Consignment

This is how we at Shmoop sell our old tuxedos and prom dresses. We take it to the consignment store for our ten cents on the dollar.

There's a broader definition for the word, though. In general, "consignment" refers to giving someone else control of something, while keeping legal title to it for yourself.

In the clothes example, you take your old stuff to a consignment store. They put it on the racks and try to sell it. If it sells, you get your cut and the store keeps its share. If they don't sell, you can take your clothes back. They are selling it for you, but you keep ownership until the sale is made.

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