EXPERT ADVICE FROM THE GHI
How to sell pre-loved clothes online, the truth about 5G and more
SIGN UP TO SELL
Facebook Marketplace is free to use and you can start selling straight away if you already have a Facebook account, but you need to deal face-to-face with buyers (facebook.com/marketplace). ebay gives you access to a huge range of potential buyers, but takes a 10% cut of your sales (there’s 35p to pay per listing once you’ve used up the 1,000 free listings; ebay.co.uk). There’s Vinted (free to sell, buyers pay a fee; vinted.co.uk) and Depop (you pay a 10% fee on sales; depop.com), where a crowd of style-conscious younger buyers may be keen to get their hands on items from your ‘vintage’ wardrobe!
If you have a Google or Facebook account, you can use it to start selling on Vinted, but when you register with other websites, such as Depop or ebay, you’ll need to create a profile.
BUILD A REPUTATION
Most buyers will check ratings and feedback from other users before they buy from you, so it’s important to build up a good reputation. Until you make your first sale, you can start by following other users on Vinted or Depop, or by buying items from other sellers on ebay, who will leave feedback about you.
Once you start selling, the ratings buyers give you will be based on their experience of the customer service you provide. Keeping them updated on the whereabouts of their goods, quick postage and accurate descriptions of what you’re selling all count towards this. This kind of rating system doesn’t exist on Facebook Marketplace, though, so it’s harder to tell who’s a reliable seller.
TAKE LOTS OF PHOTOS
Capture your garments in good light, on hangers, against a plain background and from different angles. Photograph any striking trimmings, details or labels, too. Upload the best photo first, as this will be the main image people will see.
THINK ABOUT WORDING
As well as the size, material and composition of the garment you’re selling, keywords will help make it more visible to potential buyers. Include phrases about an item’s era (‘Eighties jumpsuit’, ‘Seventies embroidered blouse’), style (‘colour block jumper’, ‘nautical striped top’) and even the names of celebrities who’ve worn something similar. Free keyword tools such as Goofbid’s ebay Pulse Tool (goofbid.com) or Keywords Everywhere (keywordseverywhere.com) tell you what people are searching for.
Product Tags in Facebook Marketplace do a similar job and on other sites you can add hashtags so one item shows up in different searches: #cableknit or #navycashmere, for example as well as the brand (#jigsaw or #reiss). Include information about the item’s condition, including any stains, snags or tears from the outset to avoid disputes later on.
TIME IT RIGHT
Schedule ebay listings so they end when the site is busiest, between 7pm and 9pm on Sundays. Buyers snap up the most second-hand clothing in October and May, ahead of the winter and summer seasons, so now is the time to list winter garments.
RESEARCH PRICES
Before you decide on a selling price, check what similar items have sold for and factor into the price the cost of listing, packing and posting your item (use royalmail.com/price-finder).
PROTECT YOURSELF
Learn more about your buyer from their feedback. Block potential buyers who have negative feedback, cancel suspicious bids and report threatening or suspicious behaviour (see Report User or Report Listing). If you’re selling on ebay or Depop, set up a Paypal account for payments (Vinted has its own payment system). On Facebook Marketplace, transactions are agreed online but the exchange of goods and money takes place in person, so it’s best to ask for cash. If a buyer is collecting from your home, have the item ready by the front door and time it so someone else is in.