Tips for Selling Clothing at Clothing Exchange Stores

Reselling clothing has become even more popular in the down economy. It may also be a feasible option for raising money to do your holiday shopping without raiding your savings. Stores that that I've mentioned before on this blog like the Buffalo Exchange, which has locations in several cities are popular with both women and men that want clothing but aren’t concerned with buying items brand new. Clothing exchange stores typically give you cash for a percentage of what the item will be priced on the rack. In my experience at both the Philadelphia Buffalo Exchange location and the Brooklyn, New York location of Beacon’s Closet, I was given about 40% of the cash value of the items I sold. Purchasing used items can also mean saving money (if you spend wisely). I’ve personally found some very high quality clothing items in clothing exchange stores.

Here are a few tips I suggest for reselling clothing:

Launder and iron pieces before taking them in to resell. Presentation is key when trying to resell clothing. If you skirt is balled up and wrinkled, it probably won’t matter to the clothing seller that it's of good quality and the seller will be more likely to reject your item.

Only try to sell clothing from the current weather season. The stock is usually put right on the racks as it comes in in stores, so if you have a lovely sundress that you want to part with for some cash, December is not the ideal time of year to try and sell it.

Don’t bother trying to sell clothing or accessories that are poorly constructed or outdated. Don’t try to sell something you couldn’t imagine another person wanting.

Have realistic expectations. Things like stock levels, popular styles and other considerations can determine whether your items will be wanted from a clothing exchange store. Don’t take it personally if your items aren’t picked. If you still think your items are in good condition, donate them to charity. In the clothing exchange stores I’ve been to, you can leave items that you don’t want to keep to be picked up by organizations like charities that need clothing donations.

Selling or purchasing clothes and accessories from clothing exchanges and thrift stores can save you a bit of cash and is a “greener” way to get your shopping fix. It takes more usually patience and you may have to dig to find really nice items you love among others you don’t care for. Quality of clothing can also run the gamut, from really good, to poor. So check out stores like the Buffalo Exchange, Beacon’s Closet or Plato’s Closet in your area and bring in your items to sell if you have some items you would like to give a new home.