Written by Jo Smyth aka @Jo_joblogs this post is the second of a two part series which looks at how self-confessed shopaholics can be that little bit thriftier. Earlier in the week Jo wrote about shopping at charity shops. Today’s post focuses on buying clothes on eBay. Over to Jo…
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If your wardrobe is overflowing with things you never wear and you’re keen to have a good clear out, there are plenty of ways to get rid of your old clothes and make a bit of extra cash. Here are just five options to consider:
1. eBay
I’ve made a decent amount selling mine and my brother’s old clothes on eBay, but I had to put a lot of time and effort into photographing, listing and posting each items. Also, just as you think you’ve made a decent profit from your old threads, you’ll be hit by eBay and Paypal fees. It can be a bit frustrating.
Most of the items I sold went for less than we’d hoped for, which was annoying to say the least. However, if you have several brand new or high-value items that you no longer want, I’d recommend giving it a go. After all, you’re likely to get more for high quality stuff on eBay than you’d get on Facebook or on a car boot sale.
2. Facebook groups
Whether you’ve got high or low value items to sell, Buy, Sell and Swap sites on Facebook can be a great way of making money with minimum effort. You won’t have to leave the comfort of your own sofa (except to open the door) as the buyer will come to you.
However, adult clothing doesn’t usually do as well on Facebook as toys, furniture, and electrical items. Baby and children’s clothes often see a better result as long as you’re willing to sell them at a good price!
Be wary of time wasters. Some people will message you and offer to buy an item, only to never turn up. Since you’re selling clothes, there’s also a risk that someone will come round, try the item on and change their mind. Consider selling clothes in bulk to buyers to make more money and have a good clear out.
3. Depop
Shopping app, Depop makes it really easy for people to sell unwanted clothes. All you have to do is take a photo of the item on your phone, list it on Depop, and share it on social media before waiting for someone to purchase it.
It’s growing in popularity too, making it easier for sellers to see the back of their items. The app was downloaded 1.8m times in 2014 and more than one million new products are listed each month.
It’s free to download and listing is also free. However, Depop will add a 10% fee on the total price of each sale. I’d say that’s still a pretty good deal. Don’t forget though, Paypal will also add charges once payments have been made.
4. BuyMyWardrobe
If your wardrobe is overflowing with expensive and designer items, BuyMyWardrobe might be your best bet. It started in 2008 as a fashion event for recycling designer clothes, but due to growing demand from both buyers and sellers, a website was introduced with over 95,000 users.
I personally think it’s a great idea as as you’d certainly struggle to get a good price for designer items on a car boot sale or on Facebook.
Since I don’t really own any designer clothes, I haven’t used this website before myself. If you have, I’d love to update this post with your thoughts. Get in touch!
5. Car boot sales
If you have a lot of old clothes and very little time to spare, I’d definitely recommend having a car boot sale. Park up at around 6am and you could have a few hundred pounds by lunch time. However, car boot sales are also a bit of a gamble. You could end up walking away having sold very little. It really is a case of you win some you lose some. Nevertheless, if you just want to see the back of things and don’t have loads of spare hours to devote to eBay, I’d give a car boot a go. Driving home with very little in the boot of your car, but a hell of a lot in your wallet is a great feeling.
Have I missed anything? If you’ve got any other suggestions for ways to sell old clothes please get in touch in the comments or send me a tweet @CantSwingACat.
Charity Shops eBay Making Money Money Thrifty
Buying From Charity Shops To Sell On Ebay: Is It Fair?
Up until recently, I wasn’t too keen on the idea of buying things from charity shops to sell on Ebay for a profit. I had two main reasons:
- I used to tell myself that virtually every donation is being bought by people who will use it and love it themselves
- I was worried that if people kept snapping up things they don’t actually want, purely to make a quick buck, there wouldn’t be many treats left for genuine charity shop lovers on the hunt for something special
I never thought these eBayers were doing anything wrong (there’s no laws against making a profit from charity shop finds) but I did feel like such a tactic was taking a little magic away from these secondhand havens.
Since I started helping out at a charity shop, however, my opinion on this has really changed. Here’s why…
Today has been a bad day for eBay. Last week I listed loads of clothes on the auction site hoping to earn some extra pennies towards my deposit. But then this happened….
I’m devastated. I was hoping to get at least a fiver for each item. With many items having up to 12 ‘watchers’ in the last few days of the listing, I thought that some items might even fetch a tenner. How wrong I was!
I’m feeling a bit down about all this and I’m starting to wonder whether eBay is worth the hassle. Sure, when you add all the items together that I’ve sold, I’ve not done too badly, but once I take Paypal and eBay fees into account my profits do drop. Also, when I think about the hours I’ve put into listing everything I feel like it’s been a massive waste of time.
Also, who are these people who will consider bidding on this top when it’s 99p only to change their minds and not bother when it reaches £1.04. Are you kidding me?!
Arghhhhhhh!!! Now I have to pack these clothes and treck to the post office on my lunch break on Monday with a bag full of them.
I’m probably more upset than I should be, but I just feel like I’ve wasted so much time.
I’m trying to make myself feel better by reminding myself that none of these clothes fit me any more and so if I hadn’t sold them on eBay, they’d only be sat in my wardrobe gathering dust.
Also, it’s not like there’s much of an alternative. While some of these items could have fetched more on a car boot sale, others, like the flowery Tesco shorts, would probably have sold for just a quid. If I had of tried to sell them on Buy, Sell and Swap groups, I could easily have found myself sat waiting by the door for people who wouldn’t bother to turn up to collect them.
Please tell me I’m not alone in feeling this miserable when something doesn’t sell for as much as originally planned. How do you tackle it? Do you make sure you charge more for other items that you sell, or do you adopt a ‘you win some, you lose some’ approach? Let me know in the comments below!
I’ve been using eBay for about a month now and it’s going well so far. I’ve managed to sell a few shirts on behalf of my brother, and while I have to give him a cut of my takings, I’ve saved up a few quid towards my house deposit.
After having a massive wardrobe clear-out last week though, I’ve decided that for the next few weeks I’m going to focus on selling some of my own clothes.
Here are just a few of the items I’m selling on eBay this week. If you’d like to buy anything, please take a look at my current eBay collection 🙂 Happy to reduce delivery cost and group multiple items together.
I couldn’t resist buying these skirty-looking shorts when I spotted them in Tesco last summer, but I never actually got round to wearing them. Having lost weight, they don’t really fit me now, so I thought I’d let someone else have them. They’re a Size 14 and at a starting bid of just 99p.
I’ve had this H&M cardigan for a few years now but I’ve only worn it a handful of times. I love the sequin pockets, but it’s just not really my style. Size: Small. Starting Bid: 99p.
I bought this pretty white top from Miss Selfridge a few years ago but have never actually worn it. Size: 12. Starting Bid: 99p.
I loved this black and white bodycon dress as soon as I spotted it in Debenhams, but it’s a bit too big for me now. I love the contrasting patterns, and loved wearing it with brightly coloured jewellery. Size: 12. Starting Bid: 99p.
The navy blue Topshop blouse above is one of my favourite items of clothing I’ve ever owned. I love the Peter Pan collar and the buttons and the pattern. It’s just gorgeous. But despite losing weight, it’s still too small for me. Time to say goodbye and pass it over to someone else who will love it as much as I do. Size: 10. Starting Bid: 99p.
This top is the same style as the one above but with a different pattern. You might not believe me, but I actually saw a photo in a magazine a while ago of Pixie Lott wearing it! I just wish I could find the photo somewhere. My favourite way of wearing it was tucked into shorts. I can’t believe how skinny I used to be, because this used to fit me perfectly but it’s a struggle to even button up now. Size: 8. Starting Bid: 99p.
This top is from Miss Selfridge and looks great tucked into shorts or a skirt. It also looks pretty nice with jeans. I love the little pocket on the chest too. Time to pass it on to someone who will wear it more than me, though. Size: 12. Starting Bid: 99p.
I bought these Miss Selfridge shorts in December and have only worn them a handful of times. I love the pattern and the fact that they look more like a skirt due to the triangle-esque bits at the front. Size: 14. Starting Bid: 99p.
Have you had a wardrobe clear-out lately? How much stuff have you managed to get rid of? If you spot anything that you like, please take a look at my eBay, JenSavingUp (cheesy name, I know).
After months of procrastination, I’ve finally set up my own eBay account to sell old clothes. I’ve been meaning to get started for ages but for a while I really struggled to find the time.
My parents’ house is currently full of unwanted clothes. My mum has tons of stuff she’s keen to get rid of, I have loads of dresses that no longer fit me, and my brother, who has fairly expensive taste, has plenty of Hollister and Abercrombie and Fitch shirts that he has barely worn. Kerching!
Usually we tend to get rid of clothes during car boot sales, a great way of getting rid of loads of stuff all in one go. The problem with car boot sales though is you do find yourself selling items for far less than you’d originally hoped. You’d be lucky to get more than a quid for a Fred Perry t-shirt that you paid £50 for and have only worn twice. And this dilemma is kind of what spurred me on to give eBay a try.
Rather than jumping in at the deep end, I thought I’d start by advertising just a few items to test the water. So I’ve decided to start with a few of my brother’s clothes that are at the cheaper end of the scale (If you call Topman cheap). There’s just one problem…no one is placing any bids!
Boosting feedback
Since I’m new to the world of eBay and no one has left me any feedback yet, it could be that potential buyers don’t have the confidence to buy from me in case I don’t send them the items they’ve paid for.
So I’ve done a little research to find out how I can boost my eBay score. One of the most common tips I’ve found on numerous websites suggests buying a few items from other sellers to prove that you are a prompt payer.
I can’t help but think that this is not without its risks. First of all, people don’t actually have to leave feedback at all, so I may end up buying things that I don’t really need only to not receive the feedback that I do need!
Retaining profits
Also, buying items in the first place will eat into my profits, particularly since what I’m selling at the moment isn’t of high value.
I currently have nine items listed on the website (eBay says I can only list 10 each month). Six tops have a starting price of £1.50, and three start at 99p. I’m charging £3.50 for delivery to begin with, which should cover the cost of packaging and sending each item.
But in order to avoid making this whole thing a waste of time, when buying just for the sake of building up my score, I’m going to have to be careful to only get things that I really need. So no clothes! I’m currently contemplating buying a year’s supply of toothpaste so at least it will get used… but I’m concerned that the seller might not leave me feedback anyway. Argh!
Detailed descriptions
If no one has placed any bids by the end of the week, I’m going to look at improving the description I’ve included with each item. I’ve already put a bit of effort in with info such as the following:
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Used but in excellent condition. Only worn a couple of times.
From a smoke-free home.
I will post the item within 2 working days of receiving payment.
Label: To fit chest 38-40”/96-101CM Please message me if you have any questions
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But I guess I could include measurements from pit-to-pit and length of the arm too. I could also include more photos to give people a better indication of how the shirts look.
Since I’m a newbie to the world of eBay, I’d love to hear from you if you have any tips for getting people to give me feedback without wasting money. What do you think are the most useful items to buy when you just want to boost feedback and get people to trust you?
If you fancy having a nosey at my eBay account, you can find me at jensavingup.