Throwaway culture is trending, and tons of clothes end up in landfills from consumers who are quick to part with items once a trend cycle is over. Even the clothes that get donated pile up fast. Clothes are donated in greater excess than they are bought, and the rest is shipped overseas in mass to accommodate for space. Charity, when it comes to getting rid of the old clothes in your closet, isn’t the miraculous fix it is generally seen as.
With the rise of reselling apps, listing your old clothes has become a great way to extend the lifespan of an item and make a few bucks. It can feel satisfying to know an item you passed on becomes a part of someone else’s life. These apps are incredibly accessible, so you don’t have to be particularly knowledgeable about business to succeed as a reseller. Here are tips to guide you to success.
Riley Marshall, a seller of preloved sportswear and Ducks gear, sets up shop outside of the EMU. He uses the resale app Depop, but has recently favored selling in-person because it only takes a table and a few racks to attract customers. Marshall claims that the best way to go about reselling — either in-person or online — is finding a suitable niche.
He says, “Don’t try to sell everything. Focus on a type of brand, type of item that you know a lot about. You’ll know what people are willing to pay for things and how much you can get them for.”
As a reseller on Depop, it doesn’t have to take long between posting an item and making the sale. Understanding how to take the listing photo is everything. Even undesirable items with stains and rips are frequently sold because the mannequin or model is all dressed up and is even styled with accessories.
On sites where it’s possible to send offers, it’s likely that you’ll never be able to sell items for the full price you list them at. It can be profitable to overprice items rather than underprice them to ensure that you receive offers you’re happy with. Pricing low can be valuable for those looking to make smaller profit margins but higher quantity sales. If you have a ton of inventory you’d like to get through and not much space for storage, pricing low is a valuable strategy to quickly push out inventory.
Reputation is everything when it comes to reselling. Anyone can make a post calling out your business over any minor dispute, so it’s worth it in the long run to put an emphasis on customer service and be completely transparent about condition and sizing. When packaging a skirt I once sold, I noticed a paint stain on the hem and I quickly brought it to the customer’s attention and offered a small discount. It’s best to play it safe when reviews are permanent and cautious buyers take notice of imperfect ratings.
Descriptions of items are key to ensuring quick sales. If buyers have to send messages asking about sizing or condition, it can discourage them from purchasing right away. Even if it’s tedious to take exact measurements of inseams or shirt length, it’ll save you from being accused of inaccurate sizing. Scam listings are becoming frequent, so it is important to include brand names because new, trendy and unbranded items can lead buyers into thinking you are getting inventory from Shein or other large fast-fashion companies. These companies are often associated with poor stitching and cheap materials, so it’s not a good look for your page if you don’t bother to properly tag and categorize your listings.
When social media continues to normalize the concept of swapping your closet out every trend cycle, resale is away to slow the process down. It’s not perfect, but it’s a solid alternative to adding to growing donation piles of trash and donations, and it ensures the pieces you loved continue to be loved by others.
