The world of fashion is constantly changing and developing new trends. What was popular and chic last year can become ordinary and casual this season. If you follow fashion trends you might know that contemporary fashionable society tends to lead a conscious life.
What does it mean? People think more about recycling, care more about resources, and value their own money spent on clothing. To give a second life to an old closet is a new choice of thousands of fashion lovers. We decided to study this trend in more detail and share our knowledge with you.
Why Sell Your Closet?
People who are used to put their used clothing in the trash bin simply don't understand how much they lose. Of course, getting rid of old stuff is easier when you just throw everything away. Out of sight, out of mind. When you put back the lid of a trash bin your old clothes don't bother you anymore.
But have you thought about other ways to empty your closet? Have you ever imagined that it's possible to earn money by getting rid of old things? Yeah, that's true! There's someone who's ready to buy the items you don't need anymore.
We can list at least nine reasons why you should consider selling your closet:
- It's a great opportunity to make money, especially if your clothes are from high-end brands. You have worked hard to earn every dollar, so why just throw away the results of your hard work?
- You might have a great chance to get rid of the clothes you don't wear anymore. For example, when you pick another style and your old clothes don't match, if your size has changed or you simply fall out of love with something.
- Your clothes will be given a second life! Sometimes we cannot say goodbye to some items from our closet, and they're just hanging there, taking space but bringing no good. It's time to let an old dress or a small pair of shoes find another owner, who will take the same delicate care of them.
- When selling used clothes you support a conscious way of living, and help prevent excessive production.
- It's a perfect way to update your wardrobe to embrace the latest trends. You sell the last year collection which might still be in perfect condition and earn some money to buy new luxury items.
- It's not that hard as you think!
- You might not only sell used clothes to someone, but also make friends and find like-minded people.
- You will definitely make someone happy! For example, most students can't afford a luxury item, so a pre-loved piece of clothing for a reasonable price will be a salvation for them.
- By the way, if you succeed in selling your own clothes, you might start a business and become a reseller. Looking at the growing number of secondhand stores this business will be thriving for a long time.
Here is the list of 40+ best places to sell your used clothes online for cash.
How Much Money Can You Make By Selling Your Closet?
We hope those nine reasons were already enough to make up your mind. But before you start imagining cash flowing into your pockets, we want to warn you that the amount of money you can make by selling your closet depends on a lot of factors.
Don't expect to sell a 5-year old Gap T-shirt and make a fortune. And you certainly won't get the same amount of money you paid for the clothes or accessories yourself, unless you own an exclusive Chanel 2.55 that your grandmother bought 65 years ago. There are numerous details you need to know before listing your items for sale - their condition, brand, style, season, even the pictures that you take matter.
There's actually no limit on how much a person can earn by selling their closet. It largely depends on what you have and how many pieces you would like to sell. Luxury brands, even if you have something from older collections, are in high demand and are always valued. Some brands in fashion are only getting more and more expensive over time. Some rare accessories and clothes will also find new owners pretty quickly. Between a lousy T-shirt and an elegant dress from a luxury fashion house, customers would definitely prefer the second item
The bigger your closet is, the better your clothes look, the more famous brands you have - the more you can earn. Although, an inexperienced seller can turn a Valentino dress into a plain piece of cloth of little value if they don't know some useful tips.
Tips To Sell Your Closet Successfully
It's not just enough to take pictures of your clothes and sit waiting for a flood of customers wishing to buy your old belongings. Selling second hand is a true art! If you know how valuable your clothes are, you need to show it to other people. With a big number of consignment stores, your items might simply get lost or be left unnoticed.
If you put enough effort into creating a proper ad, that will result in fast and successful selling. You don't need to have great marketing skills but it will be useful to know the strategy and understand the average customer's logic. We have prepared seven tips to guide you through the whole process:
1. Do Market Research
The initial step for every business (and selling clothes can already be considered a business) is market research. Without it, you would be blindly and erratically placing items for sale hoping for a good deal. To sell clothes successfully you need to understand what products are in high demand, what customers look for, what current trends in fashion are.
You can also do price research for different clothes and accessories, define customers' ability to pay, and maybe even find your audience. There are plenty of resellers websites and apps to give you an idea of the current market situation. The key to success is constant research!
2. Choose Items Worth Selling
No matter how small your closet is, there's definitely something worth selling. Once you open the doors of your wardrobe and start inspecting your treasures, you might find plenty of good items for sale. Remember, they should be in good condition. Jeans with holes, stretched sleeves, indelible stains, dark circles under armpits won't sell. Basic and cheap items aren't popular either. Customers usually look for luxury brands in good pre-loved condition, that were worn with care and can still serve them for a long time.
While sorting the designer items, don't forget to authenticate them. This is especially true when it comes to luxury bags. Choosing a reliable handbag authentication service is crucial as it'll help to attract buyers.
3. Do Not Forget About Seasons
Now you know what to sell, but don't rush to list every single item. There's no better tip than this: choose the right time to sell your clothes. For example, in warm months customers look for light dresses, sunglasses, and summer hats during, so no one will be interested in your woolen scarfs or coats. The start of the season is a perfect time to upload clothes most suitable for the upcoming weather.
4. Take Pretty Pictures
That might be the most important moment of the whole process. There's no secret that people are first attracted by a fancy picture. A beautiful image is enough to make a potential customer pay attention to your old clothes. Spend all the time you need to take pictures with proper lighting showing the best angles of products (but don't hide flaws and damages!).
Use a good camera, choose a bright background. Your clothes should look tidy and fresh. If you can take a picture using a model or a mannequin that would be a fantastic showcase! Most customers love to visualize how clothes fit, so give the audience that treat. Look through pictures on reseller websites, compare them to yours and you might find some ideas and hints to use.
5. Create Descriptions That Sell
Now that you have great pictures and are ready to upload items for sale, spend some time to compose a persuasive description. A good description not only lists the main features but also answers the main question 'why it is worth being purchased'. Highlight benefits but don't hide flaws. Describe all the problems in detail, otherwise a customer may complain. Provide measurements. Give some tips on when and how this item can be used. Don't compose a long text, buyers usually scan items quickly before making a decision. Your potential customer should be able to imagine themselves wearing your items to be willing to buy them.
6. Set The Price Right
Effective pricing is another difficulty for those who are only starting to sell vintage clothes. There's always a fear to charge too much and get no customers or ask too little and get almost no profit. To set the price right you need to know the current retail value of your item.
Experts advise to price your used clothing at half of their original cost, if they are relatively new and in great condition. Ask for 25% of the current retail price for anything that has been in your closet for several years and 10% for everything else.
And don't forget about timeless gems. Some bags, for example, no matter how old they are, are always in high demand. If you still have any doubts about pricing, do research, check the price for similar clothes listed by competitors. Don't be afraid to put a slightly higher price than necessary, in this case, you can always provide a discount.
7. Be Responsive
Interaction with potential customers is another key factor! Patiently respond to every question they have. The faster you answer, the better the buyer's experience will be. They might not purchase anything this time but they will definitely come back.
You can also use this feedback to update your description, providing potential customers with the information they might want to know. Be polite and thank people for the interest they show. When interacting with the actual customers, provide details about payment and shipping. Respect and value everyone and you will be treated the same way.
In addition, you can set up a web store and use affordable small business SEO services to get some visibility in Google.
Have you ever tried to sell your closet? How did it go? Share in comments!
