If you have an eye for quality clothing pieces, you might be considering selling second-hand clothing online. In recent years many people have taken advantage of online selling platforms to find their limited edition finds that have been donated by previous owners. The best second-hand sellers know where and how to find the most desirable vintage items, and they manage to sell them for more than they were purchased for.
Perhaps you have skillfully found vintage Chanel purses that have been thrown away, or maybe timeless staple Nike sweaters have served your style perfectly. The beauty in second-hand selling is that not only can you make a profit, but you are also contributing to the eco-friendly side of the fashion industry. Here is how you might start and scale your second-hand selling business:
What Style Are You Going For
If you want to find the most success with your online selling, it would be wise to stick to one niche of clothing. For example, if you are best at finding the coolest street-style pieces for the 90s, you might want to base your page’s identity around this style. Or perhaps you are a 60’s style fanatic who loves to find party bodysuits and other authentic clothing from the era. Choose a particular decade, particular occasion, or even a specific genre such as bridal clothing. Keeping things niche allows customers to associate your store with the specific items you sell, and helps build your seller’s identity.
Where Are You Selling
With the multitude of online selling platforms today, you might feel conflicted as to where to target your selling to. The top-selling websites for selling second-hand and vintage clothing include Depop, Vinted, eBay, ASOS marketplace, and many more to choose from. One thing to keep in mind is each site has different terms and conditions. For example, Depop takes a percentage fee of each sale you make, but vinted allows you to keep all profits.
Additionally, you should be careful if you are considering selling the same items from different sites, as you might get negative reviews if one customer won’t receive your item despite purchasing it. To keep things safe you might set one website as a quick buy, and another selling site might be for inquiries only if you fail to market the item on the quick buy website. experiments in the beginning and see where your niche markets best.
Source Hidden Gems
Finding the best second-hand clothing is not always the easiest thing to find, especially when there are already thousands of others doing what you are doing, with tactics they have been using for years. It can be hard to get the secrets of the trade from other sellers doing what you hope to do, but the following ways are some of the best resources to find inspired pieces that will make you profits:
Thrift Shops
Thrifting is essentially where most beginners should start. It is a reliable, yet time-consuming way to find small amounts of high-quality pieces. Thrift stores might include shops for the sole purpose of this practice, or perhaps you might opt for charity shops, in which people donate their high-quality clothes for a better cause. This tends to be a very hands-on way to find the perfect items, and you can also review their quality in person before considering buying them to resell.
eBay
As you might use eBay to sell your items, it is also a great place to find some amazing re-sellable items. Often there will be multiple sellers trying to get rid of pieces that they might not understand the real value of the item. These are great finds because often the seller will be selling them at a discounted price, to which you can resell the item for a much higher price.
Car Boot Sales
Car boot sales once again can be a more time-consuming method of finding items, but often people sell their vintage clothing unknowingly of their true value. It will take some time rummaging through clothes and spending your mornings at different car boots, but you might get a huge return on investment on some of the items.
What To Look For
When you set out to find your sellable items, it is important to have a plan in mind as to what you need and how you intend to find them. The best second-hand sellers have a streamlined system for finding their special items.
Find Out When Shipments Come In
There is nothing worse than finding the perfect shop for hidden gems and seeing the last dregs of the shipments being scooped up by others. Getting into the chosen store as soon as their newest shipments come in is essential to get first dibs on all the most valuable items. It might be worth building a rapport with the organiser of the store or market to see when their shipments come in. That way you can snatch up the limited items before anyone else.
Have a Plan
When you are starting you should be smart when shopping for sellable items. It can be exciting to find a store filled with desirable pieces and you will just want to scoop them all up before anyone else. You should always have your budget in mind when considering a purchase, and always take the time to scan the quality of the item and its authenticity. Predominantly if you are focusing on vintage designer pieces, you should make sure your knowledge of the designer and their products is up to scratch.
Repair And Restore
Perhaps you have found a super niche vintage item that you know could sell for hundreds, but unfortunately, it has some damage. You should find a reputable tailor to fix the item, or perhaps you might wish to read the care instructions of the clothing item to remove any stains. If you think the item can sell for a lot of money it would be worth the investment to get the item restored for profit.
Take Quality Pictures
One of the simplest ways to make your products look more appealing to buyers is to take great photos of the pieces. If you take photos of your clothing in artificial, dim lighting, without different angles of your clothing, people will not be interested in the product. Make sure all the images are as high quality as possible, with a clear background that will not disrupt the photo. People tend to be more drawn to clothing if they can see what it looks like on a person, so model all the clothing if possible.
