on consignment

Idioms  

1. Turning over goods for an agent to sell, with the provision that payment is made only on completed sales and that unsold goods may be returned to the consignor. For example, This secondhand shop accepts items of clothing on consignment. [c. 1700]

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Example Sentences

Called Athena, the technology proposes item descriptions, suggests pricing and, crucially for a company that receives millions of goods a year to sell on consignment, helps discern authentic products from fakes.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 21, 2026

Nubia Reyes and Grecia Galecio had taken strawberries on consignment from a nearby broker and needed to sell them.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 21, 2024

The booths of the top international dealerships at this year’s Art Basel contained several trophy-level works on consignment from private collections.

From New York Times • Jun. 16, 2023

All the oil cargoes were sold on consignment at a deep discount owing to the sanctions, which have dissuaded more established traders from doing business with Venezuela.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 30, 2023

One afternoon while McCandless was tending the book table at the Niland swap meet, somebody left a portable electric organ with Burres to sell on consignment.

From "Into the Wild" by Jon Krakauer