Reader Questions: How Do YOU Get the Most Out of Used Clothing & Keep it Organized?
Check out these emails from readers Patti & Candis:
I’m going through a major clean-out-the-closets purge and am overwhelmed at how much clothing I have to get rid of. I’m looking into options like thredUp, Poshmark, local consignment stores, garage sales and donating, but I thought your readers might also have some great ideas and insight that would help.
We have 6 & 8 year old daughters and are now having a surprise baby girl. I’ve started thrifting again for baby clothes and love finding awesome brands for sizes 18 months, 2T, etc. at $0.50. I have a paper checklist of the type of clothes we typically need for each size (# of play outfits, # of dressy, swimsuit, jacket, etc.) but I rarely have those lists with me when I happen upon a good thrift store. I’ve searched for an app to keep my checklists for each size but haven’t found anything. Any suggestions?
I used to try to sell brand new clothes on eBay however not with time.
I send clothes to family members, there is always someone in need, give to neighbors or donate to Savers. They r giving 30% off coupon for next purchases and honestly, this is the store I get dressed myself. Getting all the brand clothes in excellent/new condition. Just love that store.
I just recently started using this new resale app called Totspot it’s great! They only take a very small fee from you receive a shipping label directly from them when you sell an item so no worries about shipping costs! I’ve made around $75 in two weeks! It’s pretty self explanatory and a super easy process! I used to sell on eBay but like everyone else the seller fees, PayPal fees, and shipping fees were killing me but totspot isn’t like that at all! The cool thing about it is it was originally designed for kids clothes (& that is the majority) but they have expanded to allow you to sell adults and juniors now as well! Definitely give it a try! Use Code TGBGSD when signing up and at checkout to get $5 off.
I’ve used ThredUp to sell my clothes to, as well as my kids. They send you a clean out bag and then credit your account to buy clothes from them or cash. I’ve been very pleased with them and I mostly just use the credit to buy clothes from them. Everything that I have gotten has been great quality and they have a very easy return if they don’t work. If you would like to try it out, here is $10 off by using this link: https://www.thredup.com/r/OLWH2Y
Have a clothing swap with your girl friends. My girl friends and I just did and it was lots of fun! Also, kids old leggings can be cut into jungle gym shorts. (Often my girls out grow the length before the width of their pants.) Cutting the pant legs off gives me more life out of a purchase!
I just did this with a pair with a hole in the knees!
I repurpose what I can for my daughter– her tiny infant dresses can often be worn as baby doll or tunic tops with jeans or leggings; throw on a cardigan and we have a fall outfit! I am always on the lookout for larger sized, quality pieces (mostly denim, jackets, or upscale brands) at thrift stores.
We’ve done selling, trading, and buying through OfferUp. Its a great app. You can easily locate stuff you need/want around your area and make offers to the listing. Sometimes people can drop it off your place if you’re nearby or just pick it up from the seller’s place. If you want to expand buying/selling location, Vinted app has everything for Women mostly and some for kids and men. The only thing I dont really like is they charge seller fees to the things you buy. But theres great clothing items from good brands for cheaper price may it be brandnew or preowned.
My friend does offer up. She’s always meeting people and getting messages all hrs of the night. Too much trouble and not secure imo. But she loves it.
$5 off referral code for Totspot: RHZBSC
Thanks! 😀
I like kids consignment sales! Here in NC kids exchange is great for selling & buying. The last day most items are 50% off making a second shopping trip to the sale worth it too! Usually if u volunteer at sales u get to shop early or even get a larger percentage back if u consign at that sale. It’s been a blessing for my family to sell clothes, toys, & gear.
Agreed! Many churches host these over a weekend and the ones I attended had the LARGEST selection of baby/kids clothes/accessories/toys anywhere in one place for 3 days and they hold them fall and spring. I would outfit all 4 of my kids for the season and gifts for birthday/christmas in one weekend for about $300 – awesome!! And a huge time saver – much less time than shopping all the sales and finding one thing here and there. I would volunteer to work a shift like KW said and then get early access to the sale – totally worth it! And bonus the profits from the sale go to moms who brought the stuff and in my case cleft palate surgeries in Guatemala. Win Win Win! Now that my kids are grown I miss these sales! 🙁
I use Poshmark to sell my clothes and totspot to sell my daughters clothes. Both are easy and well set up apps you can use from your phone. If you’d like to give them a try, you can use code HFIVV for a $10 credit on Poshmark OR a $5 credit on Totspot with code OUMDMN. Thanks!
There was no where to put the code when I signed up.
I use OneNote for my note taking on my phone. I also use OneNote on my computer so my notes can be connected. I can write my shopping list on OneNote and then have it available on my phone when I go to the store. I love it.
There is an app called varage sale, you can get for free and you can meet people in your area to buy clothes and basically any item from baby to adult. I have gotten clothes for myself as well as my children, I have bought a jogging stroller off there for only $25 I just had to meet the lady in a public place most police stations have safe meeting places set up to now too so that is a plus. Also the app is only for women so you would only be meeting another women to purchase and or sell items you can also trade them. As for keeping a list with you of what you need I suggest either printing off a few different copies and carrying them in your purse,car etc or you can download ms word on your phone for free and email yourself the file you created that way you can easily check off the items, add to or edit them.
I don’t usually make a ton of money, but I sell clothes and other items I no longer have a use for on my local facebook Mom2Mom sales groups or buy/sell/trade groups. My area even has a group for higher end brands and items that don’t sell so well on the regular Mom2Mom pages (Louis Vitton, Coach, Prada, etc).
I use the Notes app on my iPhone to keep track of items I need and sizes I need. I have a separate list on there for each child.
For $0.50, buy it anyways!
Here in the New England area, we have stores called Once upon a Child where they buy and sell new and gently used children’s clothing, toys and merchandise. There is also Platos Closet for up to date fashions adult clothes, shoes and jewelry!
I use Varage Sale for most of my selling, but also do three different children’s consignment events each spring and fall. I buy low during the summer garage sale season, then launder and press and sell high.
I keep a paper book of my children’s current wardrobe and also what I have for the next season. Keep it in my car dash or my purse.
The app you need is Sortly – I use it to keep track of clothes mostly- but there are endless things you could use it for.
Swap.com is super easy to sell. You send in a box they take the pictures, store it and ship it. You set the price and they take a % of what sells. It’s nice because you get it out of the house and make money. They also have some good deals to buy clothes. A lot of people in the Facebook clothing world keep albums of what clothes their kids have and an in search of album then you could just reference that when you are out.
For storage, I bought bins and labeled them with size/season/gender and store them away until the next sibling could wear them. Anything that I knew could not be passed down I either donated to Good Will, or set aside to sell consignment. Church sales as I mentioned above were my choice – I got a much better return, but took more time to list and tag yourself.