15 Tips for Selling Clothes on eBay

Selling clothes on eBay is a great way to make some extra money. However, you might sell your clothes for less than you could if you aren’t careful.

I started selling my unwanted clothes in 2019 when I started making money online. Since then, I’ve sold over 150 items. Here’s what I learned from it.

1. Source Good-quality Clothes

If you don’t plan to sell your own clothes, start by obtaining clothes suitable for reselling. The best clothes are not damaged, look new, and have good fabric quality. Resellers find clothes in different places:

• From charity shops
• Buying wholesale clothes
• Asking friends and family
• On eBay itself
• Other sites where you can sell clothes for cash

Only buy clothes that you can resell for a higher price. Look for listings with poor pictures and descriptions. The logic is that if you list the same item but optimise the listing, it will sell for a higher price.

You can also look for clothes from specific brands. The best brands for reselling are:

• Nike
• lululemon
• Burberry
• The North Face
• Gucci
• Tory Burch
• UGG
• Patagonia
• Michael Kors
• Prada

2. Have Regular Wardrobe Clear-outs

Whether you are a reseller or selling your own clothes, staying on top of your wardrobe pays off. You’ll likely find clothes that you no longer need.

Selling them is better than letting them waste space. Regular clear-outs make the task less overwhelming, and you’ll always have a tidy wardrobe. If something does not sell straightaway, you can always keep it.

3. Wait for the Right Season

You can make more money if you sell your clothes at the start of the season. For example, sell winter coats in late autumn. The relevant season is when the demand for specific items is highest. Greater demand means you can sell for more.

Look at fashion retailers’ websites if unsure about the right selling time. Retailers often show seasonal clothes on the homepage or at the front of the store.

4. Take Great Pictures

Pictures are one of the most important aspects of your listing. You’d be surprised how much more buyers will pay if a listing has high-quality pictures. Pictures also make items up to 5% more likely to sell.

A good picture should show the item, have good light, and a tidy background. You can also increase interest by modelling and wearing the item yourself.

I also always edit my photographs. I use GIMP, a free image manipulation software. I edit every image the same way, and I only use three features:

• Increase saturation
• Increase brightness and contrast
• Add shadows and highlights

5. Use Keywords in Your Title

Users searching for specific items type the keyword into the search box. If you have the keyword in your title, your listing will likely appear at the top. This equates to more visits and interest from buyers.

Keywords can be anything that relates to the item, including:

• Brand
• Colour
• Type of clothing

A good formula for the title is as follows:

Brand + Type of clothing + Colour + What it can be used for

Many professional resellers use this formula. It looks as follows:

6. Provide Accurate Descriptions

Many sellers put the listing title and shipping details in the description. This is not enough to convince a potential buyer. When buying something, ask yourself what you want to see in a listing description.

At the very least, you should include why you are selling and describe potential flaws. If you are unsure, take inspiration from listing descriptions on fashion retailer sites or other reselling sites.

7. Set a Good Listing Price

Setting a listing price is important to how much profit you will make. If you go for a standard auction, you can set the starting price. If you sell directly, you need to set the sale price.

Research competitor listings to determine how much your item will likely sell for. Based on the competitor’s listing, you can gauge whether your item is worth more.

You can also send offers to buyers to sell your clothes faster.

8. Be Mindful of the Auction End Date and Time

If you sell via auction, the end date and time affect how much you will make. Buyers are more likely to be online at certain times.

Thus, they are more likely to see your item and bid. And they are more likely to bid near an auction’s end time. According to Cron, Sunday evening is the best time to end an auction.

9. Include Shipping Costs in Your Listing Price

In my experience, clothes sell better if you offer free shipping. You can include the shipping cost in the listing price.

One exception is expensive items of £50 upwards. Compared to the purchase price, the shipping costs are small. Thus, you can list them extra.

10. Use Free Packaging Material

Profit margins are often tight. One easy way to reduce costs is by using free packaging materials. When you order online, keep and reuse the package for your sales. You can also ask in shops for old cardboard boxes.

Try to use the cheapest way to send eBay parcels when possible.

11. Provide the Buyer With the Tracking Number

Once you ship an item, you always want to let the buyer know the tracking number. Lost Royal Mail tracking numbers are difficult to recover.

Thus, you may have to refund customers if they claim their item has not arrived. By immediately sending them the tracking number, you also save time by avoiding buyer questions.

12. Stay Organised

When you are selling in bulk, it can be difficult to keep track of your stock. To be organised, you should always keep each item accounted for. This can be a simple Excel spreadsheet with the item description and the status.

This is what my spreadsheet looks like:

13. Encourage Buyers to Give Feedback

Having a good rating on eBay increases the buyer’s trust. Trusting buyers are more likely to buy from you. An easy way to get good ratings is to ask your customers for it.

If they are happy with the transaction, most buyers will be happy to write a review. Send them a message on eBay or include a card when you send the item. A card makes the process more personal, and the buyer may remember you.

14. Do Not Let Bad Buyers Scare You

There are always bad buyers. These buyers complain or make the process more difficult than it has to be.

You encounter these people on any selling platform and in other parts of your life. Do not let these difficult customers scare you off selling on eBay.

15. Do Not Be Afraid to Relist Items

An item may not sell immediately. This is part of the game and happens to everyone. If an item does not sell, do not give up on it and try relisting. Consider waiting a few weeks if there is still no success. Some items sell better in specific seasons.

Alternatives to eBay

If you want to sell your clothes but do not like eBay, try the following alternatives:

• ASOS Marketplace. ASOS Marketplace enables sellers to open a shop on the website, meaning sellers can benefit from free traffic from ASOS. Read more in my ASOS Marketplace review.
• Depop. Depop is a clothes-selling platform with a younger audience. Read more in my Depop review.

You can also list your item on these alternatives to eBay.

Tips for Selling Clothes on eBay Summary

eBay is a great platform for selling clothes online. Top tips for making more money from your sales include:

• Source good-quality clothes
• Have regular wardrobe clear-outs
• Wait for the right season
• Take great pictures
• Use keywords in your title
• Provide accurate descriptions
• Set a good listing price
• Be mindful of the auction end date and time
• Include shipping costs in your listing price
• Use free packaging material
• Provide the buyer with the tracking number
• Stay organised
• Encourage buyers to give feedback
• Do not let bad buyers scare you
• Do not be afraid to relist items

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