At the RealReal, Secondhand Never Looked So Chic

That is exactly what the Silicon Valley juggernauts behind the RealReal are aiming for For the uninitiated, the RealReal is a luxury consignment website that has taken the brick-and-mortar model pioneered by the likes of Cameron Silver at Decades and used modern technology to amplify it exponentially The process is relatively simple: Those looking to pass on unwanted luxury goods can send pieces in, and the RealReal's team of expert authenticators, gemologists, and horologists will assess each piece to ensure it is the real deal-hence the name-and provide a valuation.

Once a shopper snaps it up-according to chief authenticator Graham Wetzbarger, nearly 40 percent of items available on the RealReal are bought within four days-sellers take a cut of the profits Wetzbarger points to an abstract Tiffany & Co sculpture on display in the LA boutique that a client was going to melt down for scrap metal before the RealReal's team convinced him to consign it as a particularly poignant example.

Watching pieces sell, and coming in for valuation appointments with the RealReal's team of experts, is also pushing men to shop smarter from the get-go Looking around the sprawling store-which includes a café, a whisky bar in the tailoring section, and plenty of places to lounge on high-design furniture-it's clear that the RealReal is injecting secondhand shopping with that same kind of luxury experience you'd get on Rodeo Drive. . Source