HOW TO: SELL YOUR BAGS FOR CASH

   One man's trash is another man's treasure. When it comes to fashionistas and bag collectors, this couldn't be more true. You know what I'm talking about: You spend hours, months, maybe even years pining for your "dream bag." You finally get it and think to yourself, "This is so amazing! I will never buy another bag again!" And then, a month later, you start eying the next best thing...    Ever since I could remember, I've always been a handbag addict. I spend more time than I care to admit looking online at gorgeous bags and people carrying them, and sometimes I even stalk people on the street when I see someone carrying an amazing bag. I know, I know. It's a sickness, and it's not something I proudly admit.   Some people assume I must have a closet full of purses, since I often add new ones to my rotation. This is not the case, though. Au contraire, I feel really guilty seeing handbags sit around unworn. Rather than letting my closet explode with unused bags, I've fueled my handbag habit over the years by selling and consigning the ones I fall out of love with. I usually take a decent loss when I sell bags, but it's better than nothing (and "nothing" is exactly what happens when the bag just sits on my shelf collecting dust)! While brunching with some lovely style bloggers this weekend, this topic of reselling/consignment came up, so I wanted to share some of my thoughts and tips with you all!   
CONSIGNMENT     I love online consignments. As long as you're willing to part with the 30% to 40% commissions, this is the easiest option out there. You send your handbag to a reseller, and they do all the work for you. The actual commission depends on whether you actually consign (which comes with a lower commission, but requires waiting for your item to sell before receiving payment) or sell your item as a direct buy (which comes with a higher fee - but immediate payment).    How it works: Some companies email free shipping labels for you to send them your items. Once received, they inspect, photograph, and list the items for sale on their website. Profits are usually paid according to your preference: through check, Paypal, or store credit (store credit will generally provide you with more "dollars" vs. a cash payout).    Some of my favorite places to sell bags:

1. Ann's Fabulous Finds - Ann and her team are so friendly and helpful, and sell a huge range of items from designer bags to jewelry to watches to shoes. If you have any questions, shoot her an e-mail... and she'll respond ASAP in a great, customer-service oriented manner.
2. HG Bags - The owner, Erica, is fantastic and sells brand new designer bags from Balenciaga, YSL, Chloe, and Proenza Schouler as well as other items like Balenciaga jackets and occassionally designer shoes. She also resells pre-owned bags (in good to excellent condition) and offers a pretty attractive payout. One thing to note, Erica does not actually consign items - she purchases them outright and sends you immediate payment.
3. Yoogi's Closet - This is another consignment option, but I've found you don't make as much with them as you would with other consignors. This is a great site to buy pre-owned bags from, since they price items a little lower, and they also have a great return policy if you don't like your purchase.

 SELLING BAGS YOURSELF 

 For many years, I only sold things myself. I did this because consignment shops tend to take a decent cut of your selling price, and I wanted to keep as much of the proceeds as possible. After years of selling my stuff on eBay, I recently swore them off after dealing with some really sketchy buyers. Sometimes you get great buyers that are amazing to work with. Other times, you end up with buyers that have unrealistic expectations, are unreasonably demanding, or use schemes to get additional discounts after they receive your product.

A couple years ago, I found a great alternative called Bonanza. Their pool of buyers and sellers is smaller than eBay, but it's big enough -- and the people using this site seem to be more honest. I've had fantastic experiences with every sale I've made on the site, and their seller fees are much lower than eBay (with free listing, too!).

Keep in mind that selling items yourself on eBay or Bonanza requires photographing your items, creating your own listings, fielding and answering buyers' questions, and sometimes emailing additional photos to potential buyers. If you don't mind doing this, then you will likely net higher profits selling this way, than you would via consignment. 

 Tell me: Do you sell your unused bags?