Consignment

Have Something Good?

You keep ownership. We display and sell it. When it sells, we split the price. Start with two or three photographs and one line about it. That is all we need to give you an answer.

Send us photographs How it works

Free to ask No obligation Selling outright instead? Sell to us

Hero slot · a styled interior, or a group of exceptional objects
arranged and lit the way an accepted piece would be

How it works

Three steps. The first one takes two minutes.

You do this

Send a few photographs

Two or three photographs and a line about the piece. The form below takes about two minutes.
We do this

We reply

Personally, and usually within a few days. Yes or no, we will say so quickly.
Together

If it is a yes, bring it in

By appointment. We measure, photograph and write the agreement with you there, in about twenty minutes.

Not sure if your piece fits? Answer four questions

Start Here: The Fit Finder

Four questions. It will not decide anything — only we can do that — but it will tell you which route is worth your time.

What is it?

Question 1 of 4

Nothing chosen yet.

Pick one from each and we will point you at the right route.

What this is, and what it is not

One person chooses every piece. That is the whole reason to be selective, and the whole reason a good piece does well here.

One person chooses

Not a buying committee. If a piece is here it earned its place, and somebody can tell you where it came from.

Design and personality

An unusual piece with a point of view often does better here than something conventionally expensive.

Provenance and condition

What is known about where a piece came from matters, and so does an honest account of its condition.

It has to fit

Every item must make sense within the collection. Selective is not a judgement on the piece — it is about the room it is going into.

No guarantee

Submitting photographs does not guarantee acceptance. We answer honestly and quickly either way.

Large pieces

Anything substantial needs advance consideration. Tell us the dimensions early and we will say whether there is room.

Furniture, lighting, art and the objects that furnish a room.

Not sure? Send it anyway. We will tell you honestly, and usually where it belongs if not here.

Furniture, lighting, art and the objects that furnish a room are the heart of what we take.

Hollywood RegencyLacquer, brass, mirrored surfaces and confidence.
Art DecoMachine-age geometry. Chrome, bakelite, stepped forms.
Exceptional lightingTable lamps, sconces, chandeliers. Original wiring is not required.
1970s rain lampsThe real thing — oil-drip hanging lamps, working or not.
Designer furnitureNamed makers, labelled or documented where possible.
Sculptural decorative objectsThings with no use and a strong silhouette.
Vintage barware and glasswareDecanters, coupes, ice buckets, complete sets.
Needlepoint and textile artFramed or unframed, particularly unusual subjects.
California designPottery, furniture and studio work made in this state.
San Francisco history and ephemeraSignage, photographs, documents, printed matter.
A strong point of viewIf it does not fit a category but changes the room, send it anyway.

Furniture by typeCase goods, seating, dining and occasional tables, cabinets, desks, bar carts.
Art and mirrorsPaintings, prints, works on paper, and mirrors whose frame is part of the piece.
Tableware and servingPorcelain, silver, complete services, trays and serving pieces.
LinensTable linens and household textiles, hand-worked or unusual.
CollectiblesThings collected as a set or a run, where completeness is the point: pottery lines, glass ranges, matched groups.

Toys. We generally do not take toys, but we make exceptions for unusual, collectible or especially memorable pieces. Send photographs anyway.

Clothing & accessories

Exceptional fashion, jewelry and accessories.

We are not a clothing store, and we do not intend to become one. We will, however, consider exceptional vintage fashion, jewelry and accessories when the design, history, condition or rarity makes the piece right for the collection.

Have these in your archive? We buy or consign.

Unique vintage jewelry
Handbags
Dresses from the 1920s through the 1940s
Novelty clothing with exceptional prints, including Peter Max-era graphics
Tapestry jackets
Statement brooches and accessories
Select vintage fur

Vintage fur. We will consider vintage fur when it can be legally sold. We cannot accept protected or illegal species, or pieces that retain paws, heads or other identifying animal parts. Sorry, but that is a firm no.

Every piece must be reviewed before it is accepted. Inclusion in this guide does not guarantee that we will buy or consign an item. Please do not take a pass personally. We consider authenticity, condition, demand, provenance, presentation and whether the piece makes sense for the shop.

Buying note. For our personal collection, we are always looking for vintage enamel brooches. The larger the flower, the better.

Designer directory

Named makers we watch for, in home and in fashion, each with a short history and what we look for in a piece.

Furniture and lighting designers we look for → Fashion and jewelry designers we look for →

This is a guide, not a promise.

What actually happens to a piece once it is here

Submit details and photographs

Through the form below. Everything stays private to the submission.

We review the piece

Personally, and usually within a few days.

Accepted pieces are scheduled for intake

We agree a time that suits and confirm what to bring.

The piece is prepared and presented

Placed, described and photographed for the floor and the site.

You are notified after a completed sale

With the sale price and the date.

Payment follows the approved terms

We reconcile monthly. In the first week of each month we run the sales for the month before, matched by code, and you are paid within fourteen days of that, with a statement listing each piece that sold.

Presentation and storytelling

An accepted piece is placed where it makes sense rather than wherever there is room. It is described accurately, with whatever is genuinely known about its design context or history attached, because provenance is most of what makes a vintage object worth more than a used one.

The audience is collectors, interior designers and people who came looking for something particular. Presentation online and in the store follows the same standard.

Slot · a consigned piece staged on the floor

Pricing schedule

What you would receive

You receive 50% of every sale.

The split is 50%. The split and the asking price are agreed for each piece and written down before anything arrives. You pay nothing, and nothing is owed if it does not sell.

If a piece has not found its person, the price steps down on a fixed schedule so it keeps getting a fresh chance. The same for every piece, agreed in advance. The term ends on day 90.

A piece that has not found its person keeps getting a fresh chance rather than going stale at a number the market already refused.

See the full reduction schedule

Reduction	Timing	Label	Explanation
At the asking price	Days 1 – 30	Starting price	The piece goes out at the price agreed with you and written down before it arrives.
30% off	After 30 days	First reduction	The piece has been seen by the regular audience. A modest move keeps it in front of new eyes.
50% off	After 60 days	Second reduction	Two months on the floor. This is usually the point at which a good piece finds its person.
65% off	After 75 days	Final reduction	The last scheduled step, and the widest audience the piece will reach here. The term still ends on day 90.

When the ninety days end. The term ends on the ninetieth day and is not extended, and the same schedule applies to every piece, agreed in advance, with no case-by-case negotiation. Collect the piece within fourteen days and we will have it wrapped and ready, or tell us at the start if you would rather it were donated to a local charity on your behalf. If you prefer, we will make you an outright offer instead. Nothing is owed to the shop if a piece does not sell.

Dropping off and collecting. Both by appointment, booked after we have seen photographs and said yes. Allow twenty minutes: we measure, photograph, condition-check and write the agreement with you there, and you leave with a copy and your item codes. Email us a code at any time and we will tell you where the piece stands.

Estimate what a piece would pay

Why the split is what it is

Move the sliders. The figures follow the same schedule above, so you can see what a piece returns at each stage rather than working it out on paper.

Expected selling price $450 Your share 50% Agreed per piece and written down before anything arrives.

Stage	Ticket	You receive	Shop share
At the asking price	$450	$225	$225
First reduction	$315	$158	$158
Second reduction	$225	$113	$113
Final reduction	$158	$79	$79

An estimate, not an offer. It uses the published schedule and the split you set here — the actual figures go in your agreement before the piece leaves your house.

Before you send

What people usually ask

Does it cost me anything?

No. There is no fee to ask, no fee to consign, and nothing is owed to the shop if a piece does not sell.

How long until I hear back?

We review every piece personally, usually within a few days, and reply by email either way.

What if it does not sell?

The term ends on day 90. Collect it within fourteen days and we will have it wrapped and ready, or tell us at the start if you would rather it were donated to a local charity on your behalf.

How and when do I get paid?

We reconcile monthly. You are paid within fourteen days of the monthly run, with a statement listing each piece that sold.

Can I take my piece back early?

No. Once a piece is accepted, we spend real time on it: cleaning, researching its history, photographing and marketing it. For that reason a piece stays with us for the full term. We are not a place to store it while it is offered elsewhere. If a consigned piece is sold outside the shop during the term, the agreement ends, and we will ask you to collect the rest of your pieces as well. We ask for the same consideration we give your pieces.

What if something is damaged in the shop?

We take good care of every piece, but we cannot accept responsibility for theft or damage while it is in the shop. It is an open, working floor, where customers handle, try and move pieces as they browse. We do not insure consigned items, and doing so would raise the costs we pass on to everyone. Consignment works on the understanding that the piece remains yours, and so does the risk. If a piece is especially valuable or fragile, tell us at submission and we will talk about where and how it is displayed, or whether you may want to insure it yourself.

Send us your piece

Just the basics for now. Measurements, condition and the paperwork come later, at drop-off, and only if it is a yes.

Take it in four calm passes. Nothing is required beyond a way to reach you and enough about the piece for us to answer properly. If you have something good, we would like to see it.

What helps us evaluate a piece

The basics

What it is, in a few words Approximate era or date Dimensions, even rough ones Materials

Condition

An honest account Repairs or alterations Missing parts A photograph of the worst flaw

Origin

Designer, maker or manufacturer if known Any label, stamp or signature Where it came from How you acquired it

Practicalities

Where the piece is now Whether it is large or heavy Any timing that matters One item or a collection

Contact

Your nameRequired What we should call you when we reply. Tell us what to call you. Email addressRequired Where the reply goes. Read it back once: a typo here is the usual reason somebody never hears from us. We need an email address to reply to. Check it for typos. TelephoneOptional Useful for large pieces and whole collections, where one call settles more than six emails. How would you rather be reached? We use this for the first reply and for everything after it. Your town or cityOptional Where you are, which may not be where the piece is. It tells us whether a visit is practical.

About the piece

What kind of piece is it? Pick the closest fit. If nothing matches, choose Something else and describe it further down. Title, or one line that identifies itRequired How you would describe it on the telephone. For example: pair of 1970s oil-drip rain lamps. Give the piece a one-line title so we know what we are looking at. Designer, maker or manufacturerOptional A name, a paper label, a stamp, or a number underneath. Unsigned is a real answer and we would rather have it than a guess. Roughly when was it made?Optional A decade is enough. Write c. 1972 if you are estimating, or leave it blank if you have no idea. What is it made of?Optional Wood, brass, glass, marble, lacquer, cane, fabric. Name what you can see and say where you are unsure. SizeOptional Width, depth and height in inches, in that order. A tape measure is accurate enough. For a lamp, include the drop. Overall condition Choose the honest option. Needs work does not disqualify a piece; a description that turns out to be wrong at intake does. Repairs, alterations, losses or missing partsOptional Chips, cracks, a rewire, replaced hardware, refinishing, a missing finial. Write none known if you are not aware of any. Where has it been?Optional Who owned it, where it lived, and anything on paper: a receipt, an auction lot number, a photograph of it in a room. How did it come to you?Optional Inherited, bought at an estate sale, found in a garage. We ask because we tell a piece's story when we sell it. Anything else we should knowOptional The thing you would say last. A reason for selling, a quirk, a smell, a story that belongs with the piece.

Logistics

Where is the piece right now?Optional Town or neighbourhood, and whether it is in a house, a garage or a storage unit. This decides who collects it and when. Can you move it yourself? Anything one person cannot carry down a flight of stairs counts as help needed. We arrange collection for pieces we accept. Is there a deadline?Optional A move, a close of escrow, a storage unit about to expire. Write none if there is no pressure. One piece, or more than one? This decides whether we look at a single item or arrange a visit.

The whole piece, any label or maker's mark, and the worst flaw. No obligation. Nothing is agreed until you sign at drop-off.

Submitting photographs does not guarantee acceptance. We reply personally either way, and if a piece is not for us we will usually say who it is for.

Prefer email? Write to treasurehunter@sanfranciscovintage.com with the subject “Consignment Submission.”

Looking for a direct sale instead?

Some pieces are better suited to selling outright. See what we currently buy.

Sell to us Compare the two

Want to read more first?

Designers we look for Sell to us instead