Cleaning Out Your Closet: All Your Questions Answered
I have thought about doing a YouTube video on this topic, as I feel I could go into depth about strategies on how to sell your unwanted clothing and websites to do it on. However, a blog post will have to do for now. Recently, I’ve come to the realization that I have lots of clothes and I only wear ¼ of them. It’s also time for me to start moving into my next house with my roommates and I’d like to clean out my closet before I have to drag it all to our new place. Whether you want more clothes or just don’t have enough room, everyone cleans out there closet from time to time and might feel guilty about not wearing half of the things in there. Trust me: I’ve been there. Today I’m gonna share with you what I do to get rid of the clothes I don’t need or want anymore.
Donating V.S. Selling V.S. Keeping V.S. Throwing Away
First off, I suggest you make four piles. One for donating, one for selling, one for keeping and one for throwing away(I highly discourage throwing any clothing away, but this pile is good for clothes that are broken or ruined, badly stained, etc. and even then you can try and recycle them). This can help organize your thought process a little more by keeping each one separated and in it’s own pile. Next, I highly recommend having someone with you. I had my boyfriend right next to me the whole time and he had great input on things I would wear, what would be good to sell, and what needed to be thrown away or donated. It’s good to have someone by your side that can be realistic and give opinions about what you should and shouldn’t keep (especially if you’re me and have a weird, unhealthy attachment to any and every thing you own).
Selling: How and Where to Do it
I know a lot of people are interested in selling their clothes that they don’t want or need anymore, especially if they’re brand name clothing items. Understand, though you might (most likely will not) get as much or more than you originally paid for it, unless it has never been worn and is new with tags (NWT). One way to sell your clothes would be social media platforms such as Instagram and Facebook. On these sites you can accurately showcase the product with pictures while also earning most of the profits yourself (unlike some websites that take a percentage). However, if you decide to do this method be prepared to meet up with your buyer. A lot of the time when someone is selling their old clothing on Instagram and Facebook they are looking for local pickups. However, you don’t have to do that. You can always send packages when selling through Instagram and Facebook, just don’t forget to have your buyer pay for shipping or you will have to!
However, if you prefer to use a social media site like Poshmark or Depop, I’m your gal. I have my own Poshmark and you can go shop it right now, just click here! I have made a total of 11 sales in the short time I’ve been on Poshmark and currently am in the process of making a couple more. Poshmark is so easy to work once you understand how to market your products. The great thing about Poshmark is they do all the hard work for you (kinda). You still have to package and ship your clothing items, however, the shipping is prepaid and a label is sent to you via email once someone has purchased your item. But how do you get sales in the first place? It seems so silly and easy, but all you have to do is follow people, share their items, and share your own items as well. Following and sharing other people and their items will help you in return. Most of the time, they will share your items as well, and depending on their follower count, that’s a lot of people and someone is bound to love your style! I share my own posts at least 20-40 times a day. Think about it like this, every time you’re on your phone go into the Poshmark app and share everything. Sharing your own posts gets them to the top of the search when people are buying!
Liking posts isn’t the best idea unless you’re truly interested in buying (I learned this the hard way) because sellers will bundle items, make offers, and overall bug you until you buy!
One of the most helpful tips that I have found is to search for the exact same item that you have listed on your Poshmark, for example: “Pacsun Blue Ruffle Tube Top” and then find posts with the similar or the same product that you have listed in your closet on Poshmark. Find where the likes are located on the post and follow every person that has liked it. This is a great way to drive traffic to your closet with people who are actually interested in what you’re buying.
Things to Remember
Using sites like Poshmark do cost a little in order to sell, because you need packaging and tape or even wrapping like tissue paper or cards to put in with your orders. However, overall you will make a profit and it's a great way to get rid of some clothes!
Sometimes using Instagram and Facebook can lead to meetups which can be dangerous! Take someone with you, be aware of your surroundings, and overall be safe!
On Poshmark, you need to enter your bank information in order to receive payment. Also, you do not get paid as soon as a sale goes through. Once the buyer has received the item they have three days to confirm to the app that they received it. If they click it when they receive the item your payment gets sent, however, after three day the payment is automatically sent to you.
Understand that sometimes you will only make a small profit! If you are looking to get rid of your clothes, you can still make a good amount of money, but you might want to consider lowering your prices in order to sell more!
I hope this helps you with your cleaning out journey! Hopefully, you are able to take some of these tips and apply them to your online selling (or buying) journey!
Poshmark Username: emmacj0
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