Selling unwanted clothes online is a great way to make some extra cash. You can also sell brand-new clothes online as a business if you want a new career as an e-commerce entrepreneur. Whether your only objective is to declutter and make enough money to buy more clothes or you have plans to open an online store, here are some tips to help you find customers for your garments.
What's Inside
Target a Suitable Marketplace
It’s important to target the right market for clothing. Different marketplaces have different clientele, so if you advertise on the wrong one, you are effectively shooting yourself in the foot.
eBay is handy for old second-hand clothing and lots of people get rid of their gear on there, but if you want to sell designer threads or new garments bought from a wholesaler, you may need to look for a different channel. Some of your options include:
- Facebook marketplace
- Depop
- Poshmark
- Vinted
Research your chosen market before you create listings. Find out what the selling fees are and whether there are fees to list items. Some are free, such as Facebook marketplace, but others, e.g. eBay extract a hefty slice of your revenue in return for using the platform.
Take High-Quality Photos
Photos are what sells any item online, but they are especially important when selling garments. In a store, the customer can pick up the garment, examine it closely, assess the color and cut, and try it on. They can’t do this with an online listing, so your photos need to represent the item in the best possible light.
Use a high-quality camera and make sure photos are representative of the item’s color. It’s helpful to use models when photographing clothing, but if you don’t have anyone willing or able to model garments, use a mannequin instead.
This company sells a very realistic sitting mannequin, which would be perfect for creating a lifelike scene for your clothing. The great thing about mannequins is that they don’t ask for a fair wage and they don’t need to take breaks during a photo session.
Create Great Listings
Once you have some great photos, your next step is to write ad copy for your listings. Photos hook the customer, but ad copy keeps them reading.
Ads for clothing must include all the pertinent details, such as size, color, etc. Make sure this information is accurate and include a size guide if possible, as stating a garment is ‘medium’ won’t be terribly helpful.
Try and use your copy to sell the item. Describe it well. Tell the customer where it could be worn, suggest other clothing that might work well with the item. Use words to tell a persuasive story but be honest at all times! For example, if you are selling a used pair of jeans and they have rips in the knees, make sure the article description clearly states this.
Sell at the Right Price
Finally, sell your items at the right price point. Too cheap and people will be suspicious of the quality and too expensive they won’t want to buy unless they come with a designer label.
If you’re not sure what price to sell your items at, do some research. Look for similar items online and see what sellers have priced them at. Try selling something similar a fraction cheaper and see how well you do, but work out your profit margins first, so you don’t end up making a loss on everything you sell.
Start small with a few items, to begin with. Take your time and work hard at building a brand, using social media to broaden your reach. It will take a while, but you can make this work!