This step-by-step guide on how to sell clothes on eBay will help you make extra cash for clothes you don’t wear, or maybe even start a side hustle selling clothes you thrift!
If you’re like me, you probably have clothes in your closet that you never wear. Maybe you don’t like them anymore, maybe they don’t fit anymore, or maybe they were a gift that you don’t like but couldn’t return.
Rather than getting rid of clothing for nothing in return, why not learn how to sell clothes on eBay? I learned how to sell clothes on eBay several years ago through a lot of trial and error and research. Though I’ve tried a few sites, eBay has proved the most successful and profitable site for me to use.
If you enjoy doing this, you may also get into shopping at thrift stores for brand-name clothing in great condition and selling them on eBay as a great side hustle for making extra cash!
Before getting into the how-tos, I will say that it will be most worth your time to sell name brand clothing, especially if they are still in very good condition. People often won’t find or buy clothing with unrecognizable or extremely cheap brand names, or that are in poor condition (i.e. stained, holey, snagged).
This step-by-step guide will tell you everything you need to know about how to sell clothes on eBay successfully. Let’s get to it.
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1. Download the eBay app.
Using the eBay app is by far the easiest way to make new listings and stay on top of them. You can take the photos on your phone and upload them directly into the app.
2. Begin your listing with a descriptive title.
Include the brand, size, color, clothing type, whether it’s women’s or men’s, and any other searchable keywords.
Fill up that 80 character limit with as many keywords as you can, but don’t be too repetitive. You want it to look professional.
3. Take amazing photos with a few easy tips.
Don’t worry if you’re not a photographer, I’m not either, but with a few tips we can still take great photos!
Learning how to take good photos is extremely important to having success when learning how to sell clothes on eBay, so don’t skip this step!
- I’ve had the most success taking photos during the daytime with natural sunlight. I hang my clothing item on a hanger, either on a hook or against a door.
- Try to have a solid colored background as much as possible.
- Take several photos of your clothing item. Include photos of the brand and size tags, any imperfections, the front, and the back. Ebay allows up to 12 photos for free!
- If you can’t capture the colors in a way that looks accurate, be sure to note any discrepancy. For example, “In the photos the dress looks like a bright blue, but it’s actually navy.”
4. Write a thorough description.
Ebay gives you all kinds of suggestions on what details to include about your item. The more descriptive, the better.
- Feel free to tell buyers your item is “beautiful” or “perfect for summer,” etc., but again be sure to keep things professional.
- Always be honest! If your item has any flaws whatsoever, be sure to describe them. Minor flaws are not necessarily deal-breakers and it’s better to be upfront than to have an unhappy buyer and a bad review later.
- Do give applicable measurements for your item, especially inseam, waist, bust, and shoulder to hem. Here’s a helpful infographic for the meanings of measurements:
5. Price strategically.
Ebay will usually recommend a start price and listing type for you based on similar items. However, I usually don’t go with their suggestion. Instead, the best thing you can do is search eBay for similar items (don’t forget to include whether it’s new or pre-owned as well as the brand, as these will affect value a lot), then select “Sold listings” in the filter options.
(On a computer you’ll find this on the left side, scrolling down, under “Show only.” In the app you’ll find it by pressing “Filter” in the upper right, then “Show More” at the bottom.) This gives you examples of what people are actually willing to pay for a similar item to yours.
Auctions
- Keep in mind that if you list it as an auction, it could sell for whatever you put as the starting price, so start the auction at the minimum price you’re willing to get for it.
- I’ve had more success with auctions than fixed price listings, but both can work well.
- For auctions, longer listings are more likely to sell, because there is more time for them to be seen.
- People shop on eBay the most on weekends and especially Sundays. So, the best time for you to have the listing end is Sunday evening. Set your auction to begin at a specific date and time to make it end when you want (as pictured above).
Consider Shipping Costs
- Take the amount you’re charging for shipping into account for your price. For example, someone may be willing to pay $15 for a shirt, but not when shipping costs $10 on top of that.
- Offering free shipping can make an item more attractive to potential buyers, but then you’ll be paying to ship it yourself so you probably want to set the starting price higher to cover it.
My final advice on pricing is, if you’re not in a rush to get it sold, don’t be afraid to start your price on the high end and see how it goes. Figuring out pricing is one of the most important parts of learning successfully how to sell clothes on eBay. It’s ok if it takes some time.
Unless you’re using more features than I’m suggesting in your listing it will be free, and unlimited relisting is free too. I have experienced relisting an item five times before it’s sold.
After listing, keep an eye on the number of views and watchers it gets. That will help you discern whether you’ve way overpriced it or need to add more detail, better photos, etc.
6. Set a good shipping method and price.
Usually eBay is good at recommending the right kind of shipping, using the weight of the package (the item + the box!). Small postal weighing scales can be cheap and helpful. You can also weigh the package on your personal scale by weighing yourself without it, then weighing yourself holding it, and calculating the difference. This weight will help you ascertain what kind of shipping you can use when you input it into eBay.
7. When it sells, ship it!
- Shipping label: When your item sells, eBay will create a shipping label which you can print at home for a discount from what you’d pay at the post office.
- Free shipping supplies: You can get free Priority Mail shipping supplies sent to you from USPS.com. I also like to keep packaging from things I’ve ordered and reuse them for items I sell.
- Send it without visiting the post office: You can ship USPS packages directly from your mailbox (if you have one) if it fits inside, just don’t forget to put the flag up!
- Ship how you said you would: Be aware of the shipping method and number of days in which you said you would ship the item that you put in your listing. Be sure to stick to them.
- Upload the tracking number: After you’ve shipped the package, upload the tracking number so that your buyer can track when it will arrive.
- Encourage communication: Throughout the selling process, answer questions promptly. Let the buyer know when you’ve shipped it and when it should arrive if you can’t upload a tracking number.
- Leave a review: Leave your buyer a review, which will hopefully encourage them to leave one for you. You can include things like “quick payment,” “smooth transaction,” and “great communication.”
8. Get paid!
Be aware that PayPal will take 2.9% plus 30 cents out of what you sold your item for (including what you charged for shipping). They will send you an email when the funds are available in your account. If you’re a new seller, you will have to wait longer to receive your payment.
Ebay also takes a fee, 10% of what you sold. They will send you a bill for their fees at the end of each billing period. You will be notified via email and can have it withdrawn from your bank account automatically.
Learning how to sell clothes on eBay can feel a little overwhelming at first, but the eBay app is designed intuitively, and with this guide once you sell an item or two you will have the process down and it will become easy.
Believe me, once you learn how to sell clothes on eBay, it is an amazing sense of accomplishment to clear out that closet. Let someone else love something you do not, and earn some side money for clothing you never use!
