Are your fits mostly from H&M and Gap, or are we talking LV and Gucci? If you're ready to sell, do you want to simply send off a bag of clothes and let someone else deal with it, or list and ship each piece yourself?
Top sites offer nuanced approaches and charge varied fees.
Selling sites that do the work for you
These sites take a ton of work out of the process, but tend to charge higher fees.
1. ThredUp
Good for: Unloading multiple pieces of clothes at once with a caveat: Women's and kid's clothing and accessories only.
ThredUp stands out for simplicity because it sells your items for you (although, a beta "sell it yourself" option is now available). Start the process by ordering a Clean Out bag to fill and send back, or loading up your own box with the items you want to sell. The company receives, inspects, lists and ships your items over a listing window of 30-45 days.
You earn a percentage of each sale that ranges between 3% and 80% depending on the selling price. More expensive pieces earn you a higher percentage.
ThredUp "recycles" any items that don't sell, or you can pay $5.99 per item to get them back.
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2. The RealReal
Good for: Offloading multiple high-end pieces at once.
The RealReal is like ThredUp, but for designer items — think Gucci, Chanel or Louis Vuitton. According to its website, you first print out a free, prepaid shipping label, pack your box of high-end goods and send it off.
The RealReal prices your items based on market trends, condition and other factors, and pays a commission of 20% to 70% based on the amount your item sells for.
Selling sites that are more DIY
These sites let you list and ship yourself and tend to take less of a cut.
3. Poshmark
Good for: Listing a variety of everyday clothes, personal care products and select home goods, piece by piece.
Poshmark is a peer-to-peer marketplace where you can post all sorts of women’s, men’s and kid's clothing, plus accessories and more for resale.
You post and price each item yourself on Poshmark. When you make a sale, Poshmark emails a prepaid shipping label so you can pack and ship the item(s).
Poshmark takes a flat $2.95 fee on sales under $15 and 20% of the price for sales of $15 or more.
4. Vestiaire Collective
Good for: Listing fancy clothes on your own, piece by piece.
Vestiaire Collective is another peer-to-peer marketplace, but it specializes in luxury brands. You're responsible for listing, pricing and shipping items. Due to the high-end clothing focus, the company is keen on authentication and says it carefully reviews each item listed before publishing.
Once an item sells, you print a label, pack and ship it.
Vestiaire Collective takes 12% of an item’s selling price for most sales over $83. It charges a payment processing fee of 3%, too.
5. Depop
Good for: Quickly listing stylish pieces in a social media-like format.
Depop isn’t drastically different from other peer-to-peer reselling sites, but it has a trendy feel that focuses on style and ease of use. The selling point for sellers is its simplified AI-powered listing process that takes some of the tedium out of posting a piece.
When you make a sale, you can use “Depop Shipping,” or arrange to do so yourself. Go with Depop and you can show a QR code to USPS or tape a prepaid label on your package. You can also decide whether you or the buyer covers the shipping cost.
When you make a sale, you can use “Depop Shipping,” or arrange to do so yourself. Go with Depop and you can show a QR code to USPS or tape a prepaid label on your package. You can also decide whether you or the buyer covers the shipping cost.
Depop doesn’t have selling fees here in the U.S., but there is a payment processing fee of 3.3% + 45 cents through Depop Payments or PayPal.
Other ways to sell clothes online
Community-based marketplaces. If you want to avoid shipping items, try listing locally through sites and apps such as OfferUp and Facebook Marketplace. These sites don’t operate like consignment stores. You post your own listings and communicate directly with the buyer.
Broader resale sites. You can explore other online selling sites that cover a wider range of products, such as Etsy and eBay. Both sites allow sellers to list clothing, shoes, accessories and other items.
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Take a little time up front to get top dollar for your clothes.
🫧 Freshen up your merchandise: Wash or dry-clean your items before putting them on the market. Polish hardware on shoes and handbags and buff the scuffs.
📸 Take clear photos if listing items yourself: Place your piece on a flat, plain surface and angle a lamp at it to reduce shadows. A solid-colored bedspread or blanket will work in a pinch.
✏️ Write an honest description: Give basic information on size, brand and condition, as well as more nuanced details in the description. Does a pair of jeans sit low on the hips? Is the fabric heavy or stretchy? Put it in the description.
💰 Price clothes to sell: A little competitive research will help you find the sweet spot — not too high, not too low — when pricing your merchandise. If your piece doesn’t move, try dropping the price.
