Consignment split calculator
Consignment splits sound simple until you compare them against selling it yourself. This shows the raw numbers so the comparison is honest.
Reading a consignment deal
Consignment percentages vary enormously — clothing stores commonly keep 40–60%, galleries and specialty shops sometimes more. The right way to judge the number is not against zero, but against your realistic alternative: selling the item yourself, with platform fees, shipping hassle, storage, and — the part everyone undercounts — the risk it never sells at all.
A store keeping half sounds steep next to a marketplace fee of 10–20%. But the store version costs you no photography, no listing, no messaging, no shipping, and it puts the item in front of buyers you cannot reach. Whether that trade is good depends mostly on how much your time is worth and how fast the store actually moves inventory — a smaller split at a store where things sit for months is worse than a bigger split where things sell in a week.
Watch for the details the percentage hides: some shops charge handling or cleaning fees off the top, apply automatic markdowns over time, or pay out only above a monthly threshold. Ask before you drop things off, and run the worst case here.
Questions
Is the split taken before or after other fees?
It varies by shop. Some deduct card processing or handling fees before splitting, which quietly shrinks your side. Ask whether the percentage applies to the sticker price or to the net after their costs.
What split should I accept?
Compare your consignment share against what you would realistically net selling it yourself after fees and effort, weighted by how likely each route is to actually sell the item. A store with foot traffic and fast turnover earns its percentage; a dusty shelf does not.
What happens if it doesn't sell?
Standard arrangements return the item after an agreed period, sometimes after automatic markdowns along the way. Get the markdown schedule and the return window in writing before consigning anything you care about.