One of the niche activities I have tried in the past in selling used clothes online.Don't ask me why, it just happened.I saw an opportunity and I took it!

I suppose it all started while I was watching eBay one day and was surprised to see that used clothes were selling quite well.I had never considered it before.In particular, any branded brand or high-end clothes were selling very well.

I personally don't own branded clothes, it's not me.I buy the brand of jeans that no one has heard of for $5 on the discount rack.I think I paid $25 for a t-shirt once and felt guilty about it (a bit pricey for me).I'm pretty cheap when it comes to clothes for myself.The reason for this is because this is the way I grew up (large family with hands down).  

Also, being in business, I also know that the same EXACT material is used to make cheap clothes like those used to create design objects.So when someone pays more, they don't get a better quality product, but they get a tag with a brand on it.

Anyway, I could get into a bunch of details about why people buy high-end clothes, but let's just say people do it and there's money to be made for it.In essence, perception is reality for people.(Even though branded clothes are made from the same material as cheap clothes, people perceive that they are getting better value because of the brand… even if they are not).

HOW TO SELL USED CLOTHES ONLINE

WHERE TO FIND USED DESIGNER CLOTHES?

So, if I don't have my used clothes to sell, where can I find designer clothes?There are really many places like flea markets, garage sales, Craigslist or other people or community sales.However, my main source was thrift stores.

Second-hand stores such as Goodwill or Salvation Army constantly receive a new supply of donated clothes to them.In these racks you can often find labels with brand or design names.The big part is that these thrift stores aren't looking to value what's worth it all, they're just trying to move merchandise as quickly as possible.  

As a result, they usually value everything equally.So, all the men's shirt could be around $2 for example.Or all women's jeans could be between $4 and $5.It varies from store to store, but usually everything is quite cheap.

Many brands of jeans, for example, can sell on eBay for over $50 a piece even if they are used.However, it is quite rare to find anything of this value.However, being able to buy a piece of clothing for $5 and sell it for $15 to $20 is certainly not that unusual.

For example, if you look at some of the completed lists on eBay for used True Religion jeans, or Prada, or Diesel, you'll see many of them ranging from $50 to $100 or maybe even more.

I searched for "used diesel jeans" and here's what I got: If you can buy a $10 pair of jeans at a shipping store and resell them for $30, that's a 200% return on investment!

Good luck doing this through your stock and bond mix.

KNOW THE RESALE PRICE BEFORE BUYING

However, as I quickly learned, the key to succeeding in selling used clothes is knowing what it will sell before you buy it.This can be a very difficult task because there are literally hundreds of brands.Also, some brands tend to do well with women and others do well with men.So, you really have to do your homework.

Since I knew absolutely nothing about name brands (because I had never owned them), I spent hours researching completed eBay listings trying to figure out what sold well.I was able to write 20 or 30 marks or so as to keep an eye on.

So when I went to the thrift store, I sneaked into my list of name brands and started hunting through the shelves.As far as I remember, I could have bought a lot more than I did, but I think I ended up with 7 or 8 items of clothing on my first trip.This would give me a good idea of this stuff to sell.

So I went home and started photographing clothes.After that, I simply listed them on eBay and waited for the offers to arrive.One important thing I did was to make the minimum price the profit margin I needed.In other words, if I had bought jeans for $5, I could have made the minimum bid $12 or something.  

Used clothes are not something that will start a bidding war (unless they're vintage or collectible for some reason).So make sure your minimum bid is high enough to get the profit you want.

PROFIT POTENTIAL?

Also, the buyer will pay the shipping costs, so make sure you don't underestimate how much it will cost to pack and ship or you'll start consuming your profits.

Among the 8 items of clothing I first listed, I think 4 were sold immediately.The others I had to re-list to get any bidders.It is unrealistic to think that all your merchandise will be sold; especially, when you first start.

I made a profit on my small niche business by selling used clothes; although it was not much.I didn't spend more than a couple of months trying it.I really think I could have done better plus I learned and worked out a business system.However, I learned enough to know that there really is potential in selling used clothes online.

I think this potential is even better if you're just looking for a part-time income.There is a great opportunity here for ambitious college students, stay-at-home parents or job seekers.If you just want to get your feet wet with entrepreneurship, this is a good start like any other.

However, if you really want to make decent profits selling used clothes, you'll probably need to open a retail position.If you can open a store and sell designer or vintage clothes to customers in person, you can easily double the price you would charge on eBay.  

Part of the reason is that people won't have to pay a shipping fee, which of course means they're willing to pay a higher price for the product.Plus, when you can touch and try on a pair of jeans, you're also more likely to buy it.

So, if you're looking for some secondary income, maybe you should try buying and selling used clothes online.So, if you succeed, you can open a store and really increase your profits.

THE BEST PLACE TO SELL CLOTHES ONLINE

In the past, eBay was by far the best place to buy and sell clothes online.Now, there are a couple more places you can try.I would recommend trying the best one or two and then mastering them before moving elsewhere.

The two best places to sell clothes online are eBay and Amazon.It's not even close.Both allow you to list your products, set your price, and get your stuff to buyers.Amazon also has an area where you can create and sell your own clothing brand.

It's called Amazon's Merch.

ARE YOU GOING TO SELL CLOTHES ONLINE?

What do you think?Is selling used clothes online a viable option for small businesses?Is this something you want to see me try and document on this blog?I'm interested to hear your thoughts!