Everything You Need To Know About Selling Your Clothes Online

Decide Which Platform Is Right For You

Once upon a time, eBay was the obvious place to sell your old pieces. Today, there are myriad platforms, each with its own benefits depending on what you want to sell. These are the names to know…

Vestiaire Collective

Good for: New-ish designer fashion.

This is the place to sell hot products you no longer wear, from leading names like Chanel, Gucci or Isabel Marant. This month sees the introduction of peer-to-peer sales, meaning you can sell directly to shoppers without extra authentification fees.

Visit VestiaireCollective.com

Depop

Good for: High-street pieces.

The app is ideal for those looking to make a quick buck – great if you’re clearing out your wardrobe and don’t want to contribute to yet more charity-shop landfill. Just beware of hagglers – a bit like eBay, there can often be a long negotiation process.

Visit Depop.com

Vide Dressing

Good for: Those who are short on time.

Vide acts as a middle man, authenticating all products, organising deliveries and more. Sell big designer names here, as well as more affordable brands like Sézane and The Kooples.

Visit VideDressing.co.uk

Designer Exchange 

Good for: Exchanging product.

If you’re looking to instantly upgrade your designer bag to a newer version, Designer Exchange buys and sells all your favourite brands, giving you the opportunity to swap it out for something else.

Visit DesignerExchange.com

eBay

Good for: Haggling

Visit Ebay.co.uk

A relative lack of regulation means an item you’re selling on eBay is essentially worth what someone is willing to pay for it. Whether it’s a pair of Topshop jeans from 2008 or a Chanel handbag, if you’re patient, you’ll probably find a buyer.

Make Your Item Stand Out

Fanny Moizant, founder of Vestiaire Collective, tells us, “Presentation is everything. Take good photos of your item, including close-ups of all of the details. Photograph your clothes at the right angle, in the best light possible and always against a white background. Capture all of the little details and flaws, otherwise our quality-control check will negotiate a price reduction with a seller if their item doesn’t match the description. It can be useful to upload a picture of the item being worn to give the buyer a better idea of how the piece fits.” 

Get Social

Fanny says it’s also important to raise your profile on the site by interacting with other members. “Follow and like products to get more visibility on your profile and encourage the community to follow you.” This is certainly the case for Depop too: a bit like a social network, users are encouraged to engage with others, collecting followers (and therefore more potential buyers) along the way.

Do Your Research

Not sure how much to list an item for? Shop around. “It’s always helpful to research the item and brand you’re looking to sell,” says Fanny. “Check how much similar pieces have actually sold for as an indication of what buyers are willing to pay.” With eBay, you may be stabbing in the dark a little, whereas Vestiaire, for example, uses a clever algorithm to suggest a price bracket according to the style and condition. 

Be Thorough

There’s no point in not being completely upfront about an item’s flaws – it will only delay the process down the line. From sizes to measurements, detail every last thing about the item you want to sell. This will help avoid complications and also build potential buyers’ trust in you as a seller. Where possible, include dust bags, receipts and labels to help sites and buyers authenticate your pieces.

Even If You’re Not Sure It Will Sell, Try

“It always surprises me when something I wasn’t sure would sell actually gets snapped up quickly,” says Fanny. “We have such a vast community of members with varying taste, it’s likely someone is looking for something you no longer want. Items that aren’t suitable for reselling on Vestiaire Collective are pieces that fall below the fair condition category. If something is badly damaged, we can’t accept it on our platform, but there are other ways to extend its lifespan through fabric recycling.” It could also still be worth donating to charity – just because it can’t find a home online, doesn’t mean it won’t find one elsewhere.

Pick The Right Time To Sell

“Brand activity has a significant impact on the resale value of its product,” says Fanny. “For example, when Phoebe Philo departed Céline there was a spike in searches and sales for hero past-season items and the prices were driven up. A popular product re-release tends to increase the overall desirability of a brand and also the demand for similar vintage styles; an example of this would be the Dior Saddle and Fendi Baguette bags. Categories that tend to offer the best return on investment are typically the ‘collectables’ categories like streetwear, sneakers, vintage and watches. Within those categories, we find that rare products are usually always sold out. Limited-edition sneakers tend to sell for at least 20% more than RRP. Other brands that are currently selling above their RRP include Jacquemus, Off-White, Saint Laurent, Bottega Veneta, Ganni, Staud, Reformation and Vetements x Reebok.’ In short, it’s better to sell earlier than you otherwise may have liked.