How To Sell Clothes Online For Money [2020 Guide]

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READY TO MAKE SOME SERIOUS CASH? 21 BEST PLACES TO SELL YOUR CLOTHES PLUS TOP TIPS TO MAKE REAL MONEY

What if I told you that you could find $500 in your closet? Or even $1,000?

Yep!

How many jumpers and shoes do you have that you no longer wear? Let me guess…plenty! How about finding them a new home, and get some cash instead?

If you are willing to put in some work and sell your old clothes online, you could be sitting on a gold mine. It’s never been easier to sell anything and everything, and trendy and fashionable clothes are always in high demand.

Selling secondhand clothes is one of my favorite ways to make money for many reasons: 

• Decluttering: with fewer clothes in your closet, your mornings will be less stressful.  It’s your first step to a more organized life!
• Sustainability: in a society where most people throw away stuff that has been barely used, selling second-hand clothes can help to reduce waste.
• Extra money: if you are trying to save money for your next vacation or to build an emergency fund, making some extra money will help you to get there faster.

With the resale market expected to grow to up to $41B by 2022, it looks like secondhand stores (both physical and online) are becoming much more desirable since the thrill of the hunt for gently used fashion is only becoming more and more enticing.

Let’s see how you can get in on the action.

Places to sell my clothes online

Well, it really depends on what you are trying to sell. Sites online are becoming more specialized and in this list, you’ll find many options that will help you to find the perfect fit for your style. 

Here is the most up-to-date list of the best places to sell clothes today.

1. ThredUP

GREAT FOR: your everyday clothes still in good condition, especially if you want to put little effort in.

ThredUP is revolutionizing the way you can sell clothes online. Simply order a clean out kit from their site, fill the cute bright turquoise polka dot bag with your clothes, and send it back for free. The site accepts gently used or high-quality clothes for women and children (sorry guys). Once thredUP receives your bag, their secondhand experts will sort through all your items and decide what they can sell and what they’ll recycle them for you.

It normally takes 1-3 weeks for thredUP to let you know how much your clothes are worth. You can then decide to spend the money on their site, get cash via PayPal, or donate it to charity.

ThredUP is great if you want an easy way to sell your clothes and don’t want to worry about taking pictures and negotiate. But this advantage comes at a price: you might just get $20-$25 for a bag full of clothes. Still, better than $0 for pretty much no effort! Right? And if you want to get back your unsold items, you can just ask them to return them for a small fee.

2. Poshmark

GREAT FOR: selling clothes quickly, but be ready to negotiate your price

Poshmark is insanely easy to use and one of the best places to sell clothes online. Download the app, start taking photos of your clothes, and then share it across the network (as well as your own social profiles). Getting started is easy, and the company helps you with no-hassle shipping. You’ll get priority boxes from USPS, with pre-paid labels and they’ll take a 20% fee.

It’s a very social platform. If you want to sell, you need to build a following and share other people’s post to generate interest.

People on Poshmark are looking for deals. The average sale is around $15 so be prepared to negotiate your prices. However, if you’re great at selling, you’ll find it really easy to make some quick cash.

 

3. eBay

GREAT FOR: high-end designers and rare items. You are prepared to do the work yourself.

The great thing about eBay is that you can potentially sell your clothes for more money, and higher profit. Their fees are much cheaper than other apps, but the site is a bit old fashion and clunkier to use.

You can either sell your items at auction or give your items a fixed price. I much prefer going for a fixed price, as you can also give the buyers an option to submit their best offer. With eBay, you need to be at the top of your game and make sure your listings are looking professional, have great descriptions and are keyworded properly. People on this platform are looking for specific stuff, they’re not just browsing to find something nice. That’s why you are much better off selling sought-after items to make the most of it.

4. Depop

GREAT FOR: pretty much everything, especially vintage and quirky unique items

Depop is an app and it’s a bit of a hybrid between eBay and Instagram. It’s mainly aimed at teens and 20-somethings, looking for a vintage treasure finds. Excellent photos and good descriptions are the keys to success here, and you need to make sure you add relevant brand hashtags for a better chance to be found. It’s almost like opening up your own clothing shop on the app, and you’ll need to handle the negotiation with your potential buyers.

Depop charges a 10% fees on everything you sell and you’ll get pay through PayPal.

5. Facebook Marketplace

GREAT FOR: selling to people around your area

Facebook Marketplace is a great place to sell used clothing online. You can simply tap on the Marketplace icon at the bottom of your Facebook app, and start listing your items by clicking on Sell Something. 

Facebook Marketplace is free, so you can keep more of the profits. Overall, the marketplace works like a classified section – you list the item, buyers contact you through Facebook, and you connect with them directly. Once you’ve met with your buyer in a public place to make the exchange, mark the item as sold and it will stop showing up in the search.

It’s a great place to sell everyday clothing in your local area!

6. Tradesy

GREAT FOR: everything you have in your closet and ultimate convenience 

If you’re seriously trying to make some cash, then you are likely to have way more than just clothes to sell. Tradesy is perfect if you have a lot of accessories or other high-end fashion items like handbags. You can sell any item in your closet that’s in good condition.

List the items on the site, and when you make a sale, they will give you a prepaid package to send to the buyer or you can print a shipping label from home. It’s the perfect combination of profit and convenience.

Tradesy’s commission is $7.50 per piece under $50, and they charge 19.8% for anything over $50.

7. Vinted

GREAT FOR: Your everyday closet decluttering, especially high street brands.

Vinted is an excellent resource for both buyers and sellers because it’s so easy to use. Create an account, list the items for free, and then wait for customers to come to you. Vinted does offer postage, but you still have to pay for it, depending on the size of the package.

Some great features on this site include bundling (for customers buying more than one item from you), and price adjustments. Offering discounts or bonuses for shoppers can help set you apart from the competition, and it’s effortless to do.

8. Instagram

GREAT FOR: girls that know how to use social media following and have an entrepreneurial spirit

Yes, Instagram is an excellent place to sell clothes! Obviously, it’s not going to be as simple as some of the other sites we’ve looked at so far, but it’s the perfect social media platform if you have the drive and creativity. There are no fees to list your images and you can be in complete control over your price and marketing strategy. 

You should set up a separate Instagram account, take beautiful flat lay pictures of the items you want to sell and use relevant hashtags like #shopmycloset, #instacloset, #instasale, and #clothesforsale, which will help people find your profile. The preferred method for payment on Instagram is PayPal, so be sure to have an account set up before you start.

9. Craigslist

GREAT FOR: selling locally

If you want to take a more old-fashioned route, Craigslist is always an option. While not as flashy or as trendy as the other sites we’ve looked at so far, it’s a reliable tool that connects you with buyers on your own terms. It’s free to list and sell. Just met up with the buyer to make the swap. Look for the clothing and accessories section in your local board and post any item you want to sell.

This option can be great for non-designer clothing that other sites don’t accept. And as your listing is free, your profit potential is higher too!

10. Mercari

GREAT FOR: everything

Mercari is an app is designed to sell anything and everything. It’s pretty easy to use and if you use their prepaid labels your shipping costs will be low. You can also decide if you are going to pay for the shipping or the buyer will. The buyer has only 3 days to return an item so after that, you don’t have to worry about it getting returned.

Their fees are also pretty cheap (10%) compared to similar user-friendly apps. 

I’ve heard some people complaining about annoying buyers. To avoid this, only sell to buyers that have a good rating (yes, sellers can rate buyers too!). This normally avoids having to deal with some painful people.

11. Rebag

GREAT FOR: selling luxury designer handbags online

Selling clothes is one thing, but if you have designer handbags, then Rebag is your best bet to turn them into cold, hard, cash. That being said, the site is only interested in high-end luxury bags, so anything that doesn’t have a brand name on it probably won’t be considered.

Submit photos of your bag through their app, online, or you can visit one of their stores if you’re close by. They will assess your bag and either accept it or not. They are pretty strict with their guidelines, so check them to avoid wasting your time. If approved, you’ll get a quote, and you can go from there. Overall, they offer decent prices, but you probably won’t get as much as you would if you sold directly to the customer, so keep that in mind.

12. LePrix

GREAT FOR: high-end designer items in good conditions, if you don’t mind to go through an authentication process

LePrix used to be called Snob Swap. The company works with over 500 second-hand stores, and it’s using machine learning technology to make both the shopping and selling experience much better.

Request a consignment kit, and go through the vetting process. LePrix wants clothes in excellent condition, so keep that in mind. Save your used hand-me-downs for other sites (unless they’re really chic). Also, if one of the boutiques is close to you, you can go in person instead of mailing the clothes.

13. The Real Real

GREAT FOR: designer and high-end fashion items

As with LePrix, The Real Real offers white glove service when picking up your clothes. This site only works with brands like Gucci, Prada, Chanel, Louis Vitton etc. and you can make between 55% to 70% of the sale price (depending on how much you sell with them each year).

Commission rates are not quite as lucrative as eBay but The Real Real takes the pressure of selling off your plate: all you have to do is to consign your items for free (using their pick up-service, a pre-paid label or by going to one of their consignment offices). They’ll then authenticate, photograph, price and sell your items for you.

14. Grailed

GREAT FOR: helping your boyfriend to get rid of stuff

For the most part, online clothes stores are aimed at women. However, men can declutter their wardrobe too, which is where Grailed comes in. Grailed specializes in clothing and accessories for men, so if you’re a guy or your boyfriend has some great clothes, this is the best place to sell them.

There are four marketplaces you can sell to, and here’s a quick breakdown:

• Grails: for high-end designers.
• Hype: for highly anticipated new releases.
• Sartorial: for high-end classic menswear.
• Core: for mainstream brands like Uniqlo, Levi’s, H&M, Zara, etc.

You need to add at least 3 quality photos to your listing. When an item sells, there is a 6% commission (plus applicable PayPal fees: 2.9% + 30 cents for domestic) so the total charge can be around 9-11% of the total sale price.

15. VarageSale

GREAT FOR: selling in your area, like in an old fashion yard sale

VarageSale is perfect for selling all kinds of items, including clothes and other accessories. Best of all, you’ll be selling in your local area, rather than potentially having to ship to other states or internationally. You just need to sign up, find your local community by selecting your location, and get verified.

This app works like any other: you list an item with pictures and a description. Once a buyer is interested in your item, you can arrange a meetup for the exchange. 

And because VarageSale checks both buyers and sellers identity, it’s much safer than other websites like Craiglist. Plus it’s free to use.

16. Material World

GREAT FOR: high-quality items good enough to gift to a best friend

Material World works just like thredUP. You get a free mailing kit for your clothing (but you need to pay a $5 deposit), you send it in, and then you get an offer from the company in a few days. 

You can send in more than just clothes, so any accessories that you have can also be included. Overall, the site is looking for high-quality items that are either lightly used or unworn. They have a specific list of designers they accept that share their vision for a more sustainable fashion industry.

Feeling Entrepreneurial? Start Your Own Business

Cleaning out your closet can even turn out as a way of starting your own business! If you’re thinking of opening your own secondhand store online, here are the best places to get started.

17. Etsy

GREAT FOR: homemade and vintage clothing

Etsy is one of the biggest online selling platforms mostly designed for crafty people who make unique products, so if you just have some brand-name clothes lying around, you can’t simply sell them here.

Whatever you sell here has to either be handmade or vintage (over 20 years old). There is a $0.20 listing fee and a standard payment processing fee as well as a small commission to pay when an item sells.

Overall, it’s like running your own small business, so it’ll be a little more work than selling through an app like Poshmark.

18. Storenvy

GREAT FOR: indie designers who want to create their own label

Building a custom online storefront with Storenvy only takes 5 minutes, and with over 5 million visitors a month, you get access to an extensive network of shoppers. 

Storenvy makes it easy to get started: you don’t have to be tech-savvy to set up a store here, but customization options are pretty limited. It’s free if you upload up to 1000 products and they charge a 10% fee on all item you sell. 

It’s the perfect option if you want an easy setup to check if opening an online clothing store is for you.

19. CafePress

GREAT FOR: selling customized t-shirts, hoodies, PJs

If you’re a graphic designer in the making or take beautiful pictures, then CafePress is an excellent way to create customized clothing for resale. Make all kinds of fun and quirky t-shirts, as well as other clothing like sweaters and kid’s stuff.

There are no upfront fees for starting out, and you do not have to create your own inventory. Just create the graphics, set up your store, and pick the products you want your design to go on to. You can select between over 250 products! If your designs sell, CafePress will look after all the billing, shipping, and general customer care for you and you’ll receive a commission (usually 5-10% of the sale price).

20. RedBubble

GREAT FOR: the artist in you, to create and sell your own customized clothing

RedBubble is perfect if you’re an artist looking to make money off of your work. The site is similar to CafePress, but it’s more geared for artwork, rather than selling products.

As an artist, you upload your pieces to your profile, and then shoppers can take your artwork and put it on any of the products that RedBubble offers. You get a commission on each piece sold, and your designs will live on forever.

21. Shopify Store

GREAT FOR: flipping clothes and turn your hobby into a business

If you want to turn your passion for selling secondhand clothing into a business, you should think about launching an online clothing store. You can buy used clothing for cheap in places like Goodwill outlets and then resell them online for a higher price. You need to have an eye for fashion and know what brands are worth more. Start practicing with apps like Poshmark, then move to eBay and once you are ready for the jump, open up your own shop.

And if you want the flexibility to customize your e-shop with one of the best eCommerce systems out there, Shopify is the way to go. They have a wide range of themes and an impressive app store to add more tools to your clothing store and simplify your set-up, even if you are not a computer expert.

Try out Shopify for free for 14 days.

Top 8 Tips for Selling Clothes Online Successfully

Are you checking the clothes in your closet to see what you can sell right now? You should!

But before you go too far, make sure you follow these top tips to make the most out of your secondhand clothes. Some of these websites and apps are getting crowded. You need to know the perfect ways to standout and kill the competition! 

1. Is it worth selling?

Make sure you set your price right. While it may be nice to believe that you could sell your clothes for close to what you paid, it’s probably not going to happen. Forget your emotional attachment, and look at similar items and price according to what people will pay, not what you want to make. 

Don’t sell items that are too cheap. It might not be worth your time. There is still significant work involved in taking pictures and writing a successful listing. Decide what’s the minimum price you want to sell an item for and don’t go below that threshold. For example, I don’t sell anything below $10.

2. Prepare your clothes

If you are selling it, you probably haven’t used it in a long time. Get your iron out and give your garment a makeover. You need to make it look in the best conditions possible.

3. Prep the stage

We buy using our eyes and a picture is worth a lot more than words. Make sure you use a clear, uncluttered background. You can hang your items from the back of a door or lay them flat on your bed or a table for an Instagram look.

Always use natural light. No matter what you are doing, 10:00 pm is not the time to do a photoshoot.

You can also use an editing program to brighten up the picture a bit and crop it to make it as pleasing to the eye as possible but make sure the colors look exactly like in real life, to avoid returns.

 

4. Photos that sell

If you were to buy secondhand clothes online which one would you pick? An item with several pictures that give you a clear idea of what you are going to get or an item with just one picture?

Go above and beyond everyone else and make your clothes stand out by taking multiple photos. Make sure you take at least one photos of:

• Front
• Back
• Close-Up
• Any flaws the item has

And if you can upload extra pictures, add a close up of the label, any extra details that make it unique and possibly even a stock photo of the item from the original brand (but do not use this as the main image or potential buyers could think the item is new and be disappointed).

4. A description that works

If you want to sell your items, the second most important thing after photos is a brilliant description. And a brilliant description is made of 2 things:

• Title: your title is the key to be found. You need to use the right keywords and add all the important information buyers are looking for like brand and size.

Bad title: Hollister Jeans XS
Good title: Hollister Advanced Stretch Low-Rise Jean Leggings 25 XS Dark Wash

• Accurate description: start by googling your item and find descriptions from retailers. And then add your own personal touch by giving your opinion on the item, when you bought you, how much you used it and why you’re selling it. Put yourself in the buyer’s shoes and think about what you would like to know: what is the exact color? How does it fit? What material is it made of? What’s the condition? Are there any faults? Where did you buy it? How much did you pay for it?

5. Is it the right time?

There’s no much point in trying to sell a bikini in the middle of winter when it’s freezing outside or a cashmere jumper if it’s 100 degrees outside! Make sure you sell your items at the right time to stay on trend and get the most out of your sales.

6. Responsiveness

Once customers decide your clothes are too hot to ignore, you should be ready to respond to any questions or interest ASAP. As soon as you receive a notification, reply straight away. People get bored quite quickly online, and unless you are selling a rare item, buyers are likely to move on to the next seller.

6. Don’t ignore shipping costs

If you’ve never sold anything online, you might not know how much postage can impact your bottom line. I once sold a jacket for $30 and the shipping costs were $15. Not a great profit! Don’t make the same mistake and get a proper estimate of your shipping costs before you put an item up for sale. You need to weight the item and all the packaging (for a nice touch and to get good reviews from your buyers, you can wrap the items in some nice colorful tissue paper). Then use a shipping calculator cost like this one on eBay.

7. Fees

Each app or website has its own fees. And these fees can have a big impact on your profits. Make sure you take that into account when you price up your items. You don’t want to end up to do all this work and end up with not much money in your bank account. 

8. Batching

Some people complain that selling clothes online is not worth the trouble and it’s too time-consuming. That’s because they go about it the wrong way!

Once you decide to do it, you should wait until you have multiple items to list. Set aside a few hours to take pictures of everything at the same time so that you can set up your stage once. Then write all your titles and descriptions and upload the items on your favorite platform on that day. You can also save your best descriptions and just change a few details here and there about the color and the brand to make the process even faster. The more you sell, the quicker you’ll get.

Don’t be discouraged! The first sales are the hardest. Once you’ll know the process and you have a system in place, you’ll be able to make money in no time.

Ready to sell your clothes for cash?

Selling clothes online is fun and rewarding, which is why so many people do it. As long as you have the right mindset (and an eye for fashion), it can be the fastest and easiest way to make extra cash.

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