Best places to sell clothes online

Selling clothes online is a great way to make extra cash and declutter your wardrobe. With a range of online selling platforms available, knowing which one to choose can be challenging.

Online marketplaces are very popular because there is already a captive audience. They are usually the first port of call for buyers looking for new or second-hand clothes.

So, where is the best place to sell clothes online?

We’ve compiled a list of some of the top sites to sell clothes and helpful tips on how to send your sold items with one of our low-cost courier services.

Which websites are best for selling clothes?

Here are some popular sites to sell clothes on and their fees (many you can integrate with our Shipping Manager for even easier sending!):

eBay

Launched in 1995, eBay has been around for nearly 30 years. No wonder why it’s a popular choice when it comes to selling new or second-hand items online!

However, selling on eBay is competitive because you can list various items, not just clothing. However, the option to list items for bidding or buy now gives sellers more flexibility on how they want to sell them.

eBay fees:

• Private sellers can list items for free (35p listing fee for any listings over the free monthly allowance of 1,000)
• Final value fee is 12.8% of the total sale amount plus a fixed change of 30p per order
• For Basic eBay Shops, in addition to 1,000 free listings, you receive an extra 100
• Final valuable fee is a variable percentage of the total amount plus a fixed charge of 30p per order

Whether you run an eBay store or sell pre-loved clothes online, you can integrate your eBay store with our Shipping Manager to make sending even more straightforward. Connect your eBay store, and then you’re ready to process and ship your orders as soon as they’re ready.

Our video shows you how to integrate your eBay store in simple steps. You can also connect multiple eBay accounts with Shipping Manager, which is helpful if you manage various eBay stores.

Etsy

If you want to sell vintage, niche or personalised clothing, Etsy is the place to be. Etsy is home to upcycled clothing, printed t-shirts and hand-embroidered items, so customers expect to pay a little more.

Etsy fees:

• £0.16 listing fee
• 6.5% transaction fee, 4% + £0.20 payment processing fee

Like eBay, you can integrate your Etsy store with the Interparcel Shipping Manager to manage shipments all in one place. It’s simple, and our video guide shows you how to do it step-by-step.

Depop

Depop is a popular platform for selling and buying clothes, particularly vintage items. The way the app is set up is simple to use for people new to selling clothes online. The app works similarly to Instagram, whereby you upload a square-format style photo of the item and add a caption.

Depop fees:

• Free to list items – only charged when an item is sold
• Charges 10% on the total transaction amount, inc. shipping costs (plus standard transaction fee)

With Depop, you can arrange your shipping through a third party- this is where we come in! All deliveries booked through Interparcel are trackable online through our website.

Vinted

Vinted is a popular online marketplace for selling, buying, and swapping second-hand clothing and accessories. Vinted has a varied target audience, but typically newer second-hand clothing sells quicker.

Vinted fees:

• Create an account for free and list items with no fees
• Buyers are charged a Buyer Protection Fee to help safeguard money (consists of a fixed amount and a variable amount)

While we don’t integrate with Vinted yet, you can enable custom shipping when listing your clothing and book a reliable and cost-effective courier service with Interparcel in minutes.

Facebook Marketplace

Facebook Marketplace has found its feet in recent years. It is becoming a popular platform for buyers to sell and buy locally. Most Facebook Marketplace listings are collection only, limiting your potential audience and requiring the buyer to come to you. Therefore, it's better for selling large bundles of clothing you want to get rid of quickly rather than particular pieces.

Facebook Marketplace fees:

• Free to list items
• Typically, no payment fees as its cash in hand

Since Facebook Marketplace is usually collection-only, be prepared to organise a suitable meeting time with your buyer. However, sellers can offer to send items if they wish. With our courier services starting from £2.15 + VAT, you can ship your sold Facebook Marketplace item without breaking the bank!

How to ship sold clothes

So, you’ve sold an item online and want to package your garment correctly to avoid damage or creases in transit. Our blog post on how to send clothing by courier explains the dos and don’ts of shipping clothing. Here are some key things to remember:

• Keep the item as flat as possible: not only does it look more professional, but it uses less space so it can fit in a smaller packet/box, which can save you money on delivery
• Place tissue paper in the folds of the clothing to keep the garment neat and for a professional feel
• Pay extra attention to embellishments: zips or belts can get knocked in transit, so add additional cushioning material to these areas
• Lighter items might be more suited to a polythene bag or padded envelope mailer
• Heavier items like boots need a more robust cardboard box

How much does it cost to send a parcel?

We offer a range of affordable courier services for sending pre-loved clothing. We partner with the best delivery companies in the industry to provide cost-effective delivery service options when shipping parcels abroad or within the UK.

Once your chosen courier has collected your parcel, you or the receiver can track your parcel online using our online portal. If you regularly sell clothes from an eBay store, it’s worth setting up a free Branded Tracking Portal so you can personalise tracking to your brand colours.

General clothing selling tips

If you don’t sell clothes online regularly, we’ve listed some key points to remember:

✔ Wash and iron garments before selling

✔ Take clear photos of the clothes with natural light - a photo of someone wearing the item can help buyers envisage them wearing it

✔ Include detailed and accurate product descriptions, including the size, material, dimensions etc

✔ Think seasonally – dresses and lightweight shirts will sell better in the run-up to summer

✔ Don’t lose out on postage- send cheaply with Interparcel!

We hope this article has helped explain the best way to sell clothes online. If you have clothes to sell, enter the parcel details into our quote tool for an instant list of services and prices. Equally, if you have an online marketplace store, see if you can integrate with our website to manage all your orders inShipping Manager today.

Disclaimer: the information in this article was correct at the time of publication but may be subject to change.