By Claire Anderson
@theVolte
Weddings, proms, formal events or even the races, there has been a time when you have gone out and purchased a beautiful new dress. You (or your parents) spent a lot of money on the dress and it only got worn once. Now it’s hung up next to the other items of clothing you rarely wear. What can you do? Lend it to your friends or make some extra cash? When you look at your closet and those items of clothing, you need to be thinking dollar signs. Don’t let your clothes go to waste!
So, how can you go about making money from your wardrobe?
Instagram?
This app isn’t just for posting pics! Instagram is a great way to sell your clothes. If you have a decent number of followers, post some pictures of the things you want to sell. You will have more views compared to a consignment store website. With new the new Instagram stories, you don’t even have to post an actual photo; you can just show people through the stories.
If you find yourself updating your wardrobe very frequently, you can start a dedicated Instagram account for selling. You might find yourself with a bunch of consistent buyers that are always keen on your style and look. Don’t be shy!
Lend it out
Before you go and start selling all your clothing items, try lending them out. Yes, you can actually let others borrow your dress for money. Maybe the thought of a random wearing your clothes isn’t ideal, but you can make great money. Is it free? Is it safe? Is it easy?
Sites like The Volte are all of the above. The Volte is an online marketplace that allows users to lend and borrow clothing. The Volte believe that that access is the new ownership. You can list your clothing items with a photo and start to see the cash come in. Of course, you get to approve the borrower. Additionally, you get a door-to-door courier service, so you don’t have to worry about a thing.
Markets
If you have lots of clothes, shoes, accessories and some friends in the same situation, markets are a great option. Instead of listing everything online or sending everything away, setup a market stall and spend a day with the girls.
Sydney has some great market locations for selling clothes, the best being Kirribilli, Paddington and Glebe. Eager shoppers and deal hunters flock to the markets every Saturday morning. The best part, most of the shoppers are happy to pay reasonable prices when you have something of quality.
You will need to book your stall in advance because they will sell out quick. It only cost $60 -$80, and when you split it between two or more, you will make your money back in no time. You will want to make sure you are well set up with clothing racks, hangers a mirror, table and plenty of change. Good luck!
E-Bay/Gumtree
E-Bay and Gumtree are the obvious options when you want to sell anything and clothes are more than welcome. These sites are a great way to earn some extra coin without doing too much work. Create an account and start selling. You can make a personal or business account and manage everything yourself. List as many items as you want!
With eBay, you can list the item as ‘buy it now’ or let it go to auction. Sellers can see how many people are watching and when bids are made on the item. Your listing can last three days or two weeks. You don’t have to worry about security as all payments are made through PayPal. eBay will take a percentage of the sale so be aware!
With Gumtree, it’s more common to meet up with a person who wants to buy your item. Money is rarely exchanged online. Typically, people will search for items in their local area and want to pay cash.
There are so many ways to make money from your wardrobe. Next time you are worried about splurging the cash on a cute dress, remember, you will be able to make some money back!
