Selling used clothing is a great way to make a little extra money. This is especially true for high end clothing, children’s clothing, specialty outfits, costumes, maternity wear and formal wear. One thing to bear in mind however is the price you can ask and realistically expect to receive when you are selling used clothing is a mere fraction of the price you spent to buy it.
The first thing to do when looking to sell used clothing is to decide how and where you will sell it. This will determine how you prepare for the sale. No matter how you plan to sell your clothing, it is critical that you wash it and make it look as good as possible first.
You may plan to do a yard sale with all the clothing displayed so that customers can easily look through it. Hanging items is best for adult clothes. For children’s clothing, have them arranged in boxes or stacks of like items. By designating a single price for each type of clothes, you will get the best results with the least amount of hassle. For example, T-shirts may be 50 cents each, while jeans could be $2 a piece.
If you are planning to sell your used clothing online, you will need to get great photos of them displayed to their best advantage. You will also want to decide whether to sell items in lots or alone. High value items and unique outfits will do best on their own, as will many items that are new with tags still on them. However, if you put together multiple items in the same size and gender together to create a “lot”, you can demand a higher price for all the clothes and the selling process is much less work. You will not have to haggle over individual items and everything will go at once to one address. If you have to deal with shipping, selling in lots is much easier on the seller. This is an excellent method for anyone opting to sell on eBay, Craigslist or another online auction or classifieds site.
Consignment stores are another great way to sell used clothing. Check to see what the store demands of its consignors. Some consignment stores limit the number of items you can bring, some request clothing on hangers, others require no hangers, many have a list of items they know will not sell and will therefore refuse them and the list goes on. The other thing to check is when you can bring the clothing in as some stores set appointment times, while others have a block of time open each day for receiving clothes. Often such stores will buy your used items outright instead of actually consigning them.
Seasonal consignment sales for children’s and maternity clothing are becoming more and more popular. They require a large time commitment on your part for tagging and preparing the clothes. However, the return on your investment is higher than some other used clothing items. Be prepared to follow precise instructions concerning washing, ironing, hanging, pricing and tagging clothes, as well as preparing an inventory. You will need to deliver your items at a specified time and pick up the leftovers, unless you choose to donate them, and hopefully a check at another specified time.
Anyone with used clothing to sell has a variety of options to choose from. Knowing what is involved in each will help you to determine which is the best one for you.