Total newbie: how do I sell clothes online?

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I have sold specialist equipment like cameras online, but never clothes - mainly because I wear most of mine to the point where not even Oxfam wants them . But I ended up unable to return an order when House of Fraser went into receivership, so I have got items that are brand new, tags on.

What are your tips for selling, especially as I don't have a track record as a seller for Ebay? Is it still worth trying Ebay, or should I go for Facebook or Gumtree? How do I deal with CF buyers trying to scam me? Any help gratefully received

Well for a start don’t automatically assume people will try to scam you. Stuff is only worth what someone will pay for it, regardless of how much you paid.

Selling on Facebook is free, it’s up to you whether you want to post stuff or do pick-up only. To be honest people who won’t post stuff irritate me, and it limits your market. Be prepared for people to make low offers. Don’t take it personally or waste time being outraged. It doesn’t affect your life, just negotiate or block them.

Selling on eBay is easy enough; watch out for cheap listing weekends when fees are only £1 however much your item sells for. Remember you also have to pay fees to PayPal. Set your postage as low as possible, 2nd class small parcel, £2.90. Rip off postage fees won’t encourage buyers. Make sure you photograph the important bits; back and front of garment, manufacturers label and size label. State if it’s BNWT (brand new with tags) and photograph the tags. Make sure your description is accurate. Don’t write an essay, a couple of bullet point will do. If you write too much and get one thing wrong, the buyer will complain to eBay and get a refund.

I find Gumtree a waste of time. YMMV.

Also remember you will lose a bit through PayPal fees as you should always sell (and buy) using PayPal goods and services which protects the buyer.

So when pricing up remember to include £2.90 2nd class small parcel postage and any PayPal fees. Is what you’ll be left with the right amount?

I sold a £30 ted baker dress last week that my daughter had worn once.
I received £9.46 after papal goods and services fees then postage was £2.90 so I actually got £6.56 for a £30 dress worn for a christening.

It’s bloody hard work selling online

Thanks for the advice. Is it worth it, I wonder? People are always telling me that they sell all their used clothes for profit, but it sounds like a lot of work for not much cash.

I realise that you asked about online selling however have you considered selling via a dress agency?

They usually only take brand name items and you receive half the money the item is sold for. If it doesn't sell within a certain period of time then you would have to collect the items.

I realise this might not suit you or you might not have anything near you though.

Is it worth it? Depends on the brand. I have had success with handbags and shoes, lightly used, from known brands like Fossil and Dr Martens. If it was a high street brand top like Oasis from a concession I probably wouldn't bother with eBay.

I’ve made quite a bit selling clothes on eBay. Yes it can be a bit of a hassle to list things, although I find using the phone app considerably reduces the work as you can take a photo of the item and upload it straight from the phone. I find the greatest reward comes mostly from selling the slightly higher end labels (I haven’t got anything designer to sell!!) that people don’t want to pay full price for. So Boden, Hobbs, Phase Eight, Ted Baker etc.

If it isn’t new don’t sell it as new. Things with tags on sell well. Do a good listing - it’s worth taking the time. Doesn’t have to be long. If expensive, state the original retail price. If still on sale, link to the actual product selling online. Include an actual picture of the item in your pics so people know you aren’t a scammer but don’t be afraid to use the brand’s own photos in your listing as these always make the item look better than you can! I’ve sold many items and not been scammed although I have had a couple of items go missing in the post. C’est la vie! On postage, my pet hate on eBay is people that take the piss with postage costs... Most items of clothing can be posted second class for less than £2. More likely to get a sale with reasonable postage!

I made about £2000 last year in eBay.. I always post second class signed for. As I had several people initially saying they didn't receive their parcels . You have to be prepared to discount quickly in order to sell. Also the people who enquire about things never ever end up buying. So I would question whether it's worth a response as it doesn't affect your rating.

I use depop. Take clear good pictures, price it well and hashtag appropriately. Earned £83 from unused makeup and old clothes/hair extensions in 3 days.

eBay is fine as long as you post recorded delivery and make sure you are not out of pocket on postage
I set starting price at minimum I will accept and do not use buy it now or the offers options
I probably sell £2500-£3500 a year in shoes, clothes and bags
Mainly as I get bored with things quickly and am also dieting

I sell on Ebay and buy on Ebay a lot and have very rarely had a problem. You need to be realistic about what sort of price you'll get but its worth trying at a higher price and then lower it if it doesn't sell. I usually do free postage if it's a light item as I think that sells well. As PP have said, any branded items usually do well as people search for them. Good luck!

I’ve seen lots of Instagram posts about Depop - anyone else have experience? What’s the fees situation there?

I sell a lot on eBay but do find it hard work!

My 25 year old sells lots of stuff on Depop. On trend stuff sells and also if you can model your clothes well. Designer brands also.
More mature brands like Jaeger n Maxmara didn't sell for me.

eBay is fine, it's not the money tree it was a few years ago, but I still make a fair bit (probably indicative of the fact I buy too much in the first place that needs selling on!).

-the mobile app is dead easy, but it will preset some stupid features if you're not observant, mainly to do with pricing and postage, so log on to the desktop version afterwards and make sure it is exactly what you want
-take as many pics as you can in good light, include close ups and some stock photos if you have space, but never only use stock images, buyers will want to see your actual item. Pinterest is great for pics of older stock.
-be factual only in your description, item size as labelled, include measurements (e.g.back length and underarm) Never says things like "label says 10 but this is more like a 12" - body shapes are different and we all like different fits.
-opt in to the Global Shipping Programme if you want to ship abroad. I refine it to exclude African and most eastern European countries, as this (unfortunately) is where you'll get the scammers from and constant requests for low offers)
-I never post heavy items abroad as you'll need to pay return postage. I got stung nearly £30 on getting a coat back from the US once and then had to refund the buyer
-send signed for unless you can live with losing the money on a lost item
-Invest in a nice wooden hanger for photographing on a blank background. A shitty hanger with the wrong size label from Asda cheapens the shot ;) !

Can I ask how do you post your goods via depop? In terms of pre determining how much postage would cost for an item when advertising it?

A second class parcel is now £3 btw. I always charge £3.49 for P&P on Ebay, that takes care of the postage, the bag and tissue paper plus the Ebay/Paypal charges. Some items will go as a large letter if they are smaller or if you fold them the right way, I charge £1.75 or £2.25 for those ones.

My tip is to crop your photos so the garment takes up most of the space. Also, if you are using a hanger, use sellotape to stick sleeves and hems down so the garment is as flat against the wall/door as possible. Here's an example: The hem is taped down in the first pic but not in the second. It does make a difference.

I tend to sell off e-bay clothes in batches, usually at the beginning of the season when demand is likely to be highest. I go to discount places to buy big envelopes and tissue paper so that I can pack everything up easily. And I set my own minimum price and never switch on the buy it now option. I look on it as a way of clearing my wardrobe and putting money back in to buy new clothes.

Following with interest. Need to do a big cleanout and feel like I should try to get some money back on nice stuff! I have a mix of high street and designer. For the designer stuff, has anyone used vestiaire collective? Or have recommendations for london consignment? Or should I just use eBay for everything?

I sell lots of ebay, I usually close auctions Sunday nights as I seem to sell more then. I quite often add a buy it now price as well, as it makes the seller pay there and then. Well known branded items sell best.
I also buy a few bits and pieces as well, mainly brand new with tags items from stores I know.
Check out postage costs and add it to your listing. I print out my own postage labels and can then just drop them at the post office.

GibbonLover print your postage label direct from eBay and it's cheaper, so 2nd class parcel is £2.90.

It only goes up to 2kg anyway so pretty easy to weigh on kitchen scales.

Ah thank you for your responses, I have a big bag of clothing I've been meaning to sell for two years now but not knowing how to go about it has put me off! Going to spend this weekend sorting through and taking photos.

Really useful advice- thank you so much, Everyone

chasingseagulls thank you for that tip, it had honestly never occured to me!

I usually close auctions Sunday nights Me too - I always start them on Thursdays, for 10 days, which gives you two weekends exposure. Right now, I'm making sure auctions end before 9pm, when Peaky Blinders starts!