Yesterday, when I floated the idea of an online forum that would allow young professionals to sell their gently used pieces without the cost and hassle of eBay, I expected a lukewarm reception.  But judging from your response, a number of you would love to be able to sell or shop at what I am now calling the Capitol Hill Style Resale Salon.  So, let’s get started.

Be Discerning As I mentioned yesterday, the Salon will not be a place to get rid of your old Abercrombie denim or your Forever 21 impulse buys.  Items should be geared to the professional and social lives of stylish women.  Think Banana Republic and up but stylish items from H&M and Zara-esque stores will be considered if they are priced accordingly.

Items should also be clean and free of any serious damage.  If there’s a button missing or something else that’s fixable, we’ll consider it, but no holes, rips or tears, please.  Small flaws may be overlooked if documented.

What will we accept? We will consider clothing, fashion jewelry, accessories and shoes.  But perhaps, it’s best to tell you what we will not take.

  • No formal or wedding attire.  A cocktail dress is fine, a big poofy bridesmaid’s dress with a bow is not.
  • No men’s clothing.  Sorry, guys.
  • No athletic gear, swimwear or lounge wear.
  • No fine jewelry.
  • No knock-offs!  That “Caoch” bag you bought on the street is not allowed.  Period.
  • Items should be seasonal, but for a great piece, we’ll overlook it.
  • If you are consigning shoes, they can be worn but they should not look like they’ve been to war.
  • And under no circumstances will I accept any of the following: Juicy track suits, critter pants, Vera Bradley bags, Uggs, Crocs or any other item featured on this blog as a Faux Pas.

Pricing I know you paid $395 for that Black Halo dress, but it will not consign for that.  Ever.  So sit down and think about what someone else might pay for it given it’s condition, age, and original value.  Be realistic.

Also be sure to consider how fast you want an item to move.  A Milly dress could sell in a day at $25, but you probably will want to make more.  So realize that a dress priced at $90-$150 might take a little longer to find a buyer.

Be Honest If there is a tiny hole in the cuff, say so.  If the dress is a four but fits like a six, mention that.  If you smoke, you may want to mention that too as the smell can linger.  The more honest your description, the better off you’ll be.

Details, Details Make sure to provide the basics about an item: designer, style, size, color, approx. age, fabric content, and measurements (inches sell an item faster than an arbitrary size).  But also tell the seller a little bit more about the item so that they feel comfortable buying it sight unseen.

Payment The price for listing an item will be $3 per item and five items for $12.  There will also be a maximum of five items per person at any one time.  If you list five items and sell two, you may list two more.

All items will be listed for one month.  Each new crop of items will be posted on Saturdays.  So if you send me your items on Tuesday they will not be listed until Saturday, no exceptions.  And if you want to keep an item up longer than a month, you may, but you will need to pay a new listing fee.

No item will be listed until I have ALL the information outlined above, and the payment in hand.

Responsibility CHS takes responsibility only for listing the item, using the exact description that the seller provides.  That’s it.

You are responsible for providing an accurate listing.  You will haggle with the buyer over price and shipping costs.  You are responsible for collecting payment from the buyer before you send the item.  And you are responsible for shipping the item to the buyer in a timely fashion and dealing with any issues that might arise afterward.

That said, CHS will ban anyone who abuses this service.  And if we feel you have done something illegal, we will encourage the aggrieved party to contact the proper authorities.

Ready to Sell? If you have an item or items that you would like to sell, send at least one good quality picture in a JPEG or GIF format as an email attachment.  You may send up to five pictures (though we may not use them all) because pictures help sell an item.

Include along with the photo(s) a product description containing ALL of the information outlined above.  Also include the list price for the item, and indicate whether there is room to haggle.

Also, DO NOT forget to include your contact email.  This email will be made available to the public, but it will be hyperlinked to ensure that it can’t be mined by a spambot or something.  And only your first name and last initial will be posted, not your full name.

If you have a few pieces that you would like to sell on the forum, send the above information to: capitolhillstyle (at) gmail (dot) com.  Remember, we accept a maximum of five items at one time and reserve the right to refuse any item for any reason.

If we accept your item, we will contact you to set up payment of the listing fee ($3 for one item, five items for $12).  The first slate of items will be posted on Saturday, July 18th.  Not this weekend but next.

So go through that closet and decided which pieces you might be willing to part with.  Leave questions in the comments.