How To Buy and Sell Furniture Through Consignment - Tips from Decor NYC Founder Bruce Tilley

_{Decor NYC}

Most often when I’m searching for furniture I’m on the hunt for unique vintage finds and one of the best resources for finding fabulous vintage pieces are consignment shops. Purchasing furniture through consignment offers an excellent way to score quality furniture at below market prices and if you have valuable furniture in pristine condition that you’re looking to get rid of, it’s also a hassle-free way to resell and get top dollar for your unwanted pieces.

I recently caught up with Bruce Tilley, founder of Decor NYC, a 6000sf consignment gallery in New York offering high-end furniture and decorative accessories. Tilley opened Decor NYC in early 2012 after realizing that between low-end thrift and high-end antiques, there was a big gap in the marketplace.

Much of the inventory at Decor NYC is from decorators and designer showrooms although Bruce says decorators and their clients are definitely his largest consignors. “When its time to re-decorate, their clients usually have amazing items.”

He also says that as people have tightened their budgets he’s seeing more and more consumers turning to consignment stores to help unload their items rather than just giving them away. How it works in a nutshell is that clients deliver their goods to consignment and when the items sell, the consignment shop will take 50% of the sale.

_{Bruce Tilley}

I asked Bruce to share a few key tips for someone interested in consigning their furniture and here’s what he had to say:

1. Your items must be in excellent condition. If you wouldn’t buy it, neither will anyone else. Consignors always think the damage or wear issues are minimal. Purchasers will always think any damage or wear is a big deal and usually won’t buy it.

2. Take a little time to inspect, clean your items and make them look great! If you don’t have time to fix it, why would someone else!

3. If it’s not in mint condition, donate it or give it away and be happy and proud to help some else in need! Remember, you used it for years and most furniture depreciates like a car. Once you buy it, the value goes down quickly, not up.

Decor NYC sells all different periods and styles of furniture and if you’re outside of New York, you can shop their inventory online here. The store ships worldwide. Below are a few of my favorite picks from Decor NYC. Thanks Bruce for sharing your knowledge on consignment with us! Another great tip if you’d like to shop consignment and don’t have many resources in your area is to look on eBay! Many consignment shops around the country sell some of their inventory on eBay and offer a wide range of shipping options. Good luck!