Consignment Agreements

Cedar Chest

Design 2 Consign

Consigning with The Cedar Chest is easy. Recycling is good for the environment AND good for your bank account! Please read our FAQs to better understand The Cedar Chest's consignment policy, criteria and guidelines.This will ensure a smooth and efficient experience when you bring your items to The Cedar Chest or Design 2 Consign. If you have additional questions, feel free to contact us.

The 5 most important things you need to know about consigning with The Cedar Chest and our family of stores are:  

• Seasonally appropriate items only (Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter)
• Designer labels, name brands only (see below)
• In style (no more than 2 years old, generally)
• In tip-top, ready to sell condition - freshly laundered, dry-cleaned, no stains or damage, wrinkle free
• Clothing must be on hangers (exceptions may be made for brand new items in bags)

COVID 19 UPDATE:

Restrictions to consignment are currently in place to help protect our customers and employees and stop the spread of Covid-19. These include, but are not limited to:

• limit of 15 items per appointment
• limited consignment hours at both stores
• consignment by appointment only - call to make an appointment today!

That said, let’s get started . . .

Q: What days do you accept consignments?
A: The Cedar Chest Family Consignments in Old Saybrook accepts consignments Monday - Saturday 11-4, by appointment only.  No consignments are taken on Sundays.

Q: What does “seasonally appropriate” mean?
A:  Spring items are taken February through April. Summer is taken May through July. Fall is taken August through October. Winter is taken November through January. Holiday items are taken the month before the holiday (e.g. Christmas items are accepted in November).

Q: How many items can I bring at a time?
A:  We limit consignments to 10 items per appointment. 

Q: What do you consider to be name brand items?
A:  While not limited to the following designer labels, name brand women's labels include: Free People, Talbots, Sigrid Olsen, Ralph Lauren, Coldwater Creek, Eileen Fisher, Ellen Tracy, Liz Claiborne, Armani, Gucci, Banana Republic, Ann Taylor. 

Men's labels include: Polo, Ralph Lauren, Nautica, Gap, Abercrombie, Brooks Brothers, Banana Republic, Eddie Bauer (Old Saybrook only).

​If in doubt regarding your items, just give us a call.

Q: Are there brands you do not take?
A: Yes, there are. Older brands or ones that have gone out of business (Casual Corner, Petite Sophisticate) or brands that have no resale value (Old Navy) or are sold by Walmart (Time and Tru, Terra & Sky, Faded Glory, White Stag).

Older labels of higher ends brands (old label Talbots or Chicos, for instance) will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis, but may be priced lower to reflect age.

***WE CAN NOT ACCEPT ITEMS THAT HAVE BEEN STORED IN MOTH BALLS, REGARDLESS OF BRAND OR QUALITY***

Q: Do you take furniture?
A: Yes we do, but only in our Old Saybrook location. Furniture also requires pre-approval before you can bring it it. Please call to talk to our Furniture Coordinator about having your pieces approves.

Q: Do you take housewares?
A: Yes we do, but only in our Old Saybrook location. Pieces must be in style and in good condition. We do not take vintage China. Plates must be dishwasher and microwave safe.

Q: How does the pricing work?
A: The Cedar Chest will price your items at around 25-30% or retail price. It will help if you know approximately how much you paid for the item and we may ask your advice regarding specialty items. Original receipts are a plus and may be needed for authenticity on some high-end designer items.

If no original price is know, the Cedar Chest staff will use various online resale sites (eBay, Poshmark, etc) to determine the resale value of the item.

Items remain full priced for roughly a month, then for through a 20% / 40% / 60% sale cycle until sold or eventually donated/disposed of. Occasionally, we run promotions on certain items. You will receive 40% of the final sales price.

Occasionally, we will run special or sales promotions on certain items.

Q: How do I get paid?
A: Once items have sold, the money will go into your account and remain there indefinitely until collected. Money can be collected as cash if under $40 or a check if over $40. It can also be spent in the store as store credit.

Q: How do I check my balance?
A: You have a few options! You can call, stop in, or sign up for our online system to check from home. (The online system will charge your account $1 per month.)

Q: What happens to any unsold items?
A:  At the end of the consignment period, any unsold items become the property of The Cedar Chest and then are donated to one of our local charities. A print-out of all donated items will be provided upon request for tax purposes.