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  • The RealReal, a luxury consignment company with names like Hermes, Gucci, and Stella reign supreme.

  • The recently publicly listed company says it's revolutionizing resale and expects to sell nearly $1 billion in luxury goods this year in retail stores and online.

  • Anyone can consign by shipping to the company, dropping off at one of their consignment offices, or depending where you live and how much you're consigning, from your own home.

  • Gavin Waters is one of The RealReal's so called luxury managers tasked with these home visits before the items are authenticated and listed for sale on the site.

  • Hi.

  • Hello.

  • So good to see you.

  • On this day, he's consulting with Erin Hazelton, a writer who is one of The RealReal's VIP consignors.

  • You see anything here that screams, get out of my closet?

  • This is a Chanel.

  • Okay.

  • You know, I kind of love this.

  • So what about this Victoria Beckham bag?

  • I hardly used it, but I love it.

  • I think this half moon shape is sort of on the decline so I would do it now before it's an even lower price.

  • I don't like getting rid of Alaia, but I think it's time.

  • This is a hard one.

  • So I feel like you know that rule if you've had it for two years and you haven't worn it.

  • It's time to go.

  • Yes.

  • So what I'm looking for when I'm going through a consignor's pieces is definitely the brand value.

  • I think if it's a brand that's super hot right now like Gucci, Balenciaga, Dior, it definitely helps to go onto our marketplace.

  • But I think cut also has a big thing to do with it.

  • What's the story with this?

  • So, last year when I finished treatment for breast cancer, this is the outfit I wore to ring the bell.

  • I get to do the first one.

  • Ready?

  • It's all Xs, goodbye cancer.

  • That's gonna be in the collection forever, of course.

  • But then there's a pair of pants that I wore the first day of chemo.

  • - I don't know if I need to keep them. - Not that, that's memory.

  • You know what, goodbye.

  • Goodbye.

  • I think when describing Erin's collection, you see so much of her personality and the fun pieces, the serious pieces, the dramatic pieces.

  • It's really sophisticated.

  • The materials, the quality are all incredible, but there's a large sense of fun with her.

  • When you know Erin and you see her dressing, I think it just is such a personification of who she is and the life that she brings to everything.

  • That was really beautiful.

  • - Oh, I think it's true, no, I think it's such a privilege. - You're so nice.

  • Who knew I would get emotional about clothes.

  • That's a personal thing.

  • I mean, I think, you know.

  • My other children.

  • You got a lotta kids in here.

  • Seriously.

  • I have been consigning for four years.

  • I consign a lot so I have VIP status which means I get 70% return on any item that's over $200.

  • Sometimes I get 20 bucks, sometimes I sell things and I get a lot more than that.

  • These shoes for sure, I'm ready to part with.

  • - I'm obsessed with these. - Oh no, don't do that to me.

  • I know, I always make you second guess.

  • I always thought about doing eBay, but just the work of like shooting it, dealing with people...

  • Alright, good to see you.

  • The RealReal takes a cut, but you don't do anything.

  • Gavin comes here, takes the stuff, done.

  • Hello.

  • The pieces I got from Erin today as always is a great assortment.

  • She's a smaller size which definitely helps.

  • We got some Alaia pieces.

  • Alaia sells really really well on our platform.

  • It has a very strong almost cult following for the cut and the design.

  • Those pieces are fairly close to retail and they sell pretty consistently on our marketplace.

  • The RealReal has three brick-and-mortar stores in New York and Los Angeles and 11 luxury consignment offices across the United States.

  • Authentication is an essential part of the company's strategy with its 100% authenticity guaranteed promise.

  • I just left one of my VIPs.

  • I want to see if you have a chance to look some stuff over.

  • Sure, yeah, drop it off.

  • Perfect.

  • The RealReal says it authenticates thousands of items per day.

  • Authentication is paramount to our business we're called The RealReal.

  • It's so important that we put it in our name twice.

  • Guaranteeing that everything we sell is the real deal, the legit article is so important.

  • Authenticity is what differentiates us from a lot of other players in the market.

  • But The Real Real's authentication strategy has ruffled some feathers.

  • French fashion house Chanel has sued The RealReal accusing the company of selling fakes.

  • Chanel's website states that there is only one way to ensure that articles are genuine, purchase them only in Chanel boutiques or from retailers authorized by Chanel.

  • The RealReal says it unequivocally rejects Chanel's claims and will continue to accept pieces from all in demand luxury brands.

  • Wetzbarger inspects one of Erin Hazelton's dresses, the Alaia.

  • You wouldn't necessarily think that a brand like Alaia would be counterfeited, but it absolutely is.

  • On an inferior counterfeit piece, they would have fewer seams, fewer pieces, to make it cheaper and faster.

  • Often times on counterfeits, they'll use letter sizing, small, medium, large, extra large.

  • But most French and Italian brands will use European sizing, 38, 40, 42, etc.

  • So that's something to look out for.

  • I've been in luxury resale for a long time and it started off as everyone's dirty little secret.

  • Even consignors and customers didn't want to talk about it.

  • But now people are proud and they're sharing their success stories.

  • And brands are starting to come around, too.

  • They know that if there's equity in their products in the secondary market, then their product is more popular in the retail market.

  • You're not gonna buy a car you can't resell, you're not gonna buy a house that depreciates in value.

  • It's the same way with fashion, people are making savvy investment decisions in their wardrobe knowing and thinking about the resale value.

  • I think people are just slowly becoming more conscious about the environment.

  • Clothes don't break down and you can donate them.

  • But if they don't sell, they go into, you know, an landfill somewhere and sit there for years and years and years.

  • Isn't that amazing?

  • Wow.

  • I mean, (mumbles), that is amazing.

  • It's better than just sitting in somebody's closet.

  • At least somebody else gets to wear it and feel good in it.

  • You know what I mean?

  • It has a second life.

  • It's like, I guess, a piece of art.

The RealReal, a luxury consignment company with names like Hermes, Gucci, and Stella reign supreme.

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