Closet overwhelmed - time to become ebay seller?

Nicole D

Maybe a little OT, but...
I feel overwhelmed by the amount of clothes in my closet - thinking about listing stuff on ebay...anyone with experience with that? I just feel like I have so many nice things that I dont just want to give away. I have tried consigning locally but they keep 60% of sale price! And have very rigid procedure for dropping off items.

Maybe I also need to STOP BUYING NEW STUFF. Seriously. May need to turn to forum for support.

Alternatively, I could try style exchange...but I don't want to alienate any forum members if they are not happy with their item.

Open to advice!

13 years ago

Shopping

12 replies

Latest reply was from CocoLion

Deborah

Veteran

Nicole, I have been selling clothes on Ebay. If its not a designer label, I don't put a high price, and even then if it is I keep the price realistic. I have sold quite a few things and am happy that I have had some monetary return and that the items now live somewhere else. It probably took me an hour to set up my account and my Paypal account but DH helped me and from then on its easy peasy! I recommend it.

13 years ago

Janet

(website)

Veteran

My success with selling clothing on eBay has been no better than selling via consignment. I'm not sure it's worth the hassle of taking pics, collecting payment, shipping, etc.

I often give things away to friends and family or donate (I keep careful records and itemize for tax time).

13 years ago

rachylou

Veteran

One thing that always confused me was shipping costs. Do you have to weigh everything before listing and figure out if you'll box it, put it a padded envelope, etc.?

13 years ago

Caro in Oz

Veteran

If I were you I wouldn't try to sell anything until you know what you wear/need/like. I think the idea of not buying new stuff is a good one. It sounds as though a shop your closet is in order:)

13 years ago

hedgiehog

Veteran

Hi Nicole, FWIW I've sold several things on eBay. Mostly handbags and jewelry I no longer used and coats that no longer fit. I have had much success and never any returns. I usually look up similar items to see what they're selling for, post lots of photos and give a detailed description.
Before I started selling, I made sure I had a supply of boxes and padded envelopes for shipping. I use my Weight watchers scale to weigh the packages before I post the sale so I know how much to charge for shipping. I've never had any accuracy issue with the postage and ebay makes it really easy to do postage from home.
Good luck if you decide to sell.

13 years ago

Kalli

Active Member

I thought I was the only one! Having recently gotten my closet from 500+ items to 173, I still have work to do! I tried the eBay thing, the time suck wasn't worth it and amount of money you get for effort wasn't worth it to me. Give it a go if you really want to get something back. I'm happy just donating to charity and just write it off as having wasted money... Getting into the idea of letting go and moving forward! Good luck! I'm sure this forum has room for non-shoppers too, I love looking at others and magazines as inspiration and challenging myself to come up with similar looks with what I have! Live vicariously through others!

13 years ago

Suz

(website)

Veteran

How about reading Angie's closet edit blog posts as a first step and doing a truly careful edit? You might make friends with a few forgotten items. You might decide you have some duplication. Who knows?

Then, once you've culled the items you no longer want, you can consider how to handle them.

I have not tried selling on ebay because for me the hassle of figuring out shipping costs and getting them out in a timely fashion would be less than worth it.

My solution?

1. Some items I simply consign. True, I only get 40% of the selling price. And at my local shop, the selling price is often nowhere near the buying price. (The shop owner really has NO idea and seems to operate on her own weird impulses.) Having said that, it's better than nothing, and if the clothing does not sell it goes to a women's shelter.

2. Some I give to friends and family. If it's my step-daughter's style, and vegan friendly, she gets it first. She is my size, more or less. And impecunious.

3. Some goes to YLF friends. There is nothing better than seeing one of my YLF sisters in an item that wasn't working anymore for me! I prefer to offer my YLF items free with postage but it is also okay to sell for reasonable amounts, and since you buy high end items that makes a lot of sense.

13 years ago

Thistle

Veteran

I think it depends on what you are selling. If you are talking mall brands, I would donate. By the time you take pictures, list the auction, collect payment, package the item, and ship it, you are looking at a huge time sink combined with huge fees. eBay takes selling fees, AND they get credit card fees on both the auction and the shipping costs because you are required to accept payment via Paypal.

Now, if you are selling DVF, Marni, etc. it is probably worth it.

13 years ago

siniestra

Active Member

umm i would suggest wait for a warm temperatures raises and go to a flea market ! u can make good cash ...I would never sell anything in ebay...to much hassle ...i prefer list my things in craiglist...and everything else donate or give it away

13 years ago

Diane P

Active Member

I've sold (and bought) through Treadflip and Poshmark... online consignment stores, they take 20%.

13 years ago

Kristin L

Veteran

I have a few things up on Tradesy. They take 9% and take care of shipping. If you use my code below, you get a $10 credit.

http://www.tradesy.com/invite/kristin-a-155815

I've also sold a few things to Twice clothing. They have the same thing going on with the code.

liketwice.com/u4TVb

Everything else is either swapped at rehashclothes.com, given away here at YLF or donated.

13 years ago

CocoLion

(website)

Veteran

I just started listing things on eBay . What I've learned -- 1) low price 2) brand name. It's very much about the brand name, as a lot of people's search behavior is driven by that. I have had fast sales of these brands: 7 for All Mankind, J Crew, The North Face, Rag & Bone, Joie, Calvin Klein, True Religion. Names with lesser recognition (Donna Ricco dress, Karen Kane) don't sell easily. Anything NWT (new with tags) sells most easily especially if you price it at 70-90% off of the retail price. Some things even NWT and with recognizable brands (H&M for example) are not selling. People want top brands at really low low prices. I think some eBay shoppers would buy things at H&M that's why they're not interested in my brand new jacket and chambray shirt. But maybe they would not allow themselves to buy a new Joie silk blouse. When I do my research I price below others because I have limited time to be doing this, I really just want a fast sale.

It is very time consuming. But I am off work for a few months, so it works for me. I can't see myself doing this when I'm working 6 days a week again.

Hope that helps. I know there are others like Rae and Mo who have sold on eBay too, maybe they can offer some advice.

Oh and selling has made me much more aware of what I am buying now, because when I shop, I think, "will I have to sell this on eBay in one year because I've only worn it once."

13 years ago

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