So you want to declutter and perhaps make some extra cash out of your preloved fashion items. It can be a source of income that doesn’t require capital, other than stuff you already own. Here are tips from expert online resellers.
Take very good photos, advises Scarlet Foz. “Only 10 percent of buyers read product descriptions, so it has to be visually good to catch attention. And don’t steal others’ photos.”
How you present your items on Facebook or Instagram is very important, adds Frea Capco Gapay. Maximize social media in pushing your goods, and create a “fan base,” advises this Gen Z reseller.
“Technology has made it very easy to do business online, especially for young people like me,” Gapay adds.
“Choose nice stuff to sell,” says Anna Cortes Henares, “not stuff that should be going to charity. Also, cultivate a relationship with your buyers.”
Have a variety of stuff to offer, adds Gapay, who sells fine jewelry. “I also sell skin care, so I have something else to offer while waiting for my customers to buy another piece of jewelry.”
You should differentiate yourself from other sellers with what you’re offering, Gapay adds.
Scrutinize, sanitize
Hygiene is very important when you’re selling preowned items, says Mary Shayne Castrillo. She advises scrutinizing and sanitizing items properly, especially preowned shoes and clothes.
“Some buyers are wary when it comes to hygiene, especially now with the pandemic,” Castrillo adds. “As a seller, I have a reputation to maintain. I don’t want it to get around that I sold items that are dirty. Your items must look worthy of the price you’re asking for them.”
If you plan to resell your designer bags and shoes later, keep them in a pristine condition. For bags, keep the boxes and receipts, as buyers usually ask for those, says Castrillo.
Shoes must be stored properly as well, in their original boxes if possible. Expensive shoes could use sole protectors, so bring them to your shoe cobbler when they’re brand new. “That way, you can still get good money for them once you decide to sell,” Castrillo adds.
Designer bags typically don’t lose much of their monetary value on resale; some brands and models even appreciate, Castrillo says. This, however, doesn’t seem to apply to clothes and shoes, whose prices drop dramatically once they’ve been worn.
How to price your items? “Some just want their money back, but some also want to make a profit,” Castrillo points out. “If it’s something that has already brought you joy, be reasonable. Selling at a low price also assures quicker turnaround.”
To avoid being scammed, Henares advises buyers to ask their seller all the right questions until they’re satisfied with the answers. If you’re the seller, be honest and disclose all flaws or defects of the item. Prepandemic, some buyers and sellers met up face-to-face for big-ticket items, like luxury handbags.
And, Foz, warns, “Not all customers are courteous. Some can be very rude—but they’re still customers.”
“You don’t want to waste anything that’s lying around in your closet,” says Bibe Roldan. “Go through it. Declutter. It’s good for your emotional well-being and it’s also good money.”
—Cheche V. Moral