Selling clothing you no longer wear is a great way to earn some extra cash to help you reach your financial goals. In fact, resale clothing has grown to be a $16-billion-dollar industry! There’s no reason you can’t enjoy a little sliver of that pie, especially with more ways than ever to match your used clothing with someone who wants to buy it. Plus, it’s an environmentally friendly option that helps keep used clothing and textiles out of landfills. Here are some tips that will help you make money reselling clothing.
Keep the Tags In
Consumers shopping for resale clothing want to know the brands and sizes they’re buying, so if the item is something you think you’re eventually going to try to resell, keep brand and fabric care tags intact and attached to the garment.
Do Unto Others
You wouldn’t want to purchase something that’s stained or damaged, and it’s safe to assume no one else does either. Inspect prospective resale clothing carefully for stains, holes, tear, or odors. If you find any of them, don’t try to resell those items.
Take Good Photos
When buying clothing online or via a selling app like Poshmark, people want to see what they’re getting. Take photos of the front and back of the garment in good lighting that provides an accurate representation of the color and style. It’s also a nice touch to take a close-up photo of the tag so consumers know exactly what they’re buying.
Be Descriptive
Do you want to buy a “blue top” or “a silky, sky blue, off-the-shoulder peasant blouse?” Add some romance to your descriptions and watch your items get snapped up quickly.
Manage Your Expectations
You may remember exactly how much you paid for that cocktail dress you only wore once, but keep in mind you’ll only make back a small fraction of that when you resell it. But don’t let that discourage you. Anything you get is more than you had when it was just sitting in your closet, collecting dust.
Don’t Forget Accessories
The resale market isn’t limited to just clothing. Handbags, shoes, scarves, hats, jewelry and other accessories are all fair game in the resale world. The same rules for tags and condition apply — if you wouldn’t want to buy it from someone else, there’s a good chance no one will want to buy it from you.
Investigate Your Options
From brick-and-mortar consignment stores, to eBay, to resale apps on your phone, there are more ways than ever to make money on clothing you no longer wear. Try selling a few items a time on a few different platforms to see which one gives you the most bang for your buck, then do a major closet overhaul and start to really make money reselling clothing.
Need to sell items other than clothing? Here’s how to turn your clutter into cash.
