Every Australian reseller hits the same crossroads eventually: consign this item or sell it myself?
It seems simple — consignment means someone else does the work, right? Not quite. The real answer depends on the item, your time, and how much margin you are willing to share. Let us break it down with real Australian dollar figures.
The Case for Consignment
Consignment means you hand your item to a store or platform. They photograph it, list it, handle buyer questions, ship it, and deal with returns. When it sells, they take a commission (typically 30-50% of the sale price) and send you the rest.
When consignment wins:
- High-value items you cannot store. Designer handbags, luxury watches, high-end furniture — items worth $200+ that sit in your spare room gathering dust. A consignment store has the foot traffic and the credibility to move these faster.
- Items requiring authentication. If you are selling a Louis Vuitton bag or a Rolex, authentication matters. Specialist consignment stores have the expertise and certificates that individual sellers cannot easily replicate.
- You have no time. If you work full-time and reselling is a side hustle, the hours spent on photography, listings, and messaging can eat your evenings. Consignment trades margin for time.
The maths: A $500 designer jacket on consignment at 40% commission nets you $300. Selling it yourself on eBay at a 13% fee ($65) plus shipping ($15) nets you $420 — but you spent 3 hours on it. Is $120 worth 3 hours? That is $40/hour. If your time is worth more, consign.
The Case for Selling Yourself
Direct selling — on eBay, Gumtree, Facebook Marketplace, Depop, or Whatnot — keeps the biggest slice of the pie.
When selling yourself wins:
- Volume items with fast turnover. Books, electronics, clothing under $100, board games — items you can list in 2 minutes and sell in a week. The lower per-item commission adds up fast.
- Niche items you know well. If you specialise in vintage Levi’s or Pokemon cards, you know the market better than any consignment store. Your listings will be more accurate and more attractive to the right buyers.
- Items under $50. Consignment stores often will not accept low-value items because the commission is too small to justify their effort. For items under $50, you are selling yourself by default.
The maths: Selling 20 items at $30 each on Gumtree (free to list) nets you $600 with zero commission. The same items consigned at 40% commission nets you $360. That $240 difference is significant — but you probably spent 10+ hours on photography, listings, meetups, and postage.
The Hybrid Approach (What Smart Resellers Do)
The most profitable Australian resellers use a tiered strategy:
| Item Value | Best Channel | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Under $50 | Sell yourself (Gumtree/FB) | Consignment not worth the commission |
| $50-$200 | Sell yourself (eBay/Depop) | Good margin, manageable effort |
| $200-$500 | Either — depends on time | Use consignment if busy, sell yourself if not |
| $500+ | Consign specialist stores | Authentication + buyer trust justifies the cut |
This is exactly where TurnGoods helps. Our platform lets you list the same item across multiple channels simultaneously — eBay, Gumtree, Facebook Marketplace — in one workflow. You spend 3 minutes instead of 30, and the AI generates platform-optimised titles and descriptions for each marketplace.
Australian-Specific Factors
Australian resellers face unique considerations:
- Shipping distances. Australia Post charges more for interstate shipping than most countries. Items sold on consignment locally (in-store pickup) avoid this cost entirely.
- Gumtree dominance. Gumtree remains hugely popular in Australia for local pickups. It is free to list and avoids shipping altogether. Consignment stores cannot compete with a free local listing for common items.
- eBay Australia fees. eBay.com.au charges approximately 13% final value fee plus listing upgrades. This is on top of PayPal fees if the buyer uses it. For a $200 item, you lose roughly $30 to fees alone.
- Facebook Marketplace growth. FB Marketplace has exploded in Australia since 2020. Zero fees, local buyers, instant messaging. The catch: more no-shows and lowballers than any other platform.
The Bottom Line
There is no universal right answer. The smartest resellers evaluate each item on its own merits:
- How much is it worth? Higher value = more reason to consign.
- How fast do I need cash? Selling yourself is faster if the item is in demand.
- How much time do I have? Busy week? Consign. Free weekend? List it yourself.
- Does it need authentication? Luxury items almost always do better through specialist consignment.
The real pro move? Use both. Consign your high-value pieces for credibility and peace of mind. Sell your mid-range stock yourself for maximum margin. And use tools like TurnGoods to make the self-selling part take minutes instead of hours.
Ready to list smarter? Try TurnGoods free — AI-powered listing, pricing, and inventory management built for Australian resellers.