Audra: Here is big opportunity. It’s actually a shop opportunity. Make money off your own wear throb and then get those gorgeous boots that you’ve dreaming off but without feeling and ounce of guilt. Elan Barish, she’s a style expert and owner of the Stash Consignment. She’s here with her top fit picks of what to consign and what to buy. Welcome to the show.

Elan: Thank you so much.

Audra: First of all for people who don’t know what is consign? What is that exactly does it mean?

Elan: Consignment means basically to partner and re-sell your items. So let’s say for example, you bought something and it’s in great condition but you’ve lived its life with you. You are able—I like to say to get a return on your retail investment.

Audra: Got you.

Elan: That you’re able to take through in a consignment store and they will take it from you and sell it for you on your behalf. So it’s not an auction like eBay is. This is a different kind of idea.

Audra: A setup, okay.

Elan: It’s a different setup. You are basically giving them your items and they are acting as they’re an agent for you.

Audra: Okay.

Elan: So you will get a percentage of what sold, for example what I do is I give my consigners 50% of the item and the item is marked down dramatically which allows other girls to buy your stuff at prices that they can afford.

Audra: And she’s got some tips here too because you can’t sell just anything.

Elan: No.

Audra: One of the things that that is really good to consign is let’s say you bought a wonderful shirt. The tag is till on it, you never worn it and it will look great on someone else, so any tips there.

Elan: Yeah, we’ve all done that. We’ve thought it, “Oh, this is the greatest jacket I’ve ever had” and you get it home and you keep trying it on with each outfit and just never works. That’s a perfect piece. It’s brand new. It’s never been worn. The tag is still on it. Most consignment stores or at least I take that price and slash it 75% off and get you some money back on something that was just sitting in the back of your closet gaining dust and adding guilt—

Audra: Speaking of which purses, handbags, there are tons and tons of them in your closets. You have an example here. This particular retails for about $3500.00, right?

Elan: Yes. It’s a Debbie Crawl Peyton bag. It is the thing this season and not everybody buys a new bag every season. Not all of us have that kind of money and not all of us are paying attention in that way.

So here’s a great opportunity for you fashionistas who are buying a new bag every season. Not everybody doesn’t, so why not if you’re done with it, pass it on, pass on the fashion to someone else and who is maybe on a weightless or this might be a piece that they could never dream they can afford. So it’s an opportunity for other women to join in the fashion and it’s kind of like a sisterhood like I think it’s like giving the fashion conscious, the fashion consciousness.

Audra: You also say that this is the time that cash on jackets too, so what’s the deal.

Elan: Jackets are key piece for spring and fall and winter and summer. It’s a transition. You can take a thing top, you can take anything. I’m wearing a green Gucci Velvet jacket and that jacket has taken me three seasons already. If I’m wearing a white tin top of jeans, it’s a key trend piece because during this time when everybody is being so consciousness of their money—

Audra: And speaking of trends and in terms of things to buy, you should be looking for 20 items like this Alice and Olivia sequin dress.

Elan: Definitely. This is all over the red carpet in different variations. It’s in Valmont, it’s Balenciaga, no who can’t afford that.

Audra: Right.

Elan: So here’s a great way to get something that’s on trend for not a lot of money. I think this trend is retailing with us for $130.00 that you can be on trend. And if you never wear it again because it was so of that moment, that’s okay.

Audra: And classic dress is falling in this category too, right?

Elan: Oh absolutely.

Audra: You never have enough of those.

Elan: Never have enough and classic pieces themselves, I mean the name Chanel and Ermez and Yves Saint Laurent, those like make people shutter and jewel and get so excited. And now those aspirational items are not only great for a consigner to sell because those things really do sell. But they are also great for people like me who couldn’t afford to buy something a Chanel jacket for $10,000.00. You know that piece that maybe in your dreams you’ve always thought.

Audra: Exactly.

Elan: And you can suddenly afford those pieces. So the Chanel jumper that we’re selling for $500.00, that piece really, that retails in a store for thousands. And here is if you have that little bit of extra money and you really want to just say, “I’ve always wanted to buy Chanel.” Here’s your way of doing it. Consignment is a great alternative.

Audra: We’ve got a great lesson today. Thank you so much, a lot appreciated it.

Elan: Thank you.

Audra: And if you guys are looking for ways to steal those gorgeous designer shoes, handbags or gowns you’ve always dreamed off, Elan is your girl. She’s actually offering all of our Better TV viewers, 10% off of their first purchases. And all you have to do is go to our website bettertv.com, click on the link and then enter the code, BTV. Easy enough, right?