Can You Sell Used Clothes on Etsy? Everything You Need to Know
Are you considering selling used clothes on Etsy but don't know whether it's actually allowed? Then you've come to the right place.
Etsy's marketplace includes craft supplies, handmade items, and vintage items. You can resell vintage items and craft supplies but not handmade goods, meaning you can sell used clothes to your heart's content! You can sell everything from hats to leather bags to vintage garments.
Etsy is full of successful used clothing stores — and you can be one of them. Vintage clothing and second-hand clothes are high demand nowadays, and Etsy is the perfect online marketplace for selling.
But there are a bunch of things you should know before making the leap to selling used clothes there. Let’s walk through everything to know in the following sections.
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Can You Sell Used Clothes on Etsy?
You can sell used clothes on Etsy provided you aren't listing them in the handmade section. However, Etsy isn't the place to host a digital yard sale of all your old clothes.
All pre-loved clothes must be vintage (i.e., at least 20 years old) and not resold from another store unless deemed vintage.
As per Etsy's House Rules on reselling, the following items are prohibited:
Artistically repackaged commercial items, such as a gift hamper containing non-handmade products
Collections of other artists' handmade items
Selling things made or designed by another Etsy seller who isn't collaborating with your store
Selling fair trade or traditional handicrafts you didn't make
The platform reserves the right to remove any listings that don't follow its policies. So, be mindful that your clothes aren't breaching these ground rules before posting — you'll still be liable for any associated fees, after all.
Types of Used Clothes You Can Sell on Etsy
People sell all kinds of garments in a range of styles, materials, and colors. You'd be hard pushed to find items that aren't sold on Etsy.
That said, there are a few clothing types that appear to be more popular than others including:
Leather bags and satchels
Swimsuits
All kinds of vintage items (for example, denim jackets, leather jackets, jeans, shirts, etc.)
Customized t-shirts for men, women, and children
Booo jewelry
Flowing skirts and harem pants
Knitted hats and scarves
Luxury items (like vintage Louis Vuitton)
Naturally, this isn't an exhaustive list or complete market research. However, it's a great starting point to know what can sell.
The Best Target Market for Clothes on Etsy
Using Etsy to sell clothes gives you access to a predominantly female customer base.
To stand the best chance at success, consider what's been overdone and what hasn't been done enough within the vintage clothing sector. That way, you can fill a gap in an already strong market to turn a profit faster.
Clothing Customization Versus Original Designs
Nowadays, customized clothes are popular because people love print quotes or images on shirts, sweaters, and bags. You can develop quite a successful business doing this.
These clothes aren’t always old and being resold. For example, many people want new customized shirts for a family reunion or family trip to Disneyland.
Before you decide on selling used clothes, consider if you’d do better selling new clothes to a different market of customers. But know that you'll need to battle a ton of competition if you go down this route.
With so many stores printing people's names and their choice of quotes and designs, it can be hard to gain traction and stand out. Still, it’s a lucrative option for selling on Etsy if you’re debating a niche or market.
Product and Market Research
Key to selling on Etsy is conducting sufficient product and market research. Be prepared for the competition on the site and getting your items noticed.
Spending the time and effort to understand what is and isn't selling in the vintage garments sphere will give you an easier ride to success.
Take a look at the following best-selling used clothes stores to get an idea of what a successful Etsy shop looks like:
MaevenVintage — This store has been selling used clothes on Etsy since 2008. To date, the store boasts over 3,800 sales with countless five-star reviews, not to mention being favorited by almost 18,000 Etsy shoppers. The shop stands out for its oh-so-professional photography.
HerUniverseOnline — This shop is slightly different as the owner turns vintage Indian silks into skirts, cushions, and Kantha quilts. It's unique thanks to the beautiful prints and high-quality materials. At the time of writing, this store has made 7,047 sales!
LolaAndBlack — From skirts and pants to swimwear to jackets to dresses, LolaAndBlack is the pinnacle of vintage loveliness. This store even caters to men, giving it an edge over other stores.
The Key to Success — Establishing a Niche
As you may have gathered, establishing a niche is ideal if you want your store to be an Etsy success.
Once you've determined your specific category, shoppers will look to you as the expert in your field, returning for products in the future.
The best way to pick a niche is to figure out the types of used clothing that you want to sell and that you can obtain.
Are you a fan of a particular era of fashion history? Do you want to focus on dresses and accessories? Or perhaps you'd prefer to focus on vintage tees or children's clothing?
Whatever you choose, get ready to start finding your products.
Where to Source Used Vintage Clothes to Resell
Since Etsy has strict guidelines when it comes to reselling clothes (i.e., they must be at least 20 years old), you must be mindful about where you source them. Luckily, you have options.
Thrift Stores
Thrift stores are usually a great place to start, especially when you don't have much money to spend on inventory, although, it might take a while to find high-quality items depending on your area.
Top Vintage Thrifting Tips:
Learn the best places to shop in your area — There may be small thrift shops that regularly receive vintage items or some shops that offer great prices and sales that make it worth shopping there. Some thrift stores like select Goodwills have special vintage sections where all the vintage items are grouped together.
Inspect before buying — Thrift stores typically don't have the same quality standards as dedicated vintage stores. Always check for stains and other damage before purchasing. Many times an item will still be worth purchasing, but you might have to spend time and money repairing an item or reduce your sale price.
Know your clothes — The best clothing resellers know vintage styles, fabrics, labels, and trends. Not everything that is old or vintage resells well, so it’s good to have some knowledge of vintage items and what you’re looking for while you shop.
Online Marketplaces
In today's digital age, finding old garments to sell online is rather easy. You don't need to visit shops in New York and Los Angeles for the best clothes. Try sites like Craigslist, Nextdoor, eBay, Poshmark, and others for the best results. Online consignment shops like thredUP are a great option too.
On some sites, you'll find people who are looking to sell old items and not too concerned to price items for maximal profit, which means you can purchase or negotiate to get good deals.
Just be careful about counterfeits and quality. If you can't hold the piece before purchasing, you risk buying a sub-par item. Check the seller’s and marketplace’s return and refund policies before purchasing.
Garage Sales and Yard Sales
Check out garage sales in residential neighborhoods with families and elderly folks who have lived there for years and years. Their homes are likely full of vintage items. That's why garage and yard sales is a great way to find vintage clothes and usually for reasonable prices.
Estate Sales and Auctions
Search for local estate sales online or connect with companies that run estate sales in your area. Ask if you can get text or email notifications about their upcoming sales.
Then decide whether to go at the start or at the end of the sale or both. You’ll typically find the best items at the start of the sale but the lowest prices at the end when the company is trying to clear out the goods.
You may also have an option to attend auctions in your area. Both online and in-person versions can be goldmines for vintage finds.
Buy-sell-trade and consignment stores
Buy-sell-trade (BST) and consignment stores are two other options for finding vintage clothes. You'll likely find unique items and those in good condition because they're vetted being sold on those stores.
The only difficulty is that sometimes store owners know they have a gem in their hands and the selling price is too high for you to resell for a profit.
Offer consignment
Some people want to sell their personal collections but want someone else to do the leg work for them. You can market your services as a reseller and sell their goods for them.
With traditional consignment, you list a client’s items and earn a commission on each piece when it sells. This is a lucrative arrangement for sellers who don’t have easy access to vintage or other goods to sell.
Just be sure to keep careful track of the numbers because you’ll need to account for other expenses:
Marketplace commissions
Packaging materials
Income tax on sales come tax time
You can build relationships that lead to repeat clients using your consignment service.
Personal relationships
Develop relationships with those who work in reselling, vintage and antiques, and similar industries. This does take time but can pay off many times over.
The owner of one thrift and antiques shop I visit told me she gets many items from her friend who lives in a different city. Her friend sources the items and sends them to her if she wants to purchase them for resale.
Wholesalers
Did you know that there are vintage clothing wholesalers? Check out companies like LA Vintage that sell bulk vintage clothing at wholesale prices.
Storing Your Used Clothes to Sell on Etsy
Once you've procured your stock, you need to think about storage. If you don’t have a good storage system, you risk ruining your one-of-a-kind items, and shipping and fulfillment will start to feel overwhelming.
Some things to consider:
temperature and humidity of your storage room. Depending on your items, certain conditions may damage the material.
garment bags – They'll keep dust and fabric pests off your inventory. Although stay away from plastic covers as they can trap moisture and encourage mold growth.
the type of hangers – Use hangers for the items that need it and fold or lay flat other items that cannot be hung. Soft padded hangers are better than wood and wire to avoid rips, stains, and creases.
sequins and embellishments – These can catch on the delicate clothes hung beside them. If necessary, store them in individual garment bags. If you need to fold the item for storage or shipping, consider putting acid-free unbuffered tissue paper between each fold so that sequins, beads, etc. don’t touch each other.
This post is full of top tips on how to best store vintage items.
How to Price Used Clothes on Etsy
You’ve probably found used clothing at all kinds of prices during your product and market research. It’s ultimately up to you whether you want to be on the lower or higher end of the scale and what the market demands for the items you’re selling.
Use the general e-commerce pricing rule of applying the garment cost and overheads while also considering the value of the vintage item.
The nature of selling used clothes means you must appraise each piece independently yet maintain a price point that suits your target demographic.
Vintage garments should be priced according to:
Rarity
Wearability
Age
Condition
Label
Trend
Shipping costs
Search for similar items on eBay and Etsy. If you find a load of the same piece, price your item similarly or lower your price if you want a faster sale.
Note if your garment is in better condition than others or unique in some way that will draw a higher price.
You’ll also want to consider
Etsy’s various fees
Shipping costs if you offer free shipping
Etsy has several fees that apply or may apply to your listings. These are a few of them.
Listing fees - $0.20 USD
Transaction fee - 6.5% of the total order amount in your designated listing currency
Advertising fees - either Etsy ads or offside ads
If you decide to offer free shipping, you'll want to increase your sales price to account for that. Read more about fees on Etsy.
5 More Tips and Tricks for Selling Used Clothes on Etsy
You're well on your way to mastering the art of selling pre-loved clothes on Etsy! Just follow these extra tips and tricks to create a store loved by the masses:
#1 Up Your Photography Game
Product photography is key to a great sale. When you sell on Etsy, the buyer cannot inspect the item any more than what you show them in pictures and video. You’ll want to win them over with your photos.
Ensuring vivid, true-color images will increase your chances of sales. Blurry, fuzzy, or otherwise low-quality pictures will have people clicking away.
For best results:
Photograph all angles — Recreate the personalized experience you get in-store by capturing items in various states:
The entire garment. Consider if it showcases better on a mannequin or model than laid flat or hung.
Zoomed-in details especially any unique ones
Close-up of the label
Any flaws or damage
Use natural light - Buyers want to see what they're going to receive including the actual colors of the items, which often comes through best when photographing with natural light.
Provide inspiration — Try injecting personality into your product photos by accessorizing and displaying how each garment could be styled.
Batch shoot items — Instead of photographing every item as you procure it, set aside time to take pictures of several items at once. That way, you don't have to set up and take down your equipment for each item or switch mindsets between taking photos and something else.
#2 Provide a Good Shop Experience
Buyers who are interested in one vintage item in your shop are likely to browse your shop to see what else you have for sale. Provide an inviting and cohesive digital experience so they want to want to buy your items and definitely remember your shop.
You can create a warm and custom shop experience in several ways:
Professional looking photos of a similar style
A shop logo
The language and keywords in your listings
Run promotions or sales
Use Etsy’s features like shop announcements, about us, policies, and contact info
Encourage people to follow you on social media to find out about upcoming drops and promotions
You'll build a great reputation that will have potential customers returning to your Etsy store.
Go on and earn that Etsy Star Seller badge!
#3 Clarity in Descriptions and Policies
Many vintage items have different sizes and measurements than today’s clothes. You might find that a vintage size 10 is actually today’s size 4. In general, vintage clothes are four sizes smaller than modern clothes (give or take some).
So be specific about sizes, measurements, and fit. While you have to include the size in your listing, buyers will focus on the other information to know if any item will fit them.
Also be clear about the condition of your vintage pieces. Most buyers know that vintage items are likely to have some wear or damage due to time or being used, but if you have something in good condition or better, let it be known that you have something special that can be worn as is. It doesn't need any fixing.
As for policies, be clear and consistent. Etsy has a spot where you can list your shop policies.
#4 Prepare to ship your items
Vintage items need care when being handled and especially when being shipped. Have any necessary shipping supplies such as polymailers, boxes, tissue paper, air pillows on hand before you list so you can ship the item when you get a sale.
You don’t want to be scrambling for packaging supplies or delay shipping because you can’t wrap up the item safely.
It’s also important to know your options for shipping on Etsy because the price of shipping can influence a shopper’s decision on whether to buy or move on.
When it comes to shipping on Etsy, you can use Etsy shipping labels from USPS, FedEx, or carriers of other countries.
You can also opt to ship on your own, which is beneficial if you can find a better shipping rate elsewhere. No matter which you chose, you’re responsible for shipping the item and seeing the delivery through.
#5 Check out events at Etsy U
Etsy U is a community education program with experienced Etsy sellers. Attend free workshops to help you establish and grow your business. Topics include
learning how to define and attract your ideal customer
optimizing your shop for the holidays
using Adobe Express
incorporating Google search engine optimization (SEO) into your best practices
Final Thoughts
Etsy is one of the best sites online to sell your used clothing. Now you know that you can sell your used clothes there provided that your garments are at least 20 years old and you don't list them in the handmade section. Follow the tips in this guide and you're all set to start your own online store.
Let me know how it goes! I’m rooting for you!
