A Modern Guide to Reselling Clothing

Image via Complex Original

Survey your wardrobe. Do you actually have pieces that guys are willing to buy from you? What about clothes that are used? While lots of brands are great when you first buy them on a store shelf, they completely lose any resale value when the tags are cut. Raf Simons, Dries Van Noten, or Margiela from five seasons ago? Don't worry bruh, the demand will always be there. Your J.Crew oxford shirt from a year ago? You're better off keeping that one in your closet.

Picking exactly where you're going to sell your gear is just as important as picking what you're planning to sell. The difference is more than choosing NikeTalk to flip those Jordans you copped, or hitting up the Rawr Denim for a pair of hard-to-find import denim. With most guys selling their stuff on general purpose clothing sites like Grailed or (on a much broader scale) ebay, you've got to figure out if your niche piece is going to see fewer eyes, but more relevant buyers on a more focused trading site. Don't count out sites with a diverse library of gear though; the diversity usually indicates a large audience to match.

There's a lot to be gained by visiting a place like Buffalo Exchange or Beacon's Closet in person. Not only do you get to walk out with cash in hand, but you can skip out on the hassle of monitoring your listing or shipping it to the buyer. That said, most brick-and-mortar places aren't going to give you money beyond a certain point. If you're flipping some Ralph polos, or a Gap logo sweater, then you're probably going to get a decent price for your goods. But if you're planning on dropping off designer sneakers or a Ralph Lauren Rugby Bear sweater, you'll pull better profits from an online listing.

Knowing how to price your product according to the market is the key to success when you're in the business of buying and selling. If you're confident in your pricing, stick to it. Create a price range that you can live with, especially when you find yourself in a back-and-forth that rivals the stalls on Canal Street. Remember, if the piece is really worth the price, then you'll acquire a buyer. That said…

Online reselling is the home of people trying to flip used clothing at unrealistic prices. Whether the clothes are from an easy to find brand/collection, or they're just simply in poor condition, assuming that the world wants your used and unwanted clothing is a poor bet. Unless what your selling is rare or in immaculate quality, then don't expect to resell it for the original retail price. Like a used car, the moment you walk out of the store and pop the tags, your clothes depreciate in value.

You need to include the size, measurements, and a photo of the garment you're trying to sell. If you make prospective buyers have to ask you for this type of information, you're not going to have any buyers to begin with. Keep it simple, keep it straightforward, and make sure you're including anything that you would need to convince yourself to buy the garment.

If you see a restaurant on Seamless with crappy reviews, you're probably going to order from somewhere else. This principle applies just as much to the resell game. Like any poorly rated seller on ebay knows, bad reviews mean lost business. While not everyone you're interacting with is going to be tolerable, try to make your selling future better by finessing any issues with your current buyer in the present. This includes (but is not limited to): responding to prospective buyer emails, shipping immediately after making the sale, and being up-front and honest about the clothing you're selling.

There's two sides to this. If the magic isn't there, the magic isn't there. Whether you're receiving counter offers that are too low, or there's a lack of interested buyers, issues selling your merchandise may mean that it's not the piece to sell.

Similarly, sitting on a particular garment or pair of sneakers could work out in your favor. While some things can be flipped right after you cop, other things are like fine wine: they get better with age. Imagine if you were someone who was sitting on 1985 Jordan 1s, or an OG Supreme Box Logo tee. As they say, patience is a virtue.

Just because you've got an interested buyer doesn't mean the cash is on it's way to your bank account. Any experienced seller has tales of a buyer approaching the listing, expressing interest, and then falling off the grid. The game's not over until you've sent the package and, more importantly, gotten paid. And we haven't even brought up the fear of buyers trying to return what they copped…