If you have clothing that you no longer wear or need, then you might be thinking of selling it. One option is to sell the clothing on consignment at a local consignment shop in your area. However, you will need to do so carefully if you would like to make any money in this endeavor. Here are four tips to ensure you're able to earn a fair sum for your consigned clothes.

1. Compare consignment fees across several shops.

If you are lucky enough to have several consignment stores in your area, reach out to them all and ask about their fee rates. If one store keeps 50% of the clothing price and another only keeps 10%, then the store that keeps only 10% is probably the better choice -- assuming they get enough traffic and actually generate substantial sales. If you really like the location of one shop, but they do not offer the best rate, you could always ask them to increase their rate for you. They may do so if they are having trouble finding consigners and need to draw more people in.

2. Only sell items in decent shape.

Be realistic when sorting through your items and deciding which to sell. A shirt that has only been worn a few times and that looks very new is a good one to sell. One with a stain on the front, on the other hand, is probably not worth consigning. Plus, putting this shirt on your rack will reflect negatively on your "brand" and may drive people away from purchasing from you.

3. Give as much information as possible about your pieces.

When you drop off items to sell at the consignment shop, be sure to tell the shop owner a little about it. Share where you got the item, whether or not you wore it, and how you liked to wear it. Some shoppers like items with a story -- so the shop owner can share this information with them to encourage a sale.

4. Price your items fairly.

Keep in mind that there are a lot of consigned clothing items out there. If you price yours too high, people will walk right past it. You'll make more in the long run by pricing your clothing a little lower. You'll have to sell more pieces, but this should be easier with your prices set a little lower. 

Contact a company like RUMMAGE SALES for more information and assistance.