Who can speak to clothing resale online? - YouLookFab Forum

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Who can speak to clothing resale online?

April

Veteran

Selling, not buying.

I have a lot of items to pass along this year and if I don't know anyone whose taste or size they are, LMA is after me to sell them.

Anyone have a good seller's experience to report with something like ThredUp or equivalent?

General

26 replies

Latest reply was from April

Cardiff girl

Veteran

I used to use eBay but wouldn’t touch them with a barge pole as a seller now.l too have some clothes to sell so will be interested in seeing what peoples opinions are of the different ways of going about it.Currently here in the uk l am considering dress agencies and Vinted next but haven’t taken the plunge yet.

chewyspaghetti

Veteran

I don’t recommend Thred Up- I only got a couple dollars from the items I sent them and they give it to you in a voucher if I remember correctly.

Janet

(website)

Veteran

I have sold some things successfully on Poshmark in the past but haven’t been bothering lately (too much other stuff going on). I think if you keep expectations reasonable, it can be a good source for sellers. I’ve also bought a few things through PM too and have had good experience. I pay close attention to detail photographs and measurements. I steer clear of sellers who don’t answer questions.

Anonymous

What about posting them on here, if anyone is interested? That seems like an easier way to go.

judy

Veteran

I used to browse Noisaf Bazaar when it was on Instagram. https://noihsafbazaar.com/ It had great things. Sorry no experience as a seller, though.

And my young relatives have told me about Depop. https://www.depop.com/?%243p=a.....l_url=http

Just adding this: as a buyer though (only on ebay) what is most helpful to me are detailed measurements, waist, hips, inseam for pants...pit to pit, sleeve length etc for a top...even better if the photos have the tape measure in the pic! Since there are usually no returns, it's been a must.

Greyscale

Veteran

I sell one or two things a month on Poshmark, around 100 things total over the years. It’s my way of recouping some money for expensive items that didn’t work out. It’s a fair bit of work - list the items with good descriptions and good photos, keep them tidy and free of cat hair, pack things up and mail them (the actual shipping process is quite easy but I have to remember to have printer paper, tape, mailer envelopes or old boxes…). I have a plastic bin where I store the clothes and sometimes they take years to sell. I’d recommend it if you have a few sought-after items (you can browse ‘sold’ listings to see what sold and for how much) but not if you just want a simple way of decluttering.

Anonymous

I’ve used ebay with pretty good results, but unless you’re selling really high-end stuff, you probably won’t make much, and it’s kind of a lot of work. Thredup was easy to use, but I didn’t make much. The RealReal can sell your stuff fast, but unless it’s very high-end, your percentage of the sale will be low. I sold a couple of Ted Baker dresses in the $300 retail range and only got about $30 back for both. So I’m happy the dresses got rehomed, but not happy with what I recouped. At the moment, I’m using my local consignment store, where I can get 40% back on what they sell.

Sloper

Veteran

I've used Thred Up for "missy" and "bridge" brands. Pennies on the dollar and you get a cash card (I think it was Visa). Not everything gets sold, some things they seemed to arbitrarily not accept. And then I forget about the cash card and it expires...

I've used Real Real for the good designer stuff - again, pennies on the dollar. They send a check or will do a direct deposit. Most things sell quickly.

I just don't have the energy to post stuff on ebay or Poshmark, or deal with buyers, shipping, etc.

Bijou

Veteran

I have one purchaser from TRR which was an Alexander McQueen denim jacket. I paid about $A500 for this jacket which was in almost new condition when the retail price for it would have been $A1,500. For me, this was a splurge purchase and I am so grateful to the seller that did not want this jacket that they took the trouble to sell it via TRR even though they did not get very much for their trouble, because I adore this jacket and wear it all the time. In going to the trouble of reselling items, there is the potential benefit that your clothes are going to someone who will treasure them.

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Stagiaire Fash

Veteran

5 years ago, moving from Tampa to Berlin, I had several bags to send to thread up, but they weren’t accepting clothes. I waited several months before just going to local secondhand stores. They weren’t designer pieces or anything super great like that

Jaime

(website)

Veteran

I think it depends on the items. I have had relatively good experience selling on TheRealReal - but my cost of goods is very low so it does not take much for me to turn a profit. I have heard only bad things about ThredUp from a seller's perspective. Poshmark and Ebay require a time investment that you might not want to make. What about local consignment? Or LMA could take them to a buy/trade/sell store.

April

Veteran

We do have a high-end consignment shop in my town. I think I stopped considering them as a selling spot because the one time I brought them a nice assortment of pristine items, they all got priced and hung in the shop and then COVID shut everything down. The "you will receive your payment no later than" date was in May 2020, when shops were still closed and I was in the throes of trying to feed four grown men without going to a grocery store.

So I let it go, never got paid, and that was not the shop's fault. They would be a good first start, and I can ask other friends who sell things where they've had good experiences. Of course LMA knows a lot about resale but he focuses on other segments of that market: vintage, menswear, Tokyo7.

Thank you all for your wisdom on this issue. It seems ThredUp is more trouble than it's worth and that is so helpful to know.

April

Veteran

suntiger, you made an excellent suggestion. I have shared a lot of items via YLF but don't think I ever priced anything for sale via this forum.

It probably *is* the best place to begin - among friends.

Gail

Veteran

Sold a couple of items on eBay but find Postmark easier. Recently sold a J Crew worn once coat , a pair of brand new Theory combat boots and NWT Vera Bradley Duffel. I have a few other items listed that just won't seem to sell , I suppose I should just reduce the price!

judy

Veteran

I used to do quite a bit of selling at stores like Crossroads or Buffalo Exchange, where they'd offer you cash on the spot, or more in trade. I once sold the coat I was wearing to finance another. It was fun, and no monitoring online anything, or trips to USPS. I ended up donating anything they didn't take. They were picky, of course. I don't think I play the long waiting game of consignment stores very well. Donating made me feel better, since I wasn't really recouping the money spent, even with the exchange stores. It was more about financing my shopping habit. And it was satisfying to run into my old items at the local Value Village or Goodwill...though occasionally I'd think: "why did I get rid of that??" I once saw a pair of my old jeans turn up on ebay that my sister had donated to Savers. Those homemade patches were unmistakable, and for a ridiculous price! I don't think they sold.

April

Veteran

In Pennsylvania, I used to consign with Greene Street, but it was tricky. They wouldn't look at a single piece if you didn't have ten pieces to consign, and if you brought 15 pieces and they only wanted 8 of them, they wouldn't take the 8 either. 10 was their absolute minimum.

Jenni NZ

Veteran

I agree April! My local store called Recycle Boutique insisted on taking 5, and even that was hard to get, and they would not take some really high quality expensive items which I assume were not trendy enough for them. I felt quite badly treated by the young staff and vowed to no longer even go in there. I think YLF’s Sally does shop there but she is a good 10 years younger than me and more trendy

April

Veteran

I have posted my first item for sale on the Style Exchange thread. If you've been wanting a pristine deep aubergine Burberry virgin wool trench, go have a look. Thanks for all your help with my questions!

Sally

Veteran

@Jenni Do you mean me or the other Sally (Sal) -I think we are about the same age. I have bought from the recycle boutique but don't go in all that much....maybe once a year into the city store or the New Market one if I happen to be in the vicinity. I much prefer to buy from hospice as both my father and my best friend were supported in their last days under hospice care and I received amazing free counselling from them, so I appreciate the work they do. The hospice in Epsom and Mt Eden in particular have good quality items that are probably on par with the recycle boutique in terms of quality and maybe even price. I haven't had a bad experience as a buyer but the whole set up at recycle boutique does seem to be run by young trendy people. My only experience selling has been when I got back from the states once and had some levis jeans which didn't fit as I had got the sizing wrong purchasing in a hurry. I tried to sell on trade me but found it all such a hassle because people wanted to renege on a deal. In the end I thought it wasn't worth the time. In saying that I see some people as a way of supporting themselves/side hustle, pick up items and resell them. I have bought a couple of trelise cooper skirts among other things during lockdown on trade me (I guess the NZ version of etsy) and had mixed success.

nuancedream

Veteran

I don't do any selling on TRR, eBay or Poshmark. There are three consignment stores in my neighborhood and I've had good luck with them over the years and know precisely which items will sell in each store. I agree with Jamie's comment about the time investment with eBay and Poshmark. I just don't have the bandwidth for that.

Christina F.

Veteran

I have used Threadup a lot, since it's the most convenient and I've had a lot of churn due to lifestyle and body changes. You can eventually extract cash to Paypal, but they offer the money as vouchers instead before it will convert to cash. The processing times are slow and the payout per item is small.

It's the most convenient thing for me to do because I can get rid of a lot at once, and I get a little money and the satisfaction of putting things into the circular economy. But as with anything else, what you get out of it (money) is equivalent to the effort you have to put in. If you really want to recoup more money, I suggest eBay or Poshmark. As others note, those are time-consuming but you will make more per item.

Sal

Veteran

Good luck April. Hope they sell!

I am a better buyer of second hand than I am seller- consignment, trade me, dress for success sales and true thrift/ op shops. But it’s typically only 3-8 pieces a year. I have sold on trade me but it’s more a way of contributing to the circular economy than making money. My friend makes money buying and selling but it is a lot of effort and work.

SW prof

I have not sold actual clothing on Poshmark, but have sold scarves and bags, thus avoiding the issue of fit. You don't get a lot of money, but I would say it's a reasonable amount that you receive promptly. I do have a bit of a hard time getting good photos (I'm pretty clueless as a photographer) but otherwise not too effortful. What seems to sell is more prestigious(?) brand names: a Lo & Sons bag sold in a day or two whereas an Ecco brand bag took two years. I'd bought the Lo & Sons bag for half price in one of their sales and then was able to sell it for almost what I paid.

Jenni NZ

Veteran

To Sally ( sorry April) yes I meant you not Sal, I think I had seen you mention Recycle Boutique. I like hospice shops or St John Ambulance myself.

Sally

Veteran

@Jenni thanks for the confirmation. yes I have got a couple of things.... a country road skirt and a lacoste sweatshirt. If things don't sell within a certain timeframe, they often sell them for half price.
Sorry April. Will get off this thread now.

April

Veteran

You all are welcome to keep talking about secondhad venues on this or any of my threads. Very helpful to me and to LMA, who now knows every thrift and consignment store in all five boroughs of NYC and also aspires to be a world traveler.

It would be pretty great if I could say to him, "Well, I hear that in Australia, you want to go here, and in Israel you want to go here..."