Consignment, Compared
Consignment means waiting. There is another way.
Free visit · cash offers · no obligation
Consignment shops serve a real purpose: your pieces hang in a curated space, and if they sell, you get a share, commonly 40 to 60 percent, months later, for the items that sell. For ordinary vintage with patient owners, that trade can be fine. This page is for everyone who reads that first sentence and winces.
We buy outright. One visit, every piece evaluated in front of you, cash before we leave, and nothing comes back unsold six months later. Our offer reflects what the collector market actually pays, explained item by item, and you are free to compare it against any consignment estimate before deciding.
Consignment versus selling to us
Payout timing
Consignment pays if and when each item sells, often 60 to 90 days after the sale itself. We pay for everything at once, the day we visit.
What you actually net
A $200 consignment sale at a 50 percent split nets you $100, months out, minus any fees. Compare final numbers, not sticker prices.
The unsold problem
Consignment returns what does not sell, and you start over. An outright sale is finished the day it happens.
When consignment wins
High-fashion designer pieces with long retail tails sometimes net more consigned through the right boutique. When that is true for your items, we will say so.
An honest alternative, anywhere in Southern California
We are California Vintage Buyers, based in Laguna Hills and the team behind the Old 44 Vintage shop, so we know the resale market from both sides of the counter. If you have been quoted a consignment split, invite us over before you sign. The comparison costs you nothing and takes one visit.
How We Work
We evaluate everything in front of you, explain what we’re seeing, and pay cash before we leave. No consignment, no waiting on a sale.
How it works
Call or text photos.
A real conversation about what you have, no pressure to sell.
We come to you.
We look at everything, at your pace. We know what we're seeing.
Cash offer, same visit.
A fair price on the spot, or a full estate sale run for you.
Common questions
Why would your cash offer beat waiting for consignment?
It often nets a similar amount without the wait, the risk of no sale, and the return pile. For valuable vintage, we frequently pay more than a consignment split nets because we buy for collector markets, not a local sales floor.
Do you consign items yourselves?
No. We only buy outright. That keeps every conversation simple: one number, cash, decided the same day.
Can I sell you part of a collection and consign the rest?
Of course. Plenty of sellers take cash for the pieces we value most and place the remainder elsewhere. We will even tell you which pieces are which.
What should I look for in a consignment contract before I sign it?
Read past the split. The terms that cost people most are the markdown schedule, meaning how far the shop may cut your price after a set period without asking you, the minimum term and whether it is exclusive, who covers loss or damage while your things sit in the store, and what happens to unsold pieces if you do not collect them by a stated date. Ask for all of that in writing, and if a shop will not put it in writing, that is your answer. A firm cash number today can be compared honestly against those terms; an optimistic estimate cannot.
Half of it is already sitting at a consignment shop. Can I pull it back?
Usually yes, though the contract may set a minimum term or a notice period, so read that first and give notice in writing. When you collect, get a signed inventory of what is coming back and check condition at the counter, because rack wear, missing buttons and lost tags are common and much harder to raise a week later. Once everything is back under one roof we can look at all of it in a single visit and make one number for the lot.
One call. We’ll take it
from there.
(949) 449-12555.0 on Google · Free visit, no obligation · Cash the same visit
Mon-Sat 6 am-8 pm · Sun 8 am-5 pm
A real person answers seven days a week, weekends included. Photos sent today are usually answered the same day.
Prefer photos? Text them straight to the same number · or send them here
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