Using Apps to Sell Clothes: 6 Tips to Maximize Profit

You’re probably like most people and would love to make some cash by parting with items you no longer need or want. That shared desire is a major reason why apps to sell clothes have become so popular. Are they worth your time? That depends. Here are some tips to help you make the most of these possibilities. 

1. Research the Market

Maybe you have a passion for vintage apparel or just can’t get enough of a famous luxury brand, meaning that those things require most of your closet space. Take the time to learn the approximate amounts that people will pay for your items. You’ll need that information to set appropriate prices. You can’t realistically expect to get the same amount when selling that you did when buying the piece. 

It’s also important to calculate how your items’ age or condition influences how much money they might generate. For example, the company behind an app might specify that it has enough Burberry items from the 2019 collection but will pay top dollar for items from 2018 or older that are in excellent shape.

Moreover, you’ll likely find that the biggest payouts come from items that are like-new or in excellent condition. However, that’s not always the case. If your closet includes a stylish trench coat from the 70s that features a rare color, app companies may accept it even if there’s a small hole in the arm seam. 

2. Find Apps to Sell Clothes

There are plenty of apps to sell clothes, but some of them span beyond apparel. For example, thredUP specializes in stuff you wear, but you might also rely on eBay to gain interest in your goods. That site is a place to buy almost everything imaginable. 

As you’re weighing the pros and cons, keep in mind that many of the clothing-centric apps handle most of the legwork for you. For example, they’ll send you a bag with prepaid postage attached. All you need to do is fill it up. The app company handles specifics like photographs and item descriptions. 

Although more generalized selling sites might give you exposure to a broader potential audience, the segment of people you reach won’t be as specific. People who use clothing apps know what they want, so there’s a bigger chance they’ll appreciate what you have to offer. 

3. Categorize Your Closet

Maybe you have a few hardly-worn pieces that initially sparked your interest in using apps to sell clothes. However, there could be dozens of other items you no longer use or want that might not cross your mind.

That’s why it’s smart to import your wardrobe into a closet app before checking out places to sell. Closet apps help you track the clothes you own and — more importantly — how often you wear them. Many also let you group pieces into categories, such as things you wear at work versus during your downtime or only during special events. 

Getting all the data about your closet’s contents into an app usually takes a significant amount of time. It should be worthwhile, though, particularly if that exercise makes you realize you have more clothes than you thought to put up for sale. 

4. Write Detailed Descriptions

If you end up selling clothes through an app that requires you to write the description and take photos of the garments, it’s especially important to think about what you would want to read and see if you were buying the stuff. 

For example, you can find more success when selling your clothes by being as specific as possible. Instead of only mentioning the dimensions of the garments, consider modeling them in the listing’s pictures so that people get a better idea of how they fit. Some aspects, such as the bagginess of a pair of pants, are hard to visualize through measurements alone. 

Describe your item’s condition thoroughly. If you forget to mention a tiny flaw, the purchaser might complain that they feel misled due to what they perceive as dishonesty. 

5. Calculate Your Cut

Downloading some apps to sell clothes is a great first step, but it does not mean you’ll get the same — or even similar — payout experiences across all of them. For example, if you sell clothes on a platform like Craigslist or Facebook, you’ll keep the full amount. However, many clothing-specific apps take a portion of the sale amount, and not all guarantee that they’ll accept your stuff. 

You may also find some differences related to payment timelines. Some apps might pay you almost immediately after a sale. Others could specify — be sure to read the fine print — that they only pay on certain days of the month or stick to six-week cycles for payments. 

If your main reason for wanting to use apps to sell clothes is to get some quick cash, be aware that you may find that goal unfeasible. Depending on which platforms you use, it may be unlikely or impossible to plan on having the money to spend within a few days or weeks of deciding you’ll part with some of your attire. 

6. Ask for First-Hand Advice

It can feel daunting to sell clothes through the internet. If you’d like some additional insights before diving in, it’s worth seeing if any trustworthy friends or family members have used apps to sell clothes and felt happy with the results. 

Start the conversation by telling someone how many and what type of things you plan to sell. It’s then easier to gauge if your plans stack up to their experience. 

Even if there are differences between the two, you might still get useful input. For example, maybe your friend only used an app to sell her toddler’s clothes, but you want to use the same one to put cocktail dresses up for sale. She could at least tell you how easy or difficult it was to go through the process that the app required for a successful sale. 

Apps to Sell Clothes Could Clear Out Your Closet

You may be like many people and have a seemingly endless collection of garments you rarely wear or have never worn. These six tips can help you make the most of selling those, giving you more room for the attire you really want.