All of the Clothes and the Shoes
June 26, 2021 7:23 AM Subscribe
Due to a number of decades of living plus a year of weight loss, I have lots of clothes and shoes I no longer want to keep. For the sort of average-condition or more basic items I have started a box for Goodwill, but I have probably a dozen pairs of nice jeans and pants (some never worn omg*), and a lot of size 11 women's leather shoes worn only a few times or once, or never, because I have had some terrible shopping habits. I would like to maybe sell these.
Many of the shoes I got on Ebay as worn-once for excellent prices, but I am now getting rid of all my leather stuff. I bought two pairs of new Clark's leather boots several years ago, wore one pair once and one pair never. (I did give one pair away to a sister of a co-worker, which was nice).
So, do they still have those places that will list the things on Ebay for me and do you know how much of the sale price they keep? I tried to find one but did not have any luck. I don't think I want to do the bother of listing things on Ebay (or Poshmark) and also the shipping and potential trouble with all that (but maybe that's really my best option?). I thought about maybe a local consignment shop but that could take a long time and also I think they would keep like half the sale price and I don't have anything like Louboutins or whatever.
Meanwhile, I have a friend down the street who suggested I keep these things until October when she has another yard sale, but I feel like people at a yard sale are looking for bargains in the $5 or less range, and I'd rather do a little better than that in hopes of a nice donation to an animal welfare organization and also maybe some for painting supplies.
By the way, if you are reading this and potentially interested in women's size 11 leather shoes, please feel free to send me a MeMail.
*Some of the jeans/pants have never been worn because I bought them when I was at a larger size, forgot about them in a drawer, and then went down some sizes and did not find them again until recently when I had passed that size. How terrible and wasteful, ugh! I'm looking at you, brand new lovely size 14 pristine black corduroy pants I used to look at wistfully and try in vain to pull on over previously too big hips. Dangit.
Many of the shoes I got on Ebay as worn-once for excellent prices, but I am now getting rid of all my leather stuff. I bought two pairs of new Clark's leather boots several years ago, wore one pair once and one pair never. (I did give one pair away to a sister of a co-worker, which was nice).
So, do they still have those places that will list the things on Ebay for me and do you know how much of the sale price they keep? I tried to find one but did not have any luck. I don't think I want to do the bother of listing things on Ebay (or Poshmark) and also the shipping and potential trouble with all that (but maybe that's really my best option?). I thought about maybe a local consignment shop but that could take a long time and also I think they would keep like half the sale price and I don't have anything like Louboutins or whatever.
Meanwhile, I have a friend down the street who suggested I keep these things until October when she has another yard sale, but I feel like people at a yard sale are looking for bargains in the $5 or less range, and I'd rather do a little better than that in hopes of a nice donation to an animal welfare organization and also maybe some for painting supplies.
By the way, if you are reading this and potentially interested in women's size 11 leather shoes, please feel free to send me a MeMail.
*Some of the jeans/pants have never been worn because I bought them when I was at a larger size, forgot about them in a drawer, and then went down some sizes and did not find them again until recently when I had passed that size. How terrible and wasteful, ugh! I'm looking at you, brand new lovely size 14 pristine black corduroy pants I used to look at wistfully and try in vain to pull on over previously too big hips. Dangit.
FWIW I've been selling nice used clothes and shoes on eBay recently (not fancy, but recognizable/trustworthy names like Levis, Patagonia, Saucony, and Uniqlo) and it really hasn't been difficult! Taking photos is the worst part but if you can set up a photo area in a tidy well-lit corner and blast through a bunch of items in an afternoon it's not too awful (and if you're thinking about selling things online you're going to be taking photos regardless).
eBay lets you pay for shipping right in the app now and will take the shipping cost out of your pending payout, so there's no faffing around with PayPal. You just have to put it in a box/envelope/bag with the label on it, then you can either drop off at the PO or fill out a thing on USPS.com and say how many packages you're putting out for the mail carrier to pick up the next day. (If you live on my mail carrier's route, this comes with free packing and reselling tips when you run into him in person.) Easy peasy. Some stuff sells faster than others, but I keep the for-sale stuff organized in a dedicated drawer or section of the closet until it sells. More work than a yardsale (THE G-D PHOTOS) but more $$$ as well.
I've used Facebook marketplace for larger items but it has mostly been a hassle for me because people ALWAYS flake out about pickup times, especially for small items like clothes, and you get one million messages that say, "Hi is this item still available?" and NOTHING ELSE.
posted by mskyle at 7:37 AM on June 26, 2021 [4 favorites]
eBay lets you pay for shipping right in the app now and will take the shipping cost out of your pending payout, so there's no faffing around with PayPal. You just have to put it in a box/envelope/bag with the label on it, then you can either drop off at the PO or fill out a thing on USPS.com and say how many packages you're putting out for the mail carrier to pick up the next day. (If you live on my mail carrier's route, this comes with free packing and reselling tips when you run into him in person.) Easy peasy. Some stuff sells faster than others, but I keep the for-sale stuff organized in a dedicated drawer or section of the closet until it sells. More work than a yardsale (THE G-D PHOTOS) but more $$$ as well.
I've used Facebook marketplace for larger items but it has mostly been a hassle for me because people ALWAYS flake out about pickup times, especially for small items like clothes, and you get one million messages that say, "Hi is this item still available?" and NOTHING ELSE.
posted by mskyle at 7:37 AM on June 26, 2021 [4 favorites]
Whatever you decide to do, I'd wait to sell the fall/winter items until the beginning of fall. You will get much more interest, since people aren't too interested in buying corduroy out of season and then having to store it/remember they have it when it's time to wear corduroy. However, you can take photos now, while you're motivated! Then it's simple to upload them when the clothes are seasonally appropriate. Leaves are orange! I want corduroy!
In my experience clothing doesn't do well at yard sales, and prices are far lower.
posted by citygirl at 7:59 AM on June 26, 2021 [4 favorites]
In my experience clothing doesn't do well at yard sales, and prices are far lower.
posted by citygirl at 7:59 AM on June 26, 2021 [4 favorites]
I've had good luck using PirateShip to buy and print postage. I don't sell anything, just swap books, but they don't charge any fees. If you have a place you can drop packages, it is great.
posted by soelo at 8:01 AM on June 26, 2021 [1 favorite]
posted by soelo at 8:01 AM on June 26, 2021 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Poshmark is much easier than eBay. They handle all the shipping stuff, and then just send you a label to print and affix to your package. You can use any USPS priority shipping packaging, which is free (and you can even order it from USPS to be sent directly to your house for free). Listing on Poshmark is also much more straight forward than on eBay. I've sold on multiple platforms and for cos/timet v. reward, I like Poshmark. Their cut is 20%, buyers pay shipping.
posted by kimdog at 8:02 AM on June 26, 2021 [5 favorites]
posted by kimdog at 8:02 AM on June 26, 2021 [5 favorites]
Best answer: Poshmark is really pretty easy. I'm lazy about things like paperwork and mail, and I can mange it without any stress. They do take a decent cut (20%), but they'll still pay you if the items you ship are lost in transit. They provide postage labels, so you just have to take photos, post your item on the site, and then drop the box off at the post office/for your mail carrier once it sells (no waiting in line needed). As mskyle said above, taking photos really is the worst part, but you're probably stuck doing that for any online option.
That said, some things sell fast and others languish, and I don't really see the logic behind what sells and what doesn't from the perspective of someone else trying to clean out my closet.
I did buy big pack of mailers and tissue paper when embarking on this project so I always have shipping materials handy. Not having to scrounge for an appropriate box really reduces the hassle of selling stuff online.
posted by snaw at 8:04 AM on June 26, 2021 [5 favorites]
That said, some things sell fast and others languish, and I don't really see the logic behind what sells and what doesn't from the perspective of someone else trying to clean out my closet.
I did buy big pack of mailers and tissue paper when embarking on this project so I always have shipping materials handy. Not having to scrounge for an appropriate box really reduces the hassle of selling stuff online.
posted by snaw at 8:04 AM on June 26, 2021 [5 favorites]
Highly recommend Poshmark. Their customer service is ok, you can sell a lot on the fly. If you count the 20% cut they take in place of shipping, it makes a lot of sense.
The rest can go to a women's cancer donation collection (they have drop off centers or bins, as well as pick up, and I think they're national?)
posted by firstdaffodils at 8:21 AM on June 26, 2021 [1 favorite]
The rest can go to a women's cancer donation collection (they have drop off centers or bins, as well as pick up, and I think they're national?)
posted by firstdaffodils at 8:21 AM on June 26, 2021 [1 favorite]
Since your profile says you're in the US, Thread Up is also an option (that looks slightly more convenient than Poshmark).
posted by eviemath at 11:27 AM on June 26, 2021
posted by eviemath at 11:27 AM on June 26, 2021
I'd rather do a little better than that in hopes of a nice donation to an animal welfare organization
If there is an animal welfare oriented thrift shop near you, you can donate your things there and they will handle all the rest.
Sounds like you are hoping for some money for personal things as well so maybe sell some yourself and donate some.
posted by yohko at 11:35 PM on June 26, 2021 [1 favorite]
If there is an animal welfare oriented thrift shop near you, you can donate your things there and they will handle all the rest.
Sounds like you are hoping for some money for personal things as well so maybe sell some yourself and donate some.
posted by yohko at 11:35 PM on June 26, 2021 [1 favorite]
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by XtineHutch at 7:27 AM on June 26, 2021 [1 favorite]