Selling clothing secondhand is a rewarding and enjoyable endeavor. You're doing good for the planet by reducing the amount of waste that goes to landfills -- and hopefully reducing the amount of new clothing that is produced. You also get to meet a lot of fun, interesting secondhand shoppers who visit your store. One struggle you might have in the beginning is finding secondhand clothing to actually sell. Here are a few ways to do that.
1. Buy bulk recycled clothing.
There are organizations across the country that collect donated clothing and then resell it -- not just as individual pieces, but in bulk. You can buy a huge box or pallet of bulk recycled clothing for a very low price, and then resell the items in your store for a profit. You never know what will be in the pallet of clothing. Some items may not be in great condition, but others certainly will be. Each shipment will be an adventure. When you come across rags or clothing that's too worn to resell, you can donate it back to the wholesale company or use it for your own purposes -- like cleaning or lining a dog bed.
2. Visit garage sales.
Many times, people attempt to sell used clothing at garage sales, but at the end of the day, they have a lot of items left. They typically want to get rid of them -- and would donate them, if nothing else. Try visiting garage sales in your area around the time they are shutting down for the evening. Offer to buy all of the clothing they have left for a small sum, like $10 or $20. You'll be surprised how many people take you up on your offer. You can do a similar thing at rummage sales, which are often held at churches and community buildings such as libraries.
3. Post on online community groups.
Make some posts on online yard sale groups asking for cheap clothing. You may come across some people who are cleaning out their closets and want to get rid of everything at once. There will be some sorting to do, as some of the items may not be in good condition. But you can briefly look over lots of clothing before buying them and say "no" to any that don't have at least a few good vintage items.
With the tips above, you can build your collection of clothing to resell and be in business a lot sooner!
Share10 October 2018
Hi. My name is Candy Lewis. I’m a stay at home mom in my mid-thirties. Taking care of my children and our home can wear me down. Sometimes I’m exhausted to the point of not caring what I look like when I leave the house. However, when I do have the time to put an outfit together, I depend heavily on accessories to complete the look. I have learned that I can have an ordinary sweater on but when adding a necklace it turns into an extraordinary look. Jewelry, handbags, belts, shoes and hats can all finish off an outfit. I’m happy to share some of my accessorizing tips with you. Some are very simple. I feel ten years younger when I take a cute little over the shoulder handbag and sling it over my head and shoulder. I hope you find my tips to be of interest!
