eBay Niche Product - Plus Sized Women's Clothing

Today's post is contributed by my colleague, fellow eBay seller and Examiner columnist Kelli Shaw who is the owner of Dream Adventures Blog.

When you go into the thrift store, it can be overwhelming with the racks and racks of clothing! Have you tried shopping in the plus size clothing department? If you have not tried reselling plus size clothing, I’d encourage you to venture into this area! Nearly new items sell the best, and brand name is very, very important. I’d recommend not wasting your time with the low to mid range brand names & private labels (Lane Bryant, Torrid, etc)—they don’t tend to sell well and they may end up sitting in your stock room for a long time.

I’ve had great success with plus size clothing, and it’s been through trial and error that I’ve fine tuned what to look for. Brand name “scores”: Look for high end clothing brand names. Two of the best in my opinion are Ralph Lauren & Eileen Fisher. Ralph Lauren items with embroidered logos sell the best in our experience. We recently sold a pinstripe Ralph Lauren 3X shirt that we bought for $1.99 for $38! (You can link to item #330446864438 if you want Suzanne). Eileen Fisher sells very well; I’d say spend up to $10 per item on used Eileen Fisher without hesitation. Plus size contemporary brands like Ed Hardy, Baby Phat, Apple Bottoms, Bob Mackie, & J Jill can resell well too.

Types of clothing: I’d recommend plus size shirts; they are my favorite thrift store finds because they are easy to photograph and ship. I’d also recommend plus size sweaters and blazers too. I typically avoid plus size pants and skirts; most women prefer to try on these types of items and they don’t typically resell well for me. Fabric content can help boost a sale, so watch for items made of silk, wool, cashmere, organic cotton (Eileen Fisher does an entire line of organic cotton), and modal.

Condition: Use common sense & watch for wear. Check the seams to make sure they are not pulling and coming loose. Check under the arm area for pilling of the fabric and for staining. If you find a great item that needs laundering and dry cleaning is not required, I suggest buying it and laundering it at home before you list it.

Kelli & her husband Jim sell online full time on several venues including eBay and Amazon. Their business, Dream-Adventures, specializes in authentic womens designer clothing and accessories. They are Top Rated Sellers with nearly 20,000 feedback.

Learn how to make money selling women's clothing on eBay.