K25 Clearing out Your Closet Where to Sell Used Clothes for Cash

Clearing out Your Closet: Where to Sell Used Clothes for Cash

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You can wear most garments for quite a while before they actually wear out. For the most part, you get tired of the stuff in your closet long before it becomes necessary to throw them away: maybe bell-bottom jeans don’t suit you as well as you thought they would, or you’ve just realized that wearing faux fur makes you look like a squirrel.

Whenever I sell used clothes for cash near me, the most time-consuming part of the process is picking out what I can do without. Anything I haven’t worn in a few months or won’t be interested in once the weather changes goes into the box more or less automatically. Doing so can give you a welcome cash infusion, frees up space in your wardrobe, and allows you to update your style. Do you know, however, where to sell clothes for cash with a minimum of hassle while still getting the best price? Understanding what options are open to you can save you a lot of time, as well as help fund a shopping spree to replace what you’ve just gotten rid of.

How Much Money Should I Expect for My Used Clothes?

Anything, including second-hand clothing, is worth what a buyer is willing to pay for it. This makes it important to choose your marketplace carefully. If you sell clothes near me in the university neighborhood, for instance, trendy items aimed at younger people will fetch a relatively high price. Conversely, trying to unload a parka in Texas will mean accepting less money for it.

Most often, the question of where to sell my clothes isn’t so important that I’m willing to spend hours on finding the best possible option. In other words, I prefer to sell clothes online whenever possible. When you do the same, you’ll find that two things improve the price you can expect: brand names and classic style. How the first works should be obvious: if something has a Gucci label last year, it still has one today – in fact, snatching up branded apparel one fashion cycle old is a great way to get quality garments for less.

The second factor requires a bit more explanation. Some styles, perhaps just after being endorsed by some celebrity, only remain popular for a few months. Others, like leather jackets and LBDs (little black dresses), are far more flexible and will always be sought after. Of course, if items like these form part of your wardrobe, you’re much less likely to want to part with them in the first place, unless you’re looking to upgrade to something similar.

what kind of used clothes sell best
Photo by Rusty Clark

If you’re selling an item from a well-known manufacturer or classy independent boutique in as-new condition, you could ask for as much as two-thirds of the ordinary retail price. If it’s even slightly worn, you should halve that number. For well-used, run-of-the-mill clothing, you’ll be doing well if you get a quarter or more of what you paid for it, with 10% being more realistic – though this is still a handy source of cash.

Tips on Selling Used Clothing

In the interest of selling your discarded clothes as quickly, painlessly, and for the best price possible, here are a couple of things to keep in mind:

  • Take good care of your clothes. This doesn’t take much effort and lets you wear them with pride for longer, in addition to making them easier to sell when you’re tired of them.
  • Wash, iron, and fold your clothes before shipping or taking them to a consignment store. This definitely affects the likelihood of them being returned or not selling for what they’re worth.
  • Underwear can’t be sold or even donated. You wouldn’t want to wear another person’s briefs, they don’t want yours either.
  • Especially if you plan to sell clothes online, make an effort to create the best possible description. Take plenty of high-quality photos and mention details like the brand and size.
  • If you have plenty of clothes or a couple of unique, high-quality items to sell, you may want to think outside the box. We have another article here that may give you a few more ideas on where to sell used clothes.

Where to Sell My Clothes? The Best Consignment and Second-Hand Clothing Websites

Before we continue, let’s quickly discuss the difference between a store that will buy your used clothes and a consignment shop. Selling your old clothes “on consignment” means that you retain ownership of them but a company tries to find a buyer on your behalf. Once they’re sold on, you and the consignment store share the proceeds.

Each has its advantages and drawbacks: a store that buys used clothes directly from the seller may not give you the best price, but cash finds its way into your pocket immediately. When dealing with a consignment business, clothes that aren’t in high demand may take weeks or months to sell, but you’ll probably make a larger profit. Note that most online clothing exchanges work on a consignment-only basis, as it would be difficult for them to value an item based on photos and a description alone.

Now, let’s see where to sell used clothes online:

ThredUp

When you tell them you have some garments to get rid of, ThredUp will send you a “kit”, which is basically just a bag or box you can fill with all the unwanted items in your closet. You can then either request that they pick it up at your home or drop it off at a FedEx or post office.

You only get paid for the items they deem valuable enough to sell, and only once they’re sold on. ThredUp claims that about 40% of what they receive ends up for sale on their website, but they don’t accept every kind of item. Specifically, they don’t deal in men’s wear. Whatever they choose not to sell will be donated to charity or recycled. You can also pay them $12.99 to ship any items they don’t want back to you.

Fashion waste is a real problem, while many charities and individual donors don’t really have the time or knowledge to sort the wheat from the chaff when it comes to clothing. If these issues concern you, ThredUp is possibly your best choice for the convenience factor alone. Should you have a couple of high-end items to sell and want to get the best prices for them, though, ThredUp isn’t where to sell clothes for cash.

ship off old clothes for sale
Photo by Matthew Clark

Poshmark

Whereas ThredUp’s business is slanted towards environmental and social sustainability, Poshmark is more of a community marketplace specializing in high-end, slightly used garments and accessories. If you’re not sure whether to donate a particular item, trash it, or sell it for cash, you’re probably better off looking elsewhere. Using their app or website can become a little addictive: just like with Instagram, you can follow other users’ profiles or be followed, allowing others to see what’s in your closet.

You will be expected to create an attractive listing yourself, including photographs. You can also set what you believe to be a fair price. Should an item sell, Poshmark will take 20% as a service fee, or $2.95 for items below $15. Arguably, you get your money’s worth with them: not only are both sellers and buyers protected when using this platform, Poshmark will also send you a pre-paid shipping label once an item sells.

Items in pretty much all categories can be listed for sale here as long as they’re in good condition and from recognizable brands. If you’re not all that into fashion, however, getting started as a seller on Poshmark can be a challenge: you’ll be facing huge competition from other vendors, and shoppers on this website tend to be discriminating in their choices.

Le Prix

Even more so than Poshmark, Le Prix focuses on designer labels. This makes this website a good option for earning some extra money, but only if you own a good selection of suitable garments and accessories you want to convert into cash.

Although you can request that they send you a free pre-paid shipping label to ship your stuff to them, Le Prix seems to prefer that you visit one of their partner boutiques – if you’re in a major city, there’s probably one within driving distance, but don’t hold your breath if you live in rural Montana. This allows a knowledgeable professional to examine your goods for quality and authenticity. You don’t have as much control over the prices and selling process as with Poshmark, but this may be an advantage if you own some expensive threads without being very interested in the fashion scene as such.

Tradesy

Tradesy works in much the same way as Poshmark: you upload photos and a description of whatever garment you wish to sell, and the website more or less takes care of the rest. Their commission structure is slightly different, though: Tradesy takes $7.50 for each item sold for under $50 and 19.8% of everything above. Again like Poshmark, you don’t need to worry about shipping: as soon as you make a sale, you can print out a pre-paid shipping label costing $12.80 and just drop the consignment off at your local post office. You also have the option of mailing it yourself if this works out cheaper.

Tradesy is a female-owned company and focuses on woman’s wear. One interesting aspect of this company is that they have a separate section for weddings; most similar websites will not be interested in your pre-worn wedding dress. Other great features of this selling platform are that the app will show you a suggested price for each item you want to sell (which you’re free to ignore, but probably shouldn’t), and that someone will review your listing and touch up any photos that need it before it’s published – many of the ads on other sites could really benefit from this service.

Etsy

Most clothing exchanges, online as well as on Main Street, prefer to buy brand-name clothing and may not accept anything else. Even clothes that have undergone minor alterations are likely to be rejected.

get cash for vintage clothing

Etsy, on the other hand, is the go-to destination for the arts-and-crafts crowd and does indeed allow you to sell clothes online. They do have their own requirements, though: any garment advertised here has to be either handmade or vintage, meaning more than twenty years old. This makes it the perfect place to get rid of white elephant items for what they’re really worth, even though they may not appeal to the mass market. Creating an ad on Etsy costs only 20 cents, while their commissions and payment processing fees are highly competitive.

Grailed

Unsurprisingly, most online clothing exchanges focus on women, with children’s clothes sometimes included as an afterthought. Grailed is therefore one of the go-to options for the fashion-conscious male.

Buyers can browse by category, designer, or even style; in fact, the main site is divided into four “markets” that each caters to a specific kind of clothing. European, American, and Far Eastern brands are all well represented, as are vintage pieces you’ll have trouble finding anywhere else.

As a seller, you’re looking at a commission of only 9%, though about 3% is tacked on by Paypal in the form of transaction fees (and somewhat more for international sales). The website or app will walk you through the process of creating a high-quality listing and optionally show you for how much similar items have sold in the past. Unfortunately, especially as Grailed functions internationally, shipping is not as straightforward as with platforms like Tradesy or ThredUp – you may have to deal with returns, insurance, and taxes yourself.

where to sell mens clothes online

Other Online Marketplaces: eBay, Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, and More

Especially if you have a seller rating you’d like to improve and you only plan to sell clothes online this once, the question of where to sell used clothes becomes somewhat different. Using an existing account on a platform like eBay may be more convenient and allows you total control when you sell clothes online. On the other hand, fashion exchanges like Tradesy and Poshmark take care of most of the nuts and bolts involved in a sale, while less specialized platforms place a far larger share of the responsibility on your shoulders.

Keep in mind that shoppers looking for high-end, branded fashion will probably be searching on one of the other websites listed above. If the clothing you’re looking to sell is more on the utilitarian side, however, using classified ads or general-purpose e-commerce websites may be worth your while.

VarageSale is worth a particular mention in this regard. Like Facebook Marketplace, the idea is to advertise stuff you might otherwise sell at a garage sale online but mainly to people in your immediate area. Again, you wouldn’t use this to sell a Louis Vuitton handbag for top dollar, but it could help you offload something like a weird assortment of old dresses and shirts. If someone were to ask where to sell used baby clothes for cash near me, VarageSale would probably be my first recommendation.

Stores Where I Can Sell Used Clothes for Cash Near Me

For various reasons, many people remain leery of doing business online. Fortunately, I can probably find a place to sell clothes near me just by walking through the shopping district. Most likely, you already know of a suitable consignment or second-hand store in your area. If you still don’t know where to sell used clothes for cash without using the internet, you can try locating the closest outlet of the following companies:

local consignment stores accept old clothes

Buffalo Exchange

A great place to shop as well as sell clothes near me, Buffalo Exchange operates in 17 states. Pretty much any kind of garment can be sold here as long as it’s in good condition, and most stores have long-standing partnerships with local charities. After arriving in person with your used clothing (you have to make an appointment), you’ll receive 25% of the sticker price as determined by Buffalo Exchange via Paypal or half in the form of store credit.

Plato’s Closet

With several hundred stores scattered all over North America, Plato’s Closet also trades in a wide variety of goods, though they specialize mainly in brands and styles that will appeal to teens and young adults. Assuming that your goods meet their standards, you’ll be paid in cash without having to wait for your items to leave the rack. Style Encore is owned by the same company and may give you a better deal on fashionable women’s wear.

Uptown Cheapskate

Like Plato’s Closet, Uptown Cheapskate will happily buy lightly worn middle-of-the-road brands like Urban Outfitters, Old Navy, and Zara, especially in styles appropriate for trendy younger people. Simply turn up with what you want to get rid of, get it appraised by a staff member, and get paid a quarter to 35% of what they will sell it for in cash. This is probably where to sell used clothes you’re planning to replace, as you can get approximately an additional 25% if you ask for store credit instead. They will also accept some more expensive items on a consignment basis.

Clothes Mentor

For women only, Clothes Mentor can be found in 28 states and, along with ThredUp, is one of the few places where lightly used maternity wear and plus-size clothing can fetch a good price. Of course, they still prefer to buy stylish, in-demand garments; each store accepts items based on its own needs. Payouts are in cash and amount to about a quarter of what they will price it as.

Once Upon a Child

Being a parent is hectic enough; finding out where to sell used baby clothes for cash near me is one chore I can do without. Fortunately, getting rid of all that outgrown clothing doesn’t need to be complicated: simply bundle up the whole lot and take it down to one of Once Upon a Child‘s 350 stores. They also accept items like cribs, strollers, and toys.

where to sell used baby clothes for cash

Photo by ParentingPatch

Donating Clothes for a Tax Credit

Most probably, you’re reading this to find out where to sell clothes for cash. If you’re treading water financially, giving them away instead may seem like a step in the wrong direction. There is another aspect to this, though:

Qualifying charitable donations reduce your taxable income. In other words, you pay less tax when you give to the needy, and your contribution may be either in cash or in goods such as used clothes. This isn’t quite the same as money in your pocket, but it isn’t a trivial benefit either.

The most important thing to remember is that you have to get a receipt for the “fair market value”, as estimated by you, of your donation. This amount will generally be significantly more than you’ll receive from a consignment or second-hand clothing store. Most charities that accept donations of this type are quite familiar with the process and will gladly fill out the paperwork for you as long as you ask.

If actually visiting a charity store seems like too much work, you’re in luck. GiveBackBox will ship your goods for free as well as issue a receipt acceptable to the IRS. Unfortunately, if you take the standard deduction instead of itemizing your income tax return, only donations in cash can be claimed on top of this (and only to the sum of $300).

When and Where to Sell Clothes

Marie Kondo became famous a few years back by, of all possible things to be recognized for, teaching people how to tidy and de-clutter their homes and lives. Her guiding principle: if something doesn’t make you happy, ditch it.

Even if you sort-of try to apply this philosophy in your own life, chances are that a quick survey of your closet will reveal that at least a third of the stuff in there:

  • doesn’t fit, and perhaps never did,
  • was only useful for a job you no longer have,
  • is only hanging around for sentimental reasons,
  • doesn’t look as good on you as you thought it would and therefore never gets worn, or
  • is something you keep “just in case”.

These garments don’t add anything to your quality of life just by hanging there; in fact, since they make it more difficult to find the items you do like to put on, they cost you time every day. The only solution is to bite the bullet and get rid of them.

If you’re lucky enough to have some designer brands in good condition, you can sell clothes online for a useful sum. Less sought-after clothes may still bring you beer money if you hand them in at a second-hand store, and even giving them away can earn you a little something in the form of a reduction on your tax bill. The extra cash, however, is simply a bonus: you’ll be surprised how much freedom you obtain by removing things that aren’t useful from your life.


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    28 thoughts on “Clearing out Your Closet: Where to Sell Used Clothes for Cash

    1. Ronan says:

      I sold most of mu used clothes over the internet. It really brought me some decent amount of money.

    2. Bella says:

      I need to declutter my home from everything from clothes to some other items that I do not need. I was thinking about organizing a garage sale but maybe it is better to try to some local stores or online.

    3. Conrad says:

      Etsy is a platform where you can sell some handcrafted items. It is the best platform to sell some things if you are making them at home. I am not sure about used clothes and can you sell them on Etsy.

    4. Riley says:

      I was never thinking about selling old clothes I always donate them. For the kids’ clothes I usually give them to friends and family with smaller kids.

    5. Morissa says:

      It is a good idea to sell clothes that we do not wear anymore. I have a ton of clothes. I will have to declutter and see if I can get some cash

    6. Britney says:

      The consignation stores are good for selling used clothes. You can get the best value even if you wait till they are sold

    7. Ranio says:

      If you have a store near you that sell second-hand items it is better to take your clothes there and try to make a deal. Selling them online just bring you too much problems, handling, sending and stuff like that.

    8. Trenton says:

      All of these sites that you have mentioned are good for selling used clothes. Their fees are okay so you can earn a decent amount of money for something that is of no use for you

    9. Sheldon says:

      As trying to cut on all the expenses in this difficult time for all of us maybe it is better to think outside the box, we can sell everything that we do not need and only have sentimental value.

    10. Verona says:

      Usually donations of clothes is what I do, but maybe instead of it I should think and visit some of these sites. Thanks

    11. Sandy says:

      Nice article. Thank you for the tips. My house is full of clothes that pile up for years. Maybe it is time to get rid of it

    12. Azra says:

      I’ve always swapped the clothes with my friends. But maybe it is time to collect all the clothes that we do not wear any more and try to sell it

    13. Carmela says:

      Thanks for these sites and the internet. Nowadays you can sell almost everything

    14. Carina says:

      I sell my old clothes every couple of years. I take them to a consignation store. Maybe I should check about selling them online

    15. Randy says:

      Selling clothes online can be perfect to get some additional cash. Just check where you can get the best terms without having to bother too much

    16. Preston says:

      I have to declutter my home definitely. Earning some cash along the way is a great idea.

    17. Romana says:

      Having to be careful with the money in this situation with the pandemic this is another way to infuse some cash to the home budget. We all have clothes that we do not wear anymore.

    18. Mirela says:

      Close mentor is one of the stores that I like for selling. They are available in many states and their terms are good

    19. Loren says:

      I like to sell my clothes to second-hand shops. This is the way to get some cash for the items that I do not use anymore

    20. Polin says:

      I will have to check all the sites, this is a good idea to sell old clothes and to get some money. Thank you for the tips

    21. Indy says:

      MarieCondo have some useful tips what to throw away and what to keep for yourself. Selling clothes that you don’t wear anymore not that will only help to declutter your home and to make space but can bring a decent amount of money

    22. Michael M says:

      Buffalo exchange is the best, I have it near me. Here I sell my old clothes. Even the credit score is nice solution, you can pick whatever you like.

    23. Irnes says:

      I’ve tried facebook but you can only sell near you. I will have to check other sites as well

    24. Bilal says:

      There are a lot of sites where you can sell your old clothes and other things like tools or appliances that you do not need anymore. It is a good option to get some cash

    25. Zoltan says:

      Very nice article. Thank you for the tips Promoney. I will have to deal with decluttering very soon

    26. Yoanna says:

      I like to sort out clothes in piles what I use and what I don’t use. I usually give them to charity organizations but maybe selling them will be smarter choice in this situation.

    27. Marco Sen says:

      I’ve sold all my old clothes online recently. And it was a decent amount of money even more than I expected.

    28. Flora says:

      I like to buy items in the second-hand shops. They have perfect items and affordable prices.

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