When I returned home from graduate school, I faced a challenge I'm sure most 20-somethings go through: a closet full of cute clothes, fitting for a college student . . . but not so appropriate for a young professional. Sure, the sequined crop top fit, but I could never see myself wearing it again [1]. I tried to pawn it all off on my younger sister. If I could see her enjoying my old clothes, it was almost like getting to keep it.
But still, I had a lot of clothes, so I thought about selling.
The Options
After a quick Google search, I decided on three fashion consignment apps: Poshmark [2], Mercari [3], and Vinted [4]. These apps became the basis for my short-lived (but very fulfilling) consignment retail business. I spent hours on staging and shooting photos of my clothes, and my experience with product copywriting went a long way in finishing my online boutiques.
My Expectations
I expected that maybe I'd sell a pair of jeans and a handbag, not much. I set out with a goal of earning $80 to cover the new pair of Levis I'd recently bought. And I was surprised that after just a few days, I had bites from potential buyers, asking for more details or discounts. I was always fair; if someone asked me to lower the price by a few dollars, I would. This was worn H&M and Zara clothing that I was selling, not Prada.
The Result
After two months, I had to close up shop. I was fully moved out of my parents' house and my little NYC apartment couldn't take the two remaining boxes of clothes. I counted up my profits, which added up to just under $350. Not too shabby when my average sell price was $10.
I boxed up the rest of my clothes and donated them. It was a successful two months, but very busy. I was relieved to no longer need to rush home every day to box things up and get them to the post office by 5 p.m.
Would I Do It Again?
If I ever found myself in a place with more than 15 articles of clothing and accessories that I didn't want anymore, I would definitely re-open my consignment business. But I am not savvy or patient enough to consign full-time. It took a lot of time and energy to earn the profit I made, plus I had to sell quite a lot before I saw real results.
That being said ,I can't recommend consigning clothes online enough. It's easy, you can make quite a profit if you're patient enough, plus you make space in that closet for new clothes.