HOW TO MAKE MONEY SELLING YOUR CLOTHES: 5 WAYS

Did you know national recycling week starts 25th Sept -1st October? Here at Timpanys we are celebrating all things recycling with both a clothes selling event and a Champagne brunch buyers event. Find out all the details here.
How to make money selling your clothes: 5 different WAYS the video (blog below)

Firstly I wanted to kick off by explaining why it is important to recycle clothes. “The clothing industry is the second largest polluter in the world...second only to oil” according to the designer and fashion environmental campaigner Eileen Fisher. Whilst much has been made to highlight the horrific human costs that occur during the production of apparel, the environmental impact of clothing manufacturing seems to be flying somewhat under the radar.

But did you know that in 2014, according to Denmark’s ministry of the environment, those £1 t-shirts that you bought in Primark actually cost the environment $3.40? The negative external cost to the environment of clothing production is not being accounted for in the price we pay for our wardrobes. The environmental cost of apparel production is so high because it has a longer supply chain than you might think. It looks a little something like this: growing or making of the raw material, construction of the actual garment, shipping from half way around the world (5058 miles from Bejing to London to be precise), hitting retail outlets, the use of the garment and finally its disposal. If we take each of those stages in turn then you can see how environmental costs can really start to notch up.

With this in mind, I wanted to share with you my five top places that you can recycle your clothes for money. Depending on how much effort you want to put in.

1. Online marketplaces: Such as Depop / ASOS and eBay. Whilst relatively easy to navigate they can be time-consuming. So I would recommend this way if you have a few choice items to sell. You have to be diligent about communication and shipping times as it is a peer review system and negative feedback can be detrimental to your future selling success. Make sure to model and style the clothes so that buyers can see the fit and have an idea of how to wear each item.- Tips here on how to sell on ebay.

2. Consignment stores/dress agencies. If you have a lot of stuff or you cannot be bothered to photograph and deal with buyers directly this is the option for you. These stores are especially good for selling expensive items as there is an agent to deal with authentication, shipping and any scammers. It also offers buyers a returns option online. Do check what the commission rates are though as normally they are higher than you would pay in a marketplace. Contact us to see if Timpanys can help you.

3. Carboot sales - these are excellent fun on a sunny day. Whilst you don’t get the best price for stuff it is a good option if you have lots of random items to sell that is not worth listing online. There is a one off payment for entry which is normally around £10 and naturally no returns or any of the hassle of having to visit the post office. People are after a bargain though so you won’t be making millions. Find a list here of all the carboots in the U.K.
4. Swishing - although this is not strictly selling clothes for cash you are getting new pieces in return. Swishing is a new phenomenon which is spreading across the U.K. Where you take old items of clothing to a “swish” in return for tokens. These tokens can then be used to redeem alternative pieces of clothing that other people have brought. It’s a very economical way to shop and excellent fun. Probably best if you’re exchanging high street pieces. Find out more about swishing here.

5. Finally if you still have items left in your wardrobe that you just cannot get rid of - it is possible to sell clothing by weight. The going rate is approximately 50p / Kg so it’s not going to change your world but may keep you in coffees for a week or so depending on your habit. Learn more about this here.