thirteenth Aug 2025
Studying Time: 11 minutes
Classic clothes is in. An increasing number of persons are shopping for it, due to this fact it’s simpler than ever to become profitable from promoting retro vogue. It’s official: second-hand is horny!
Endorsement from vogue icons, corresponding to supermodel Kate Moss and stylist Bay Garnett, has helped charity store vogue take maintain on the excessive avenue. That’s nice information in the event you love vogue and want to choose up some more money discovering classic clothes.
Money in on this sudden wave of thrift store stylish by rifling by way of the again of your wardrobe, trudging all the way down to your native charity store and looking for hidden gems wherever you go. Then all you must do is use the suitable purchaser to make a tidy revenue!
What’s Classic Clothes?
It’s maybe barely miserable, however ‘classic’ means something older than about twenty years, in relation to garments. So, in the event you nonetheless have a Pierce the Veil unique t-shirt from 2005, it would promote for a small fortune.
Gadgets that at all times promote properly in relation to classic are:
- Band t-shirts
- Leather-based jackets
- Coats of every kind
- Distinctive trendy shapes, like bell bottoms
- Designer labels
- Equipment like costume jewelry, sun shades, and purses
However so long as one thing is in nice situation, you would get a fairly penny for it. When you’ve rummaged by way of your individual wardrobe, it’s time to broaden your horizons and take a look at thrift outlets for some bargains to flip for additional money.
Step 1: What to search for in classic clothes
Everyone seems to be at all times in search of nice bargains. If you wish to make revenue from classic clothes, usually examine your native classic put on goldmine to see if any new inventory has are available in that might doubtlessly make you a mint. It’ll require a bit persistence and plenty of rummaging, nevertheless it may simply repay!
Have a rummage
The primary rule when visiting charity outlets is: don’t be afraid to rummage. Essentially the most collectable objects are likely to lurk on the backside of the pile so roll up your sleeves and get to work.
One other essential factor to recollect is to maintain going again to any store you assume may need hidden treasures. The great things goes quick and popping to the shop twice per week will not be extreme for an enthusiastic collector. You may even need to examine with the store assistant to seek out out once they get deliveries so that you’re there when new inventory arrives.
Select the suitable materials
Don’t simply purchase something. There’re sure materials that’ll be simpler to promote.
Lena Weber, editor of classic vogue tribute web site QueensofVintage and self-confessed classic clothes addict, says:
“Undoubtedly keep away from very synthetic materials as they’re a nightmare to maintain clear. Ideally search for objects which are made of top quality materials corresponding to wool or cotton. I wouldn’t be too fearful if an merchandise has a small gap, is lacking a button or must be hemmed up, this may all be simply fastened. Yow will discover recommendations on how one can transform ill-fitting classic in a couple of fast steps on QueensofVintage.”
Don’t overspend
There aren’t any objects of clothes specifically that take advantage of revenue. All of it is determined by how a lot you paid for it, the situation of the merchandise, what label it carries and the way restricted its availability is. It’d take some research to get a good suggestion of what sure items of clothes are price.
In case you’re simply beginning out, strive to not pay greater than £20-£30 for anybody merchandise. However, with a bit of data and a dollop of fine luck, discovering a pair of £5 classic sneakers in a charity store and promoting them on for £40-£50 is certainly doable.
Step 2: The place to search for classic clothes
Earlier than you go trawling by way of each thrift retailer on the town, look a bit nearer to house. Most of us have baggage of garments in our attics and wardrobes simply ready to come back again into type. These dishevelled ‘mum denims’ you chucked when skinny trousers grew to become all the craze? Dig them out – they’re again in and promoting like scorching truffles!
Money within the attic
Take a look by way of. Maybe you have already got one thing in good situation that may make you a revenue.
Keep in mind, even in the event you assume an merchandise is totally hideous, it would properly be in vogue proper now. Or – with a bit creativity and a pair of sharp scissors – you may make it trendy. Upcycled garments can fetch greater than the unique, when finished properly!
Preserve an open thoughts about kinds, colors and materials. Except you’re already an skilled, you may by no means be too certain in the event you’ve come throughout the holy grail of stilettos.
Swap it
Attempt having a swap store with associates (or strangers) to see in the event you can choose something out from their junk that might be price one thing.
Take a look at Swishing.com and Eventbrite to seek out your nearest garments swap social gathering, or arrange your individual and create an invitation on Fb native teams to show it into an enormous occasion.
Hit the excessive avenue
After you’ve turned your own home the wrong way up and hassled all your pals, strive trying a bit additional away from house. Most excessive streets have a charity store or two. These are perfect for discovering forgotten clothes handed down by way of generations. The trick is to examine every little thing you discover after which belief your instincts.
In case you fall in love with an merchandise at first look – except you’ve obtained a very quirky type – likelihood is another person may too.
Though large names typically promote for extra money, it’s far more troublesome to seek out them for only a few quid. To start with, stick with lower-priced objects.
Classic outfitters are additionally a terrific place to seek out some unique and quirky items. The one hassle is you’re loads much less prone to make any revenue on objects you discover there. Why? The store homeowners are typically consultants of their discipline. They’ll know which objects are extra worthwhile and may due to this fact be taken to public sale or offered for extra.
Having stated that, outlets providing classic clothes are sometimes prepared to haggle, so give it a go. It’s actually price taking a look each on occasion. You by no means know what is likely to be hiding beneath a pile of polka dot clothes.
Lena says: “Charity outlets are a terrific place for classic bargains. The identical goes for giant classic outlets in non-trendy areas; avoid Camden Market or Brick Lane, for instance. There are additionally some improbable on-line outlets corresponding to somelikeitvintage which have superb cut price objects.“
Proper now, originality is the important thing to being trendy. Shopping for classic clothes just about ensures that you just’re not going to show as much as a celebration carrying the identical gown as another person.
Standard celebs like Alexa Chung swear by classic. This has given the marketplace for second-hand clothes a severe increase and for you – an effective way to earn some additional money.
Learn the way to become profitable gathering classic sneakers.
Step 3: Who to promote your classic clothes to
There’re actually 1000’s of collectors on the market looking for sure objects. In case you encounter a real gem, promoting gained’t be an issue. These into vogue are prepared to pay large bucks for the much-coveted classic designer shoe, as an example.
Memorable footwear additionally does very properly in public sale. The well-known ruby-red slippers worn by Judy Garland in The Wizard of Oz made $666,000 (then round £412,000) when offered at public sale in 2000.
Simply keep in mind that the possibilities of you stumbling upon a moneymaker like which are one in one million!
There’re a couple of completely different locations you may promote your newly-purchased classic clothes and footwear.
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eBay
In fact, the primary place chances are you’ll consider is eBay. And sure, individuals typically make a tidy sum from shopping for and promoting there.
Nevertheless, collectors and vogue addicts are getting sensible to the scammers and time wasters populating eBay and infrequently search alternate options. It’s one thing price excited about. In case you do select to promote with eBay, there’s a couple of issues to recollect.
Put in a bit of additional time if you listing an merchandise and it’ll repay. A great rule of thumb is to explain the belongings you’re promoting as if there weren’t any pictures obtainable. Specify the kind of material, clarify the garment care directions and at all times embody the measurements as sizes fluctuate relying on the period and nation. For instance, a classic measurement 14 gown could also be nearer to a contemporary measurement 10. Listing the age, unique retail worth and place of preliminary buy if you already know it. Don’t overlook to say any harm corresponding to stains, tears or lacking buttons.
An image actually is price a thousand phrases, so at all times embody good high quality, well-lit pictures together with your itemizing. On eBay, you may publish as much as 12 photos – make each rely. In case you personal a model, use it to show the merchandise. Go for a white background and make sure you present any harm.
eBay listings are free, so be sure you benefit from this. To spice up visibility or embody your merchandise in a number of classes, you’ll must pay small charges.
Check out these 20 helpful tricks to become profitable on eBay in the present day.
ETSY
Etsy is one other good place to flog your vogue finds – and notably classic clothes. The beauty of it’s that it’s not restricted to garments solely. You can even promote classic prints and art work.
Judging from the positioning, you may get the impression that this enterprise is primarily in america, however don’t let that put you off. A 3rd of gross sales comes from worldwide consumers.
And the variety of these is staggering. There’re 39.4 million energetic consumers on Etsy, and solely 2.1 million sellers. Which means there’re greater than sufficient prospects to go round.
Getting began as a vendor on Etsy is simple – the very first thing to do is register for a purchaser account. Watch out when selecting your username because it’ll additionally pop up as your store title. It’ll present up as .
Take a couple of minutes and skim {the marketplace}’s Newbie’s Information to make sure that you get off on the suitable foot.
Identical to every other web site the place you promote classic clothes, pictures are key. Having good high quality pictures is essential to promote efficiently on Etsy. You’re allowed 5 pics per merchandise, which isn’t a lot, so be sure that they’re actually exhibiting off the merchandise you’re buying and selling. You’ll be able to hone your snapping expertise with the positioning’s helpful information to perfecting your product images.
Vinted
Vinted is a platform particularly for pre-loved or second-hand garments and equipment. Be ready for individuals haggling! Set your costs a bit greater than you’re ready to let objects go for, as individuals count on to barter on this app.
There aren’t any charges or fee to pay with Vinted; they make their cash by way of the Purchaser Safety Price which the client pays.
Be sure you listing every little thing as precisely as doable. Garments displayed on a model promote higher than objects laid flat, and it’s essential to listing the precise tape measurements of bust, hips, chest, and many others somewhat than the label measurement as sizing can fluctuate a lot between outlets – particularly classic objects.
SOCIAL NETWORKS
Fb promoting teams are giving eBay a run for its cash as the very best place to earn money by promoting second-hand objects. Why? It’s free. Most individuals use Fb day by day and it’s simple to publish an merchandise to promote between updating your standing and trying out what your pals have been as much as. Yow will discover promoting teams throughout the nation with 1000’s of members eager to purchase something classic. Merely seek for “UK classic promoting teams”. Providing objects on the market is simply as easy – all you want do is publish immediately in your group’s web page and add {a photograph}.
It’s price placing a transparent deadline in your advert, alongside the traces of ‘will supply to the subsequent particular person down if assortment time not agreed inside 24 hours’.
In case you’ve finished a extremely large clear-out and have tons to dump, listing as many items as doable in a single batch. Decide a day if you’re on-line, so you may reply questions promptly and don’t lose gross sales. This manner, it’s also possible to prepare one or two time slots for collections.
Keep in mind, teams are public. Preserve private particulars off posts and solely settle for funds by way of PayPal.
It’s additionally price Instagram. Arrange an account and discover like-minded followers by looking out hashtags corresponding to #vintagesellingpage and #vintagesale. Because it’s a photo-centric social media app, it’s key you’ve gotten beautiful pictures of your classic clothes.
Keep in mind to at all times maintain the sale beneath a separate account out of your private one. In any other case, you’ll be spamming your family and friends somewhat than reaching potential consumers. Create an account and publish all of the pictures of your objects with their descriptions earlier than you begin the sale. That means you may give attention to making offers somewhat than importing photos.
With this sort of sale, you might want to be organised. Preserve a file – maybe a spreadsheet – with the small print of the offered worth, any postage prices charged to the client and delivery data. Having all the data in a single place means you may simply hold observe of the place to ship objects and when funds come by way of.
Simply earlier than you begin the sale, at all times publish a listing of “sale guidelines”. This may lower down the variety of complaints or points that pop up later. You need to embody data corresponding to begin/finish time of the sale, how one can make bids (bid quantity with PayPal e-mail is usually best) and listing any postage restrictions (UK solely, as an example). It’s price stipulating that funds should be acquired inside 24 hours of receiving the PayPal cash request. You need to make clear that if the client fails to conform, they’ll lose their merchandise and it’ll go to the subsequent highest bid.
Specialist websites and auctions
In case you’ve obtained your coronary heart set on auctioning your items off, strive SpecialistAuctions. The location has a selected part devoted to classic put on.
You can even take a look at native public sale homes to see if they’ve any classic clothes auctions working within the close to future. In the event that they don’t, it in all probability isn’t price your time.
A great way to succeed in 1000’s amongst your goal market is by displaying your items on a specialist web site. In the meantime, an actual life public sale with out your particular viewers will entice a few bidders on the most.
In case you’ve picked up something notably stylish in your travels, ship an e-mail to [email protected] (from the web site CandySays) describing your objects. Embody some photos if doable and she or he’ll let you already know whether or not or not she desires it for her on-line retailer and for what worth.
In fact, to get an thought of worth in your objects, you would haul them alongside to your native classic retailer and simply ask them for recommendation.
You by no means know, they could even give you a pleasant wad of money for what you’ve obtained.
Promoting garments for a dwelling might sound cool and straightforward however to make a stable revenue, you’ll want to take a position a while into it. Making a full-time dwelling by shopping for and promoting classic clothes and sneakers isn’t one thing you need to take into consideration except you’re an skilled within the discipline.
If it’s a strategy to make some additional money, you may undoubtedly count on to earn a couple of quid by shopping for an merchandise for a few kilos and promoting it on for a double determine.
You would make large cash by shopping for designer put on and massive names as an funding. Labels like Chanel, Givenchy and Dior, for instance, will solely enhance in worth as time goes by – if objects are in good situation. However you may go smaller shopping for much less prestigious manufacturers and make classic clothes merely a further supply of earnings with out the dedication of counting on it full time.
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