What's the Difference Between Consignment Shop and Thrift Shop?

**CYork** · 09-06-2008, 10:56 PM

I'm just wondering...

**Jamauk** · 09-06-2008, 11:09 PM

At a consignment shop, people bring their stuff in and the shop sells it for them, then they split the proceeds (the spilt varies from store to store ~ a children's shop in our area splits the proceeds 30%/60%).

A thrift shop, as far as I know, the shop owners keep the proceeds ~ which usually benefit a charity of some sort.

**CYork** · 09-06-2008, 11:45 PM

Thank you for the information. One more question: does the consignment shop pay the "seller" at the time they drop off the merchandise and base the amount on what the shop thinks the item will sell for? Or, does the seller get paid only when the shop actually sells the item?

**Jamauk** · 09-07-2008, 12:13 AM

OOPS ~ my above post should read 40/60 NOT 30/60...yes I do know how to add, really. I. do.

To answer your other question ~ most only will pay the seller after the item has sold. There was a used children's shop when we lived in KY and they would buy the items from us outright and then resell them. However, I don't think that's a true consignment store (and we typically didn't get as much from them for the items we sold as we would from the other consignment stores).

**baronmom** · 09-07-2008, 08:57 AM

Any time I took anything to a consignment shop, I only got money if they sold my items. I then had the opportunity to go and find the rest of my stuff and take it back if I wanted, or they would keep it and then keep the money if it sold. I had two pairs of old navy toddler jeans stolen, and I was out of luck with those. They wouldn't pay me for them. Ticked me off big time.

**The Muse** · 09-07-2008, 10:27 AM

I buy a lot of my clothes at a consignment store. They pay after the item sells. The item is full price for the first 30 days, then the price drops after a certain amount of days, at the end of 90 days, it's selling for 50% of the starting price. The seller gets about 5-15% of what they paid for the item new, so it's not a great deal for them.

I love to buy at consignment though because the bargains are great and the shop is picky about what they accept so I don't have to rifle though a bunch of junk like I do at the thrift store. And everything is clean and ironed. People are always telling me what a stylish dresser I am...lol!

**cheapskate 49** · 09-07-2008, 01:10 PM

I've never shopped at a consignment store though I've always wanted to-on my list of things to do-I have a friend who shops there all the time and she gets some beautiful things