How to Consign Luxury Items: 10 Tips to Maximize Your Earnings

How to consign luxury items

The luxury resale market has seen an undeniable rise in recent years, fueled by a growing demand for sustainability, curated style, and smarter shopping. From designer handbags to high-end ready-to-wear, consigning your luxury items is no longer just practical, it’s strategic. Whether you’re refining your wardrobe, rotating your seasonal pieces, or making room for something new-to-you, knowing how to consign luxury items the right way can significantly increase your return.

At Michael’s Luxury Consignment, we’ve spent decades helping clients get the most value from their pre-owned designer pieces. From what sells best to how to prep each item for maximum resale appeal, we’re sharing ten essential tips to help you consign with confidence and elevate your resale potential.

10 Tips to Consign Luxury Items

• Make it Shine.  Hardware on high quality fashion accessories can be quickly brought back to glistening condition with a little dab of silver polish and a dash of elbow grease. Be sure to use a polishing cloth and test a small area before going to town. For those sparkling jewels be sure to use a general jewellery cleanser or give it a good blast of steam before having it appraised.
  
  
• Button Up.  A new set of buttons can make a drab item look dynamite. There are many well-stocked button sources that can be found online we recommend lotsofbuttons.com.
  
  
• Take out the sewing kit.  When wanting to consign luxury items, take a needle to your items and make sure there are no open seams, loose buttons, or falling hems. If you don’t have the time or patience most dry cleaners and tailors will do this at very little cost.
  
  
• Shoe polish is a wonderful thing. It can make your favorite shoes everybody’s darlings.
  
  
• Clean & Press.  There’s nothing worse than receiving items covered in cat or dog hair. Take your items to a dry cleaner you trust and have them delivered to Michael's clean and pressed. Having trouble removing those pesky deodorant stains? We love Gal Pal garment deodorant removers, they work every time and are safe for most fabrics except silk. 
  
  
• Bring in all the bells and whistles.  Deliver your luxury items with all the original accoutrements (sleeper, shoe bags, paperwork, receipt, box, ribbon, etc…) Having all of the original documentation and packaging is a huge selling point and will go a long way at the cash register.
  
  
• Never remove the labels.  If you want to consign your luxury items, most high-end consignment shops won’t take the garment if the labels are missing so deal with the pesky label… never cut them out.
  
  
• Don’t store items in a bag by the front door.  As soon as you get your items ready for consignment, call for a pick up or bring them in.  If they stay in a bag, they will not be in fresh selling condition.
  
  
• Bring your shoes to the shoemaker.  A $20 repair or leather cleaning and conditioning could make you another $100 on consignment. It’s well worth the investment, and who knows, maybe you’ll want to wear them again.
  
  
• Working order. Zippers, snaps and buckles need to all be working properly.  If they are not, take them in to be repaired.

When your luxury pieces are prepped with care and presented in their best condition, they don’t just sell—they shine. At Michael’s Luxury Consignment, we understand the value of presentation, quality, and detail. That’s why we work with clients who treat their fashion the way we do: as investment pieces worthy of a second life. Whether you're consigning a Chanel jacket, a pair of barely-worn Manolos, or a Hermès accessory with its original box, taking the extra steps to prepare your items can mean a faster sale and a higher return.

Ready to sell with us? Let your pieces speak for themselves—beautifully, authentically, and with the value they deserve.