well. There are tastemakers and influencers you can follow, and the ability to “love” items or add them to a wishlist.

You can search by brand or even type of item, but also specific popular items, like “Chloe Paraty handbags.” You can also set up alerts for new arrivals if you’re coveting something really specific.

Hint for sellers: set up alerts for similar items to those you’re selling so you can scope out the competition.

To begin consigning, your item’s value has to be more than €15/ £15, or about $30 US. If so, you fill out applications for each item you’re selling, meaning you do a little more work here than with some sites — you do have to photograph and list your own items. That said, they do have a Concierge service if you want to send all your stuff to them and let them do the work, for a larger commission of course.

(Either way, they have fantastic tips for photographing clothing which everyone should follow, whatever site you use.)

Vestiare Collective indicates that pricing is easily calculated if you know the original sale price and what similar items are selling for on the site.

Like eBay, there’s a “make me an offer” option to allow a potential buyer to bargain with you for up to 30% off the current price. Up to you whether you accept it, but you have 48 hours to decide.

 

Great find: Bellstaff quilted metallic jacket in very good condition, $281

If your goal is to clear clutter from your house right now, this may not be the best option for you unless you upgrade to Concierge service. Because only once the item sells do you ship it to Vestiaire Collective, then they ship it to the buyer.

Just know you can’t pass off a Canal Street just-fell-off-a-truck knock-off here; every item is authenticated by them not just for counterfeits, but also to validate condition. You may even be required to submit a proof of purchase or have the item returned at your own expense.

Vestiaire Collective: The Nitty Gritty

Sweet finds: Topshop Leather Ankle boots for $40; Isabel Marant Etoile jacket for $92; Tom Ford Goggle Sunglasses $120; Burberry gold leather clutch $253; Tory Burch patent leather tote for $190.

Site Commission: You don’t pay for listings, and only pay commissions once a product is sold. However the commission structure is super confusing, and fortunately the site will do the calculations for you. Commissions (which include VAT) are on a sliding scale in which you pay a flat $25 on the first $70 of an item, and then Vestiaire takes 33% for the next $70–140, with decreasing commissions stopping at 18% for sales above $4,130. (Yeah, we don’t entirely get it either.)

In their example, a £250 pair of boots will net you 68% of the sales price, if that helps.

If your items don’t sell: You can reduce the price, or unlist it from sale. Since you keep items at home until they sell, there’s no need for Vestiaire to send it back to you.

Who it’s best for: Resellers of high-end luxury goods who want to open their sales up to a global marketplace, and don’t mind doing some legwork in exchange for paying lower commissions. But you have to be okay with hanging onto all your items until they’re sold, so no “just get it out of my house now!” selling here.

Related: Buy and sell designer clothes for the whole family, right from your smart phone