How to Sell Clothes Online
Whether you have a wardrobe that needs a bit of a spring cleaning, your friends told you about Depop, you want to rent clothes or you simply have a stack of pieces you no longer wear, you may be wondering how to sell your clothes online. Whatever your reasons, selling those pieces that are accumulating dust has many benefits that maybe you haven’t thought of yet.
Why You Should Sell Your Old Clothes Online
First, it will make you declutter and organize your wardrobe. By selecting the items that you want to sell, you also pick the ones that you want to keep and wear. It’s a great way to rethink your style and your clothing choices and see if there’s too much of something or if you need to buy some new clothes.
Selling your old clothes and not throwing them away also means you’re giving them a second life in someone else’s closet. And that’s never been more important! Around 85% of all textiles that are thrown away annually in the US end up burned or dumped into landfills. Also, it’s estimated that the average American throws away around 82 pounds of clothes every year.
And finally — extra money! Even if your closet isn’t filled with designer pieces, if you’ve treated them with care and they’re in a good condition, you can make some money out of selling them online.
It’s not all smooth sailing, though. You’ll need to be willing to put in some work, and navigating the overwhelmingly huge world of online resale is not necessarily easy. That’s where we come in! From selecting the items to where to sell them, and why, our step-by-step guide for how to sell clothes online is sure to help make the whole process a swift one.
Choosing What Clothes to Sell
That pair of low-rise skinny jeans that you haven’t worn in years or that dress you no longer fit into — these are the kind of pieces that you want to start piling. Once you’ve selected the items you want to get rid of, you’ll have to determine if you can sell them or if donating will be the only option. There are a few questions you should go through to assess whether they go to the “donate" or “sell" pile:
- Is this item in good condition (e.g., does it have any stains, rips, or missing buttons?)
- If there is anything, is it mendable (e.g., can I sew in that missing button?)
- Is it worth selling? (e.g., if it’s a very cheap piece, is it worth spending time and effort selling it online for barely any money?)
Now that you have narrowed down your pile of items, you can prepare, clean, mend, and iron or steam them so they look their best when they arrive at their next destination.
Preparing the Clothes
Next, it’s important to gather all the information about each piece for writing down the descriptions on whatever website you choose to work with. All reselling apps and websites require you to post the item with pictures and a short description of it. Understanding what you need is not only going to be important for writing down the descriptions but also to price the item correctly.
Getting Information About the Item
While all online resale platforms have different requirements, it’s always important to know what you’re selling so you can describe it correctly and actually sell it. Here’s what you’ll need to include:
- The specific brand and the item in question.
- The color and the material it’s made of, especially if it’s something more premium, such as wool, cashmere, or silk.
- Be sure to mention if the item has any flaws that the customer should know about.
- Include any extra details about the garment.
- Point out where on the brand-new-to-used scale it falls (e.g., new with tags, new, in good condition, used). Be honest with this as honesty is very important on these platforms and it helps you build a trusted long-term reputation.
- Both the size and the measurements. They’re especially appreciated, and many customers will ask for them. Some measurements to include should be the following:
- For jackets and coats: length and sleeve length.
- For dresses: length, waist, and sleeve length.
- For pants and jeans: waist, length, and inside leg length.
- For skirts: waist and length.
Taking Photos That Sell
The photos of your item will probably be what sells it or not: they’re crucial for convincing the customer to purchase the item. You’ll need photos of the front, the back, the label with the brand, and any defects it may have. You can take them with your phone, but make sure you shoot in daylight and that you place the item in front of a neutral background, so the buyer can see it properly.
5 Websites Use for Selling Clothes Online
Choosing where to sell your items isn’t easy. Each platform is different, works differently, and sells pieces with different price points and styles. Depending on what you’re selling and at what price, you’ll want to choose one or another. Here are five of the most popular places to sell your clothes online and how they work.
1. Depop
If you like Instagram, you’ll love Depop. The app also works with a grid profile layout, hashtags, and an explore page. Having great pictures is the key to success here. You can list all kinds of different items, but unique and vintage pieces are the most sought after. It’s very easy to use and you just pay a 10% fee for each sale you make, always getting paid through PayPal.
2. Vestiaire Collective
If you have any designer pieces for sale, Vestiaire Collective is the place to list them. All kinds of different designer gems are sold here every day, including Hermès’s Birkins and Kellys. They offer item authentication to buyers, so they know for sure that the piece comes from the brand the seller is describing. You receive around 75% of the money from the sale, as the website keeps a big chunk, but when you’re selling designer, it’s worth it.
3. Vinted
Convenient and effortless, Vinted is great if you have loads of clothes. They offer postage for most items, and they continuously provide discounts and bonuses, including their bundling feature for those customers that want to buy more than one item from your page.
4. Poshmark
Poshmark is a very social platform, so be prepared to talk to other sellers/buyers and negotiate your prices. Here you’ll need to build a following and have great pictures to catch anyone’s attention. You keep 80% of your sale price and they send you a prepaid label to help track the package.
5. thredUP
If you want to get rid of a ton of clothes but don’t want to put in the effort, thredUP is the place for you. They will send you an empty bag for you to fill and leave for the postal service to collect, and they take care of the shipping cost and the handling. They do everything and you still keep 80% of the resale price.