Is your closet overflowing with clothes and shoes that you haven’t worn in ages? Or maybe you have a ton of apparel and footwear, but desperately need more space because you’re planning to downsize or want peace of mind. Either way, there are several options to earn money by selling your items both online and offline.
Here are some ideas to get you started:
How to Sell Your Clothes and Shoes Online
eBay
This massive online marketplace allows you to sell clothes and shoes online at the tap of a fingertip. eBay has over 170 million buyers and you can list up to 50 items each month free of charge. Even better, you won’t have to pay a commission (referred to as a final value fee) until you make a sale. And in most instances, the selling fee will not exceed 10 percent.
Looking to list more than 50 items per month? It’ll only cost you $0.35 per listing (referred to as the insertion fee), which is a small price to pay to possibly earn hundreds of dollars. Looking to get started with eBay? Visit eBay Seller Center to learn more about the process.
Grailed
Grailed offers the latest apparel and footwear from some of the hottest designers on the market, including A Bathing Ape, Gucci, Raf Simons, Saint Laurent Paris, and Supreme. You can find their comprehensive list of featured designers here.
They offer four listing categories for sellers:
- Grails: offerings from high-end designers, including Balmain, Gucci, Rick Ownes, and Saint Laurent
- Hype: upcoming new releases that are highly anticipated from top brands, like Bape, BBC, Jordan, and Yeezy
- Sartorial: high-end menswear that is classic in nature from brands like Alden, Boglioli, Brunello Cucinelli, and Tom Ford
- Core: mainstream brands, including Gap, H&M, J. Crew, Polo, and Zara
To start selling with Grailed, you’ll need to create an online account. The next step is to upload three or more high-quality photos of your item, select a category, write a detailed description, and choose a price. Once the item sells, you’ll be compensated, minus a 6 percent commission on all domestic and international sales. A PayPal fee of 2.9 percent plus 30 cents per sale will also apply.
Mercari
Mercari is a popular mobile app that allows you to sell just about anything, including clothes and shoes. Prospective buyers can also peruse and purchase listed items directly from the web.
To become a seller on Mercari, register for an account through the mobile app or online, and create your listings. You can start making sales right away and what’s even better is that Mercari will email shipping labels directly to you. You should also know that a 10 percent selling fee applies to each sale. However, there’s no cost to list items in the online marketplace.
Poshmark
If this isn’t your first rodeo selling clothes and shoes online, you’ve probably heard of Poshmark. In case you haven’t, it’s one of the top online marketplaces to buy and sell apparel and footwear. But since you’ll be on the selling side, you should know that Poshmark has millions of users, which means your items won’t have a hard time getting noticed.
They offer goods from designers across the board, from high-end to extremely affordable. To date, they have more than 5,000 brands represented and over 25 million items on their platform.
So no matter what you have at your disposal, there’s probably someone interested in taking it off your hands. Even better, it only takes 30 to 60 seconds to list your item using an iOS or Android device and share it with shoppers. As a seller, you can also host a Posh Party with friends.
Once you have a buyer, Poshmark will send you a USPS Priority Mail pre-paid label and you’ll get paid once the item is delivered. Keep in mind that the following fee applies to each transaction:
- Commission of $2.95 for transactions up to $14.99
- Commission of 20 percent of the sales amount for transactions over $15
Ready to start selling on Poshmark? Download the mobile app and create your first listing.
Swap.com
Swap.com, an online thrift store, allows you to put your items on consignment from the comforts of your home. But they are very selective with who they allow to list and sell items on their platform. You’ll have to apply for consideration through the Premier Seller Program.
The qualification criteria are as follows:
- You must have over 250 high-quality items to sell.
- All items must be stylish and of interest to potential buyers.
- Items must be gently used or new.
If you fit the bill, feel free to apply online via the website. Upon acceptance into the program, you’ll be provided with additional information regarding the opportunity, like fees and payment processing times. Even better, you’ll work exclusively with a team dedicated to helping you list the best items you have in your arsenal so you can make top dollar.
Tradesy
Tradesy is another online platform that sells designer apparel and footwear. And they have a vast selection of the top items from the hottest designers, including Alexander McQueen, Burberry, Chanel, Christian Louboutin, Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Michael Kors, Tory Burch, and Valentino.
They take the hassle out of selling your goods by offering you a free kit that includes shipping supplies and a pre-paid, pre-addressed label. So, all you have to worry about is snapping a few picks and drafting up a description of your item. Tradesy will handle the rest.
With regards to commissions, the following fees apply:
- Items up to $50: $7.50 flat-rate commission
- Items over $50: 19.8 percent commission rate
You can start listing items on Tradesy via the mobile app or on your personal computer. It only takes a few minutes to set up your profile. And once you’ve made your first sale, you can have funds deposited to your bank account via ACH transfer, sent to your debit card, or transferred to your PayPal account.
The RealReal
The RealReal is another online luxury marketplace that offers apparel, footwear, household goods, and much more from luxury designers. Their roster of top designers includes
Celine, Chanel, Gucci, Hermes, and Prada. You can view a list of all their designers here.
They offer three consignment options:
- Direct shipping (sellers received a pre-paid, pre-addressed shipping label)
- In-person visits (available in select markets)
- In-home pickup (available in select markets)
Consignors have the option to sign up using their email address or Facebook account. And as a way to say thank you, The RealReal will apply a $25 credit to your account.
Heroine
Heroine is an online marketplace dedicated exclusively to women’s fashion and streetwear. The apparel and footwear found on their site are from all the top female designers. You can start selling in minutes by creating an online account and linking it to your PayPal Business Account.
You’re responsible for setting the prices on your items. But the platform is unique as it allows you to accept offers from prospective buyers until you receive one that you deem appropriate. Even better, no deal is finalized until the buyer remits payment, so that means you can continue to accept higher offers in the meantime and possibly get more money for your goods.
Once the sale is final, funds will be deposited into your PayPal account and available for withdrawal within three business days. The amount you receive will be the sales price minus a 6 percent commission and a PayPal fee of 2.9 percent plus 30 cents per transaction. (International transactions are subject to a slightly higher PayPal fee of 4.4 percent plus 30 cents per transaction).
buyMYheels
Do you have a collection of designer heels you’d like to unload to make room for more styles from your favorite designer? buyMYheels.com makes it easy to earn fast cash for your heels from the comforts of your home.
You can sell as many items as you’d like at any given time, but each shoe must be listed separately. It’s also up to you to decide how much you’d like to price each item for. However, if an item remains unsold for over one month, buyMYheels.com will strongly suggest that you lower the price.
Quick note: At the time of publication, their site was under construction and all ads were being run through their Facebook community page. Until the site is complete, you can upload listings free of charge.
Kixify
Do you want to set up your very own online shop to sell your sneakers? Look no further than Kixify. Their pool of customers include both everyday consumers and avid collectors or sneakerheads, so you shouldn’t have a hard time getting those new or gently used kicks off your hands.
Ready to start selling? You can sign up on the website in minutes. Once your online shop is set up, you’ll be able to upload as many listings as you’d like, interact with prospective buyers, and monitor sales activity.
It’s free to open a store and list shoes on Kixify, but all sales are subject to an 8 percent commission. This amount is deducted immediately following the sale and before the funds are deposited into your PayPal account.
How to Sell Your Clothes and Shoes Offline
5miles
Launched in 2015, 5miles is a mobile app that allows you to sell your items to local buyers. When you post an item using your smartphone, the mobile app automatically detects your GPS location and promotes your offerings to buyers in your local area. To date, the 5miles has over 14 million users and have processed over $6 billion in transactions.
The app is currently available to sellers in select cities across Alaska, Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, North Carolina, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.
You can start selling your clothes and shoes through 5miles by visiting their website or downloading the mobile app. If you choose the latter, the app is available for download on iOS and Android devices.
Consignment Shops
Prefer to ditch technology altogether? Try consignment shops in your area. While you may have to wait until your item sells to get cash, you can rest assured that they’ll put forth the effort to get your clothes and shoes in the hands of customers. You can find local consignments shops through Google or by using this comprehensive search tool from The Thrifter’s Guide. It also doesn’t hurt to ask around for recommendations who’ve consigned clothing in apparel in the past.
Craigslist
Craigslist is free to use and can connect you with local buyers in a jiffy. The key here is to use enticing photos and headlines to capture the attention of prospective buyers. And when you do get a hit, be sure to meet in a public place, like the mall or McDonald’s, to finalize the transaction.
Flea Markets
Flea Markets are another inexpensive way to sell your clothes and shoes for cash. In most instances, you can secure a booth for $20 or less and set up shop all day until you’ve met your earnings goals or are out of merchandise. You can use this tool from Flea Market Zone to find a flea market or swap meet near you.
Garage Sales
Have an empty garage or some space in your front yard? Host a yard sale and list your clothes and shoes at a price point that your prospective customers can’t resist. It’s free and you can always donate or consign the items you don’t sell.
VarageSale
Do you like the idea of hosting your very own garage sale but without all the hassle that comes with setting up displays and standing in the hot sun or frigid cold all day greeting potential customers? Consider using VarageSale, which is an online version of a garage sale that can help you get money for clothes and shoes sooner than later.
The Bottom Line
By giving one of these options a shot, you should be able to earn some extra dough. And if all else fails, list them on Facebook Marketplace or head into Plato’s Closet to see how much you can get for your items.
