June 23, 2023

Effortless Decluttering: Ultimate Guide to Selling Preloved Adult Clothes Online

Selling preloved clothing online may seem daunting, so easyStorage takes a look at selling clothes as part of decluttering efforts!

Here on the easyStorage blog, there’s nothing we love more than a good declutter. Well, not exactly nothing, but it is becoming something of a passion.

According to research by Boston Consulting, whilst 30% of us prefer to give items away to friends or charities, 30% of us have something to sell but haven't found the time to list their items. Since we often include selling good quality things on as an option when decluttering, we thought we’d get you one step closer and provide a helpful roundup of some of the apps and sites for selling things.

Preloved clothing has been on an upward trend for a decade as a way of obtaining fabulous quality clothes cheaply and as an ethical alternative to cheap shops. Dr Anna Brismar, the owner of the agency Green Strategy, coined the term ‘circular fashion’ in 2014, with preloved designer pieces and everyday clothes in good condition with life still left in them finding second (or third) lives or being repaired in a way to give them new lives. Since then, even Harpers Bazaar has become a fan

So dump the ‘second hand’ label, and embrace the terms ‘preloved’ and vintage gives the clothes you no longer fit or wear a new life by selling them.  Here’s the easyStorage potted outline guide to selling clothes online.

Women trying on clothes to declutter and sell

Creating your listing

Make sure your listing is accurate and stands out.  Many sites offer you a guide to creating your listing, and you should always use their stipulated formats. But in the meantime, here’s the easyStorage guide to making your listing work for you.

Photography

You’ll need to provide images in the format and size that the site requests, and they will usually explain what they need and how many pictures you can have. Most offer a minimum of four images. Use them.

The site may well offer you guidance and instruction. And in the meantime, here’s the easyStorage guide to photographing items for sale: Stunning images.

Pricing

easyStorage has created a short guide to pricing your items: Pricing Items.

Woman packing clothes to send to customers

Concierge services

Some sites offer a ‘concierge’ type service where the company takes care of the descriptions, listings, and pricing.

Although you are likely to pay them more of the selling price in commission, you are (anecdotally) also more likely to sell the items as a novice seller, and will have very little work to do.

So if you have good quality clothing and are short on time, sending things to the concierge service may well be ideal for helping you create more space whilst making some money, without too much effort.

Seasons

Fashion sales are, of course, seasonal. Warmer clothes will sell in winter when it’s cold, and lightweight clothes in the summer. It makes sense to sell ‘in season’, even for used clothes. 

Keep an eye out for forthcoming easyStorage blogs looking at some of the sites to consider for selling preloved clothes online.

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