In a nutshell
With so many online marketplaces available, there’s no shortage of ways to sell clothing for cash.
- Top online marketplaces for selling clothing include Etsy, eBay, Mercari, thredUP, Facebook Marketplace and Poshmark.
- Knowing your niche and listing products accurately can help you sell more.
Benefits of selling clothes online
A used or new clothing business can help you earn extra money, especially if you’re good at finding deals and pricing items correctly. Even if you only sell occasionally, it’s a great way to keep clothes out of the landfill, too.
So, why would someone decide to sell clothing from an online marketplace? There are many advantages of going this route, including:
- Large customer base: Online sales let you sell across the country — or the globe.
- No physical storefront: You can sell directly from your closet, wherever you happen to be.
- Easier payments: Most online marketplaces come with tools for accepting credit cards, collecting local sales taxes and filing business taxes.
- Flexibility with your schedule: Customers can shop day or night, and you can fulfill orders when it’s convenient for you.
Types of clothing that sell well online
Knowing what to sell is almost as important as knowing how to start an online store. Knowing the current clothing and market trends can help you determine if your items will earn top dollar in a crowded market.
Items that sell well include:
- Brand-name athleisure, such as yoga pants, sweats, workout wear and accessories.
- Fan gear with branding from top sports teams, including jerseys with the names of pro athletes.
- Vintage items from popular eras, including the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s and 1990s.
- Limited-edition purses, shoes and other accessories.
- Designer maternity, baby and toddler clothes.
However, sellers offering any type of clothing — gently used, high-quality or designer pieces — can make money even if they aren’t selling what’s in demand. Someone, somewhere, may be looking for just that item.
How to sell clothes online
Getting started takes some planning, but most stores can be set up within hours. If you already have clothing on hand, you can start by selling what you have. To be more successful, you might consider a niche for your sales, such as vintage shoes or organic baby clothes. That way, customers know to come back to you for their ongoing shopping needs.
Once you have a niche, pick your platform. eBay and Etsy have clothing categories and provide guidelines for the best ways to sell. They also make it easy to collect payments and ship items by providing prepaid postage labels.
Set up your store with a few listings, making sure to price your items competitively. Create listings that describe your product well, including clear photos of all angles of the product. Be clear about your shipping, packing and return policies so customers know what to expect.
Next, promote your store. Whether you share a link to your store with friends or use the included marketing tools for each platform, more promotion can pull in more sales. Don’t be afraid to adjust listings as needed to keep them fresh and draw in new buyers.
Helpful hint: Big marketplaces, such as Etsy or eBay, want their sellers to succeed because it makes them more money. As a result, they have invested a lot of time in creating seller resources. Be sure to sign up for their newsletters and information forums so you never miss an update or opportunity to improve your store. These marketplaces also offer occasional promotions to help sellers save on shipping or get access to free or low-cost ad services.
Best places to sell clothes online
There are many places to sell online, and each site offers unique benefits. Here are some of the most popular places to sell clothes online today:
- Facebook Marketplace: Ideal for local sales, bulk lots, quick sales and cash-only transactions (or purchases through Facebook’s platform).
- eBay: Suitable for all types of clothing (including new items with tags). Allows up to 250 listings a month for no listing fee and provides access to one of the largest audiences of shoppers.
- Etsy: Allows only vintage and handmade items on the platform. Best for one-of-a-kind or rare items not found elsewhere.
- Depop: Aimed at younger consumers with mobile devices who want to buy vintage or recent brand-name styles.
- thredUP: Most popular among parents and those shopping for gently used baby and kids clothing.
- Mercari: Known for brand-name items in every category. It makes selling clothing simple by using a phone app.
- Poshmark: Best for on-trend designer pieces and those in new or excellent used condition.
Donating old clothes to charity for a tax deduction
If you don’t want to sell clothing online or through a retail shop, you still have options for getting rid of them responsibly. One way is through clothing donations, which can help others — and give you a tax break. It’s also an ideal way to handle leftover items that don’t sell from your shop.
Here’s how to donate clothes for a tax deduction:
- Make sure the charity has tax-exempt status. You can contact them or use the IRS website.
- Only donate items allowed by the charity. Some won’t take electronics, for example.
- Get a receipt from the charity showing an itemized list of your donations.
- When you file taxes, use the fair market value of the items at the time of donation and the proper tax forms to claim your itemized deduction. Note, however, that taking the standard deduction may not qualify you for this tax break.
Tips to sell clothes online successfully
In addition to using the resources provided by each online marketplace, you can refer to these tips for better sales.
Include keywords in your clothing listings
eBay and Etsy use paid ads and search engine optimization to help listings appear in search results. Use keywords that people often search for to ensure yours are included. For better results, update these terms as trends change. Grandpa-chic, cottagecore and kitsch are just a few examples of terms that buyers may use when searching for that perfect item.
Use all available platform tools
Online selling sites frequently update their functionality for sellers. Whether it’s a more simplified shipping calculation or a bulk uploading tool, most are designed to improve selling and help get more items out the door. If a platform offers a new feature, test it out right away, because early adopters tend to benefit more. Most features can be used experimentally and turned off if they don’t work out for you.
Opt-in to ads
Some websites, such as Etsy, spend big money to get their listings on social media, search listings and in buyers’ email inboxes. They also make it easy to be included in these promotions, but it comes at a price. Often, it’s paid as a higher commission on the items you sell, but there’s often little risk if you don’t sell anything. Price your items high enough to cover these extra fees, and let the selling platforms do some of the advertising for you.
Offer reasonable shipping (or even free)
Most selling platforms offer two shipping schemes: calculated (which uses the actual cost of shipping) or a flat fee based on the type of item. While the “calculated” method is most likely to ensure you cover your costs, it depends on your location, and reasonable flat shipping fees may attract more buyers.
It’s also common to offer free shipping and to pay for this by slightly increasing the sale price of your items. Etsy even has a free shipping option for orders above $35. This could encourage shoppers to buy several items to meet the threshold, earning you additional sales.
Respond quickly
Customers and prospective buyers may have questions about what you sell — or they may approach you with a counteroffer for your item. Even if you don’t entertain counteroffers, you should respond quickly and professionally to any messages you receive. Provide additional product details, explain store policies or let them know when the item will ship. Even if you have already provided this information in your product listing, taking the time to respond to these sales inquiries can help you maintain a stellar seller reputation.
Pack well
Clothing may not be a particularly delicate item, but it should be carefully packaged to avoid damage during shipping. Here are some additional tips on making sure your items arrive in good shape:
- Wrapping items with additional packing can keep them safe from damage when opening the outside box.
- If using recycled packaging material, such as boxes, remove old stickers and shipping labels and cover other brand logos.
- Include the invoice or packing slip so the customer knows it came from you.
- If the item was ordered as a gift, follow the directions for a custom note and hide the item’s price on the invoice.
- You may want to insure items of especially high value to protect them during shipping. Most shipping services include a basic amount of insurance, but this may not cover the cost of replacing a more expensive product.
The AP Buyline roundup
Figuring out how to make money online selling clothes can be intimidating. Fortunately, there’s little risk in trying things out. With low seller fees and a full library of resources, the top-selling sites have made it easy for even beginners to trade clothing for cash.
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
What are the best platforms for selling designer clothes?
You can sell designer clothes almost anywhere, and the platform you pick depends on who you think will buy your items. Etsy only allows vintage items, and ThredUP is best suited for women’s and children’s gear. Poshmark, Mercari and eBay all have a thriving designer clothing market. You might experiment with a few items on each platform and see what works best for you.
How can I improve my sales listings?
More complete listings do better, so don’t forget to write out product descriptions that answer questions and leave nothing to the imagination. Use keywords to help others find your items, and take quality photos that show the items from every angle. Some platforms even support videos now, and report this can increase engagement and sales.
What are common mistakes to avoid?
Incomplete listings with poor photos can reduce your sales. Ignoring customer messages or shipping items late are two other issues that can impact your reliability and hurt your seller ratings.
How do I handle disputes with buyers?
Customers consider a seller’s reviews before purchasing. Aim to get the best reviews by resolving customer issues promptly. Most marketplaces have a dispute resolution system to facilitate communications and document how you’ve tried to help the customer. This system may also protect you in case of suspected fraud.
Even if you suspect someone is not being entirely truthful, don’t ignore disputes or complaints. Address them through the proper channels, whether it’s your shipping company or the platform itself.
