How can i sell vintage clothes

We noticed that our customers tend to respond better to pictures taken with our phones as opposed to professionally done photo shoots. More likes, more engagement, more sales. Follow the same basic rules for pricing products for ecommerce —be sure to factor in the cost of the item and other overhead and expenses. But forget standard pricing formulas multiplying wholesale cost by X , because you also need to factor in vintage clothing value. Each piece will need to be considered independently, but you may want to stick within a specific range depending on your ideal customer.

Price vintage according to rarity, age, wearability, demand, condition, trend, and label. The best way to determine selling price is to search for similar items on vintage marketplaces like eBay or Etsy. Are there a ton of the same? Your selling price decreases. Is your item in better condition than others like it?

Your selling price increases. For very old, rare, or couture items, consider an appraisal service or consult vintage experts. Also check Google trends and keyword search volume to see if there is actually demand for the item. This might actually be the easiest part of running your business of selling vintage clothing online.

After the TikTok video took off, a stream of people were visiting the unfinished site. We had 1, new email subscribers, and I freaked out. When setting up your first Shopify store, You can easily customize the design with your own branding remember that work we did upfront? There are several standard themes to choose from—some free and some paid—that you can tweak with colors, fonts, and custom navigation.

As you grow, you may choose to customize your site even more. If you need help with code or design, consider hiring a Shopify Expert. This is a great place to educate your customers on sizing, garment care, and your condition ratings.

You may also use this page as a one-stop shop for shipping and customer service information, such as postal rates per country and your return policy. Product page copy is incredibly important for setting customer expectations, improving SEO , and minimizing returns.

Collections will be your best friend. They will help organize your online store and keep it from looking like a church rummage sale.

Consider organizing inventory into collections by era, color, occasion, item type, or season. This exercise will help with SEO and navigation, too. On your product page for each item, be sure to explain the item in detail, including label information, brand, size, damage, condition, and rough manufacturing date.

Shopify, Etsy or eBay? Having your own dedicated website gives you full control over design, is helpful for reaching customers through organic search, and acts as a hub for your brand. With Shopify, you can integrate with marketplaces like eBay and Etsy that have audiences seeking vintage items.

Apps help sync your inventory across multiple sales channels. As you grow your own audience, you may decide to focus your attention. If you choose to focus on selling vintage clothing locally to fill a gap in your own community, consider alternate delivery methods like curbside pickup and local delivery. Many brick-and-mortar retailers adopted these methods during pandemic shutdown, but this consumer trend has staying power through When events start happening again, look for other opportunities to sell in person, from clothing and vintage markets to pop-up booths at festivals.

There are several ways to get the word out and attract customers to your store—some paid, some organic. The beauty of one-of-a-kind is the availability of content. Azeezat and Dare grew their Instagram account and the business without spending money on any formal advertising.

They rely on shoutouts from celeb or influencer partners and user-generated content in the form of customer photos. Durt takes this a step further by sending clothing items out to influencers in Ireland. Dayna similarly has had success with Instagram. For Durt, TikTok has been a gamechanger. When the founders drove their disastrous first wholesale return back to the vendor, they documented the whole process.

The glimpse behind the scenes of a new business went viral, driving sign-ups to their newsletter even before launching with products. This is a great tool for rewarding repeat customers, giving them advance access to new items or other loyalty rewards. Higher quality fabrics, like wool and cotton, tend to sell more easily. You can also sell at a higher price due to their quality.

Look for stains and holes. As vintage clothing is older, stains and imperfections are common. You may notice stains under the armpits and small holes here and there. An outfit with a small imperfection can still be sold, but you'll want to correct the problem before attempting to sell. Check for any obvious stains. If you notice sweat stains under the arm pits or any other wear and tear accrued over time, see if the outfit can be cleaned. Attempt to remove the stain using a cleaning method appropriate for the given material.

Small holes, tears, and missing buttons may be fixable. You can sew on a missing button or patch up a tear. Some items may be too damaged to sell. If an item of clothing has stains that will not come out or very large rips, you may be better off tossing it. Consider buying to sell. You do not have to rely on your old clothing alone. Sometimes, you can find items to sell in local markets.

At a thrift store, a vintage dress may be priced well under what it's worth. You can also look into local flea markets or do clothing swaps with friends. Avoid vintage stores. You're unlikely to find something you can sell for profit. The owners have a certain level of expertise, and will be selling items at an appropriate price. You will only be able to sell back the item at the rough price you paid. Decide how to price clothing. Once you've gathered clothing to sell, you'll have to make decisions on pricing.

Pricing is somewhat subjective, and you may find you don't have an exact method when it comes to pricing clothing. Each piece may have to be individually priced based on its worth. Browse online outlets to get a sense of the average price.

You could also visit some local shops and look at prices. Break down price by type of clothing. Consider profit. If you bought an item, you'll want to sell it for slightly more than you paid. If you had to repair an item from your closet, make sure the price outweighs the cost of repairs.

Take measurements of clothing. Before you sell items, measure them. Instead of listing sizes, it's a good idea to list specific measurements. Sizing charts have changed greatly over time. This is especially important if you're selling online, as potential buyers have no means to try on an outfit.

You can measure the waist of pants, as well as their length. You may also want to consider measuring shoulders and waist size for blouses and shirts. Method 2. Research different outlets. There are many outlets available for selling vintage clothing online. Before you begin to sell, research your options and decide what works for you.

You can sell vintage clothes on many mainstream websites. Auction sites like eBay can be helpful. You can set a base price and let potential buyers bid. You could end up making a good sum if two buyers want the same outfit. Sites like Etsy can also work, although bidding is infrequent. You can also look into specialty sites. These are auction sites and websites specifically designed for the sale of vintage clothing.

Such websites can be helpful as you'll be reaching your target marketplace instantly. Create an account on your chosen website. Once you've decided where you'll be selling, create an account on your chosen website. This should not take long. Usually, you need to provide basic contact information like your name and address.

You may also have to create a brief profile where you explain a little about your history and background. You can write something simple, just stating you love vintage clothing and are looking to sell some extras from your wardrobe.

Take clear photographs. You'll need to put up some pictures of the items you're selling online. It's important that you get clear photographs. Buyers will want to see your outfits from multiple angles so they can decide whether or not to buy. Do not rely on a phone camera. Use a high quality camera to take photos of a given item from a variety of angles.

If you don't have a great camera, see if you can borrow one from a friend. If you're not particularly adept at technology, see if a friend would be willing to take some pictures for you. It may be helpful to have someone model clothing items for you. It may be easier to get a sense of how a dress may look like if you can see it on a person. Build a brand. If you want to sell vintage clothing professionally, you'll have to build a brand for yourself.

Your brand is how you market yourself. Think of a unique story or style. There are many ways to brand yourself that increase your sales. Which tip are you going to try first? Leave a comment below.

I loved your tip of selling online when looking to sell clothing. My wife and I are looking to sell some of our vintage clothing.

Thank you for sharing! It is really helpful and inspiring. Your email address will not be published. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Comments I loved your tip of selling online when looking to sell clothing.