Frequently asked questions
Consignment is the process by which we sell your furniture in our location, while you still maintain ownership of the goods.
“Consignment” simply means “we sell it on your behalf”.
Consignment furniture doesn’t mean it is heavily used and it doesn’t mean it’s old. Many of the items at Trading Places are nearly-new and can still be found in retail stores. In addition, we receive BRAND NEW items from Commercial Consignors that are overstocks, returns and cancelled orders!
Trading Places only accepts the best quality furniture with styles that appeal to a large number of customers. We do not accept junk!
Are you downsizing, relocating or redecorating? Do you have wonderful things in your home that you no longer utilize or that fit into your home’s current design scheme?
Trading Places is the perfect place to showcase your items for others to purchase and enjoy. We will stage, advertise and market your items in our exciting 12,000 square foot showroom and on our E-Commerce website in order to give maximum visibility to a large number of buyers and ensure a quick and profitable sale of your goods.
Trading Places is a nationally recognized consignment store that uses sophisticated information systems to manage your inventory. We are an industry leader in marketing and have a combined 22,000+ social media followers on popular platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and TikTok. In addition, Trading Places offers a weekly newsletter with an email list of over 9,000+ recipients as well as "Live Store Tours" on social media to showcase the latest new arrivals. Our proven marketing strategies provide a safe and secure way of selling your items and gets them SOLD quickly!
Consignment with Trading Places is Simple…Safe…Smart…Sensible…!
Trading Places accepts quality items with a timeless style - including transitional, contemporary, modern, industrial, farmhouse and cottage style.
We focus on current styles and color trends that appeal to a large number of people. Out of date furniture can be well constructed and in pristine condition, however, if the style is unsalable today, then we would not be able to accept it.
Consignments must be in very good to mint condition and upholstered items must be clean with no stains, odor, apparent wear, pet hair, fading or sun-bleaching. Unfortunately we cannot accept cloth upholstered items that are older than 3-5 years.
Merchandise must be clean and ready to be presented for resale. There will be a quality inspection of your pieces upon arrival at the store prior to final acceptance for consignment. We reserve the right to decline any items that do not meet our quality standards. A cleaning fee of $25 may be charged if an item requires excessive dusting or cleaning prior to displaying.
The better is looks, the better it sells!
HOME DECOR:
* This is a sample list. Call with specific inquiries.
1. Artwork
Original / Framed / Decorator / Canvas
2. Decorative accessories
3. Decorator Rugs (4 x 6 to 9 x 11)
4. Table and accent lamps
5. Mirrors
6. China and Crystal (selective)
7. Holiday (Seasonal)
FURNITURE:
1. Bedroom Furniture: Beds, daybeds, bunk/loft bed, dressers, nightstands, wardrobes
2. Living Room Furniture: Sofa, loveseat, sectional, chaise lounge, recliner, chairs, ottomans, sofa table, coffee table,
end tables. Upholstered and leather.
3. Dining Room Furniture: Dining table and chairs, server/sideboard, china cabinets, pub table, baker's rack, bars.
4. Home Office: Desks, credenza, decorative file cabinets, bookcase, desk chairs
5. Accent Furniture: Barstools, decorative chest, curio/dsiplay cabinet.
6. Outdoor Furniture: (Seasonal)
CONDITION:
* Items with missing or broken hardware
* Items in need of repair, cleaning, refinishing or re-upholstery
* Furniture with water stains or noticeable scratches on the primary surfaces
* Furniture with cloth upholstery that is older than 3 to 5 years
ITEMS:
* Antiques
* Appliances
* Cribs
* Electronics
* Excercise Equipments
* Chandeliers (hard wired lighting)
* Collectibles
* Victorian style seating
* Vintage dining furniture
* Large glass or stone top dining tables
* Entertainment centers that cannot hold a 50" or larger television
* Commercial office furniture
* Knock-down (self-assembled) or particle-board furniture
* Black lacquer furniture
* Unframed art, faded prints, art with dated matting/framing
* Waterbeds
* Mattresses / Futons / Sofa Beds
* Sewing machines
* Toys & Dolls
* Textiles (tapestries, quilt, linens, clothing)
* Items with dates (example: plates, ornaments, bells, etc.) on them
* Books or magazines
* Appliances / computers / electronics (including televisions)
* Lamps without shades or with yellowed / damaged shades
Lamps in need or rewiring or with old / frayed wiring
* Glassware or stemware sets that include less than four pieces
* Collectible plates (example: Franklin Mint, Braford Exchange)
* Chipped or repaired glassware/china
* China and dinnerware sets with less than 4 place settings
All furniture sold at Trading Places must be pre-approved and scheduled. Click on our Furniture Consignment Request Form to get the pre-approval process started. Please allow a minimum of 72 hours for a response.
Home Décor does not require pre-approval but does require a scheduled appointment window during consignment hours.
Consignment Hours:
Monday – Friday: 10:00am – 4:30pm
Submit a Request:
Fill out our “Furniture Consignment Request Form” and describe the items that you would like to sell. Please include an accurate description along with notes on the condition of each item. Attach at least one photograph per item listed, multiple views preferred.
Requests may also be emailed to Consign@TradingpPlacesOH.com. If necessary, you may bring photos into the store on a digital camera or as hard copies. Please call in advance to ensure that the proper personnel are available to review the request.
Evaluation Please allow up to 5 days for us to review and respond to your consignment request. If your request is urgent, feel free to contact our store at (614)717-9221 to expedite your request.
We will review your request and photos to determine if we have a demand for those items from our customer base, in addition to when floor space will be available to accommodate your furniture. You will receive a response from us with an approval, request for additional information and/or communication regarding scheduling an appointment.
Please note that our customer’s buying patterns dictate what we bring into the store on consignment. We will always do our best to recommend an alternative selling solution should your furniture not be a good fit for our store. There is a market for everything, just need to get it into the right place!
Approval and Scheduling Once your furniture and/or home decor is approved for consignment, we will provide you with a scheduled delivery date or delivery window. It is important to stick to this time frame as we are committing floor space specifically for your furniture. In the event that you are not able to commit to the delivery parameters, please let us know right away so that we can reschedule or adjust accordingly.
* Note that all furniture must have a preset appointment before being delivered to our store. If furniture is delivered without an appointment or pre-approval, it is subject to space availability and inspection.
Check in at the Consignment Desk on the day of your appointment to create an inventory list and pull around to our back door to unload. Furniture deliveries will be directed to unload through the double doors in the front of the store. Fill out the Consignment Inventory List to expedite the processing time.
You approved my furniture, how do I get it to your store?
We highly recommend that you use a professional mover to safely deliver your furniture and set up your items on our sales floor.
However, if you prefer to bring in the items yourself, the set up, assembly and placement of the furniture on the sales floor is your responsibility as the consignor.
Due to insurance restrictions, we are unable to assist in unloading items from the car or moving them into the store. We always recommend bringing adequate help!
We are happy to refrer you to a reliable, professional, bonded and insured moving companies.
1. One Old Man and a Van: 614-893-7582
2. Porta: 614-783-7574
* Contact us for solutions on small item moves.
Furniture deliveries will be directed to unload through the double doors in the front of the store.
Home Decor,appointments will check in at the Consignment Desk and unload at the Consignment Delivery door on the side of the building.
It is very important to disclose as much information as possible about your furniture during the consignment request process.
Pricing varies, based on the brand, style, condition, age, current retail value and market demand of an item. Condition is by far one of the most important criteria for pricing. Additional information such as how much you originally paid for the furniture and where it was purchased from is also helpful in setting a benchmark.
We have a solid understanding of the resale market, and our historical database provides excellent insight into what customers in our market are willing to pay. Upon request, we will provide a range that similar items have sold for, however, until we have the opportunity to inspect the furniture first hand, pricing is not guaranteed. Final pricing is at our discretion.
We have established a strategic pricing structure to sell inventory throughout the consignment period.
The prices are progressively reduced by 10% every 20 days.
The automatic markdowns are displayed on our price tags and fully disclosed to the buyer. The date and price that the item will be reduced is clearly stated on the price tags, therefore, we do not negotiate prices within the consignment period. Our tags do the negotiating and give buyers the option to “buy it now” or take a chance that it may still be available at a later date. The majority of our furniture sells within a 30 – 45 day time period.
As part of our marketing strategy, we will occasionally run sales during the year to move inventory.
Requests to remove inventory prior to the end of the consignment period will be subject to a handling charge calculated at 30% of the original selling price, due in full at the point of removal.
Our team puts forth a lot of effort to process, price, tag, photograph and market each item and we request that you commit to the entire selling time period.
When your consignment account is created, you will be given access to your own online account through our Consignor Login portal. You can monitor this online account 24/7 to check your account balance and open items. Any item entered in our online inventory may be viewed while still available. All other items are posted once the item is sold.
Trading Places does NOT call or email you when your furniture sells. Please actively monitor your online account to determine when you have funds payable. You many also contact the store directly to see if your furniture has sold.
You can access your Consignor Login Portal here: https://tradingplacesoh.com/apps/consignor/customer/login
Trading Places partners with our consignors on a 50/50 split. We have a generous 120 day term on furniture and 90 days on home decor. We will appraise and price your items, photograph, display and handle all marketing to get your items sold!
We are partners in this process, we don't get paid unless you get paid!
Once an item has been sold, money goes directly into your consignor account. This money can be used as store credit at any time.
Checks are issued on a monthly basis for items that have been sold in the previous month with account balances over $25. Checks are available to pickup in our store after the 15th of the month.
Please monitor your online account on a regular basis.
We do not call to notify you that items have sold, funds are available for payout or checks are ready for pickup. We do not automatically mail checks, however, if this is a requirement due to out of town/state moves, please indicate this on your paperwork so that we can set up your account accordingly.
You can check your balance on your Consignor Login Portal: https://tradingplacesoh.com/apps/consignor/customer/login
We request that you Mark your Calendar with the end date of your consignment period and actively monitor your online consignment account.
Due to the sheer volume of inventory in our store, we do not contact you when your items are due to expire or have expired. Most consignors elect to donate unsold items to deserving charities or agree to “clearance” the items for quick sale. If you wish to retrieve any unsold furniture or home decor, you must do so within 5 days before the expiration date of your consignment period. In the event that these items are not picked up, they will be donated to a local charity or liquidated at the discretion of Trading Places Payouts will not be made for the sale of expired inventory. Pleae notify us at least 24 hours in advance when you are picking up unsold items.
You can monitor your items in your Consignor Login Portal: https://tradingplacesoh.com/apps/consignor/customer/login
To view your account online, go to:
https://tradingplacesoh.com/apps/consignor/customer/login
You will then enter your email address (the email address you filled out on your consignment agreement) and password.
For first time users, your email address is your password. After you have logged in for the first time, you will be sent a validation link to change your password. Once your password has been changed, you will be able to see your inventory in the account.
Please call us during store hours at 614-717-9221 if you have any questions.