Great topic - I am interested to hear other people's experiences. I've had some great experiences selling on ebay and then times such as this past week when some shoes I had listed did not sell at all (new with tags) which is annoying but it is my fault for probably listing in the wrong season (sandals in Jan) and not doing enough pictures.
Things like Seven jeans and really higher end name brand stuff seems to do pretty well if you take the time to look at past listings and take some cues from how they listed. Example: 'White Seven Jeans size X' would garner some interest because people do very specific searches on ebay. Lesser known brands or more mass produced stuff like Gap does sell but it seems pretty hit or miss to me.
I think it might be worth giving ebay a try especially since now you can list 5 things for free every 30 days. If you do a 7 or 10 day listing with your items and really try to make them nice listings and then they do not sell you could then consign them and know that you had tried the alternate route first. Sometimes ebay is all about timing too. I was trying to sell sandals, when I know that selling sandals in January is not the best time. If I were savvy, I would wait until late Feb/ March/ April to put them on. The same may or may not be true with some of your items - those white sevens, for example, might sell a little better in the warmer months but you could try your luck now and see.
That is personally what I would do. I find that consignment stores simply will not make you as much money because they typical are only going to give you 40 % - 50 % of the earnings and most of them have it in their agreement that they will go through a sales cycle where at the end the items will be marked down as much as 75 %. Also, a lot of places I've encountered say that if after the items are left and holes or stains are discovered they will be automatically donated.
So I'd make sure to be really clear on the agreement with any consignment store. That said, they want to make money and will try to sell the stuff at the top price. A local consignment store I like realistically put a line on their website that said 'You won't get rich consigning'. It helps me to remember that. I look at it as a way to recoup some of my costs which is important for me.
I've not sold a ton on ebay but I've sold a little, so if you have any more questions I am happy to help with my very limited knowledge! Also, they have a great help section and the live chat option which is endlessly helpful.
Good luck!
