Is that floral dress or striped sweater no longer bringing you joy? Well, a solution can be to declutter and list your used clothing items online. Making money and getting rid of used clothing has never been easier, all with the use of our mobile devices. There are different websites and clothing apps available to help you set up your own shop from the comfort of your house. By decluttering and selling clothes, this sustainable practice can help our planet too while making extra cash — talk about a win-win situation for everyone. To get started with selling clothes online, here are the top platforms to use.
ThredUp
A perfect fit for: Sellers looking to get rid of multiple women’s & children’s clothing all at once or for those who don’t have time to manually list items.
Amount of effort needed: Low
To start off, create an account using the ThredUp application or on a desktop. However, setting up on a mobile device is much quicker! Click ThredUp’s “Clean Out” option. You can choose to have a shipping label emailed to you or choose to get a mailed bag for $2.99 with an added $14.99 service fee. For those choosing the emailed shipping label option, customers can paste these labels on any box or bag of their choosing. Next, bring your Clean Out kit to a local FedEx or USPS location.
Women’s and children’s clothing is accepted but ThredUp has high quality standards they go by. Clothes that are sent should be clean, new, or like new, and show no signs of damage or wear. Once your bag arrives, ThredUp inspects it and then lists the items that have past their pre-screening. Now for the earning money part, ThredUp pays you a percentage of the final selling price that has been set.
For clothes that didn’t make it past the screening, customers can opt to have them sent back to their home address or choose for their clothes to be recycled. ThredUp is a great platform to get rid of a good chunk of clothing at a time but earning a decent profit is a 50-50 chance. If more expensive brands are sent, the higher the earnings.
Poshmark
A perfect fit for: Sellers who want to set up their own rates/listings and be more hands-on with the selling process.
Amount of effort needed: Medium
At Poshmark, you have the chance to create listings for your very own items. Women’s clothing, men’s clothing, kids’ clothing, accessories, and shoes are just a few of the wide range of items that can be sold. All brands are accepted here like Old Navy, Free People, Coach, Lululemon, and more. It starts off with sellers taking/uploading pictures of their items on the platform, listing item information, and setting prices. Once an item is sold, Poshmark sends you a pre-paid shipping label. Then, sellers pack the item, paste the label, and send it off to their local USPS store. The package can be tracked via the app once the label is scanned.
If your item was sold under $15, Poshmark does take a $2.95 commission. For items sold over $15, Poshmark takes a 20% commission and sellers take 80%. When it comes to this platform, there is a significant way to make a profit as sellers take the most part of the earnings once items are sold. There may be times when business is slow but Poshmark is a great way to make a sufficient amount of money.
Mercari
A perfect fit for: Sellers looking to list everyday clothing at their own rates.
Amount of effort needed: Medium
Next up, we have another platform that is very similar to Poshmark, which is Mercari. All kinds of clothing are allowed on the platform from women’s, men’s, and children’s. New, like-new, and pre-owned items are allowed. Then, create an account and start taking pictures of the items you want to be sold. Create a listing and set a rate then wait for your item to sell. Once an item is sold, Mercari emails a pre-paid shipping label that is a “competitive, fixed-rate pricing for packages that weigh up to 50 lbs,” according to the website. If choosing this option, sellers can opt to pay for the shipping themselves or make the buyer pay for it.
There is also a choice to use your own label but it must have a valid tracking number. However, sellers should note that the package won’t have any shipping protection. We may be talking about clothing in this article — but, for more extra earnings, electronics, decor, toys, and other items can also be listed.
Depop
A perfect fit for: Sellers looking to profit from selling the latest clothing trends.
Amount of effort needed: Medium
Both men’s and women’s wear is accepted through the Depop platform. When it comes to Depop, there are a range of categories that can be sold like shoes, handbags, accessories, outerwear, beauty items, and even decor. This platform definitely highlights current trendy brands from Skims to Juicy Couture and clothing pieces like baby tees. First, begin by creating an account and listing your item with a suggested amount of four pictures/videos. From there, include an informative description of the item with what brand it is and the sizing. Listing an item is free but once an item is sold 10% commission is given to Depop.
When it comes to shipping, you can ship your own item by yourself or ship with Depop. Independent sellers can use the shipping carrier and service that seems the best fit. While shipping with Depop, sellers can drop off the item at the local carrier or have it picked up from your home address. Just like Mercari and Poshmark, the earnings made are entirely yours.
eBay
A perfect fit for: Sellers looking to sell everyday items.
Amount of effort needed: Medium
eBay can be considered as one of the earliest online selling platforms. It was founded back in 1995 when the internet was reaching its peak. It has evolved through the years but it continues to be a platform perfect for selling clothing (and other items). Start off by listing new or used items and a final value fee needs to be paid once the item is sold. A starting price can be set as you as the seller can watch people bid on your listed item.
There is a “Buy It Now” option which can be sold at a fixed price. Or, sellers can simultaneously choose both items at once to see the offers made on the clothing pieces. There is more extensive information to know about how eBay’s fees work and can be read in its entirety here. The first 250 listings made each month are free but require a $0.35 insertion fee afterward.
Nuuly Thrift
A perfect fit for: Sellers looking to sell clothing of different brands.
Amount of effort needed: Medium
Back in 2021, Urban Outfitters launched their own thrifting and resale marketplace, Nuuly Thrift. Just like other online platforms, women’s, men’s, and kids’ clothing are accepted by any brand. Owning Urban Outfitters clothing isn’t a requirement for Nuuly Thrift. Something to note is that the Nuuly Thrift app is currently only available to Apple users which can be a disadvantage.
If you’re an Apple user, create a free account and begin listing items by including pictures and a description. Once items are sold, Nuuly Thrift takes a 20% commission based on the item’s listing price. Then, sellers can transfer their earnings to their bank account or convert it into “Nuuly Cash.” This currency is exclusive credit for the platform to purchase items off of Nuuly Thrift. It is also valid for in-person shopping at any URBN store: Urban Outfitters, Anthropologie, Free People, BHLDN, or Terrain.
Main image by Leighann Blackwood
Will you be using any of these platforms to sell clothes?
Let us know in the comments!
