#How to Make Money Selling Your Old Clothing

Check the tags on your clothes. Did you buy that shirt from a boutique store? Is it a popular brand name? Did you buy that dress for $50 or more?

If you answered yes to any of those questions, you should definitely consider selling that garment. A pair of jeans that cost $70 new and are still in excellent shape could easily net you $20 or more depending on where you’re selling them and whether they’re currently in style.

You need to know what’s “in” right now before you try to sell your stuff. If it’s the middle of summer, a sweater isn’t likely to sell quickly. If you’re trying to sell low-rise jeans, but mom jeans are the current fad, you might not see a speedy turnaround on your stuff.

The best way to see if something is likely to sell is to look at previously sold garments of that type on the sites you intend to sell through. If you can’t find any recently sold prom dresses, maybe now isn’t the time to let yours go—that doesn’t mean you should donate it; it just means you might want to wait a few months before trying to sell it.

There is a huge market for vintage clothing, both in men’s fashion and women’s. It doesn’t matter how deep into the years the garment is; even clothing from the ’90s is loved by someone out there. If you have anything vintage, garments that are at least twenty years old, consider selling rather than donating.

When it comes to getting the most from your vintage clothing sales, pick a venue for selling that caters to vintage buyers, such as Etsy. People go to Etsy looking for vintage clothing, knowing that there are plenty of vintage shops there, and look for other outlets that may not be as oversaturated, like a local consignment boutique.

Finally, once you’ve picked out the stuff that could sell, you’ll want to give it a good looking over. Look for wear and tear, like stains, holes, rips, and fading. Some damage could be looked over by a buyer if they want the item bad enough, but you’ll need to be upfront about any damage or flaws in your listings.

If you’re taking the item to a consignment shop, they’ll look for these things as well and are more likely to reject such items.

There are a few different options for selling your used clothing for profit, but not all of them are equally profitable. Rummage sales can be fun, but people shop them looking for cheap deals, which means that you might only make a couple of bucks on something you could have sold elsewhere for more. If you want to get the best price, you’ll want to sell at a consignment shop or online.

Not all consignment shops are created equal. Some work strictly with vintage; others want only newer fashions with name brands. What makes all of them beneficial is that someone else does the selling for you.

You bag or box up your garments, take them into the store, they go through what you have, and pick out what’s in-season and sellable. You sign a contract that states how much of a percentage they keep and how much you get. They pick the prices, and you get paid, once a month at many places, after your items sell.

While consignment shops let you sell locally, keep you from needing to run to the post office multiple times a week, and take the work out of selling, the downfall is that someone else is getting a cut of your potential profits. It is worth it, however, if you don’t have the time to take photos and write up clever postings for multiple clothing items.

You don’t have to invest in photography studio lights, although they will come in handy if you don’t get a lot of natural light in your home. Pick a room with natural lighting to show off colors and details.

If possible, avoid using artificial light (especially if you’re not comfortable enough with photography to check the color balance and take steps to correct it). If dark blues look black or yellows have a greenish tint, the people purchasing your clothing won’t have a good sense of what they are actually getting. When using artificial light, however, go for the absolute brightest and whitest light you have.

Lighting isn’t the only thing that makes a good photo. If you don’t want to model the clothing for photos, you can hang stuff on hangers. Hung clothing looks more presentable in photos than clothing left lying flat. If you plan to sell often, keep an eye out for mannequins or dress forms at local thrift shops.

Be sure to take pictures of the front and back of the garments. If there are any flaws, take photos of them so that potential buyers have everything they need to make a decision and so that you get good reviews after their purchases arrive. It’s also beneficial to take tag photos for proof of size and brand name.

Don’t just take pictures of any flaws; describe them as well. Take measurements of each garment to help people better determine if a piece will fit them. Why measure? Sizing varies wildly between brands, so just describing it as a “size 12” isn’t super helpful. But if you include the physical measurement (such as the waist is 32 inches), potential shoppers know immediately if the waist is too big or small. And, of course, describe the color and style.

If you know it, you can also consider including original buying prices. If you’ve only worn an item once, tell potential buyers that—some people prefer new or like-new over well-loved.

Selling clothing online can be lucrative depending on how many places you opt to sell through and what type of clothing you have in your wardrobe. Don’t expect to make all your money back from the original purchase, but with some careful presentation, you can definitely flip quality old clothes for some extra!