Thursday, March 31, 2011

6 Tips for Selling Used Clothing on eBay


eBay power sellers selling new apparel overstocks are also frequenting yard sales, consignment shops and thrift stores to make purchases to sell on eBay. Huge mark-ups can be realized when you purchase items often as low as ten to twenty-five cents each. The benefit to selling clothing sourced at thrift stores is the high profit margin. You may only pay $3- $5 for an item and sell it for ten times that much on eBay. It is difficult to find such high margins selling clothing purchased wholesale. Designer labels that are new or gently used are easy to find when you follow these suggestions.

  1. Heavily worn or faded clothing should be avoided. Some pieces will not be worth your time to clean or repair. Focus on items that are in sellable condition. Take time to inspect your items for stains, rips or tears.

  2. Thrift store inventory is constantly changing. Become a regular shopper in your area. When stores need to purge their inventory discounts are often offered for large quantity purchases. Don’t hesitate to ask. Some stores will offer bag sales to fill a shopping bag for $1 - $3. “Stuff your bag” sales are a cost effective way to get inventory. Even if you end up with a few duds, you will still make money on your investment.

  3. Do your homework. Research which brands are selling well and keep a list for reference when shopping at garage sales and thrift stores. Limit your purchases to high end, brand names for the most resale profit. You can download my free BOLO (Be on Look Out) list at this link.

  4. Items that have a higher resale value at on eBay include jackets, blazers, outerwear, and leather shoes. Cashmere is always a great find, even if damaged. Rule of thumb: The more it costs new, the higher resale value it will probably have on eBay.

  5. For yard sale shopping wait until the last 30 minutes before the end of the sale to shop. These sellers are usually ready to deal at the end of the day so they don’t have to put it all away! You can get bargains galore as they practically give away items at the end of the day.

  6. When your shopping is done inspect your purchases again at home. Most of the time items will need to be washed and wrinkle free prior to reselling. Be prepared to spend some time freshening up your finds so that buyers will receive their items in good condition.

1 comment:

Treasures By Brenda said...

Great recommendations. Double and even triple checking clothing saves having a disappointed buyer.