Clothing for Cash Guide

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Selling clothing is a very tempting yet mysterious pastime these days, with several places now paying money for clothes, such as the Australian SWOP shop while selling on Gumtree and eBay is also a very convenient idea. For reasons such as sizes, tastes and closet space, people sell or giveaway or trade-in clothing. From my interest in selling my unwanted attire, I discovered two complementary aspects to size, personal taste and making space for clothes, i.e. valuing and then selling. It's worth adding that 70s and 80s clothing and beyond - the older the better, provided it is in wearable or better condition, is a strong yet obvious truth - too big a fact to exclude altogether in a clothing for cash guide, hence this quick mention.

However, I know about clothing for cash experientially, by accidentally keeping two jackets in great condition for ten years through lack of use and I still hoped to wear them again, but had eventually quit and thought about selling. I thought I'd sell on Gumtree but realised the big stumbling block for me and any buyers is valuation. I found the SWOP shop buys for 25 per cent of the price they sell for, so I know I'll receive pittance hence defeating the purpose of a crosstown trip. All I wanted essentially was to value the clothes, so I have a reliable valuing and then sell on eBay. I had a 2009 G-Star Raw jacket and a 2009 Rufus Green jacket which I bought at a designer shop, which sold independent Australian labels.

Regarding valuing, I first looked at blogs and websites but then decided to take a fresher approach to this. The first step was to search for similar items on eBay to get a concept of their value! I used that and the G-Star Raw website to research my jacket. I actually ended up finding out that it could easily be seen as a counterfeit - even though I bought that in person at the G-Star store when it was located on Adelaide Street Brisbane in 2009, so the best tip I could give is to always keep your receipts for clothing. But then why bother if some clothing types are more desirable than others? I think in 2009 it was harder to do this, so I had a paper receipt that eventually got thrown out, yet nowadays most receipts have an e-receipt. It helps though to read the previously linked SWOP pages as they mention the sort of brands they accept and what they won't accept.



My Rufus Green Jacket doesn't hold value very well in my opinion. I found a similar jacket on sale on eBay which had the same logo design on front, so I could indeed confirm it was a Rufus Green, that was on sale for $38.50 AUD from a private seller in great condition, and I recalled paying 160 dollars for my 'variation on the theme' twelve years ago. I attribute this depreciation due to the brand not having a wide following, while for G-Star Raw my problem is proving it is a genuine G-Star item.

I ended up retaining the jackets and keeping them as motivation to lose weight. I think I need those smaller items for motivation to hit the gym and larger items for the unexpected size variations that can hit us at unexpected times. My nifty guide is just a portion of what's involved, yet it applies to both genders, due to the principles at play, such as reasons to value, and reasons to get to the point of selling or instead retaining.

So, in summary, valuate your clothes, valuate them by looking for similar items on eBay. Also, try researching your brand as this saves going to a clothing valuer such as SWOP who are far more useful when you need a quick sale to clear the closet, as it pays for the trip (as these shops don't have many locations in town), and, the time involved, and, they can value and give you a quote with little inconvenience to them, and if you like it, then swap for 25 per cent of resale value in cash or 50 per cent resale value in store credit. Extra or unsaleable items are also catered for - processed as donations. If sizing is making you want to sell, then you can retain for practical reasons such as what affected my own decisions. But if you just think it's the right time to sell, or have no real reason to retain spare clothes in good condition then try and value them first yourself and if still unsure bring them to a valuer, and then decide to trade or advertise on eBay or Gumtree as possible classifieds to sell. When selling you will face issues with a lot of buyers dissuaded by not being able to prove genuineness nor getting a chance to try it on so you may have to sell low anyway, hence if a second-hand clothing trader makes you an offer, you may be wise to take it. I suppose all I can offer is food for thought, ultimately each situation is different.

Selling is stressful - especially for what is often too small a gain and so a clothing trader is a great way to get clothes valued and sold 'hassle free'. I found the SWOP shop is in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne but there are definitely other places to sell clothes - while giving away to op shops is part of the contemplation, as it suits some people to give back to the community. I also think if I had to make a quick choice, both my jackets if proven genuine, are worth 35 dollars each on Ebay so I'd only get at most 20 bucks for the lot from a clothing trader so for the motivation they give me to jog around the block more often, they are better off staying vacuum packed or on the coat-hanger. With reasons to sell or stick, clothing for cash is an interesting topic these days, and well worth some contemplation, hopefully, this nifty guide is a good way to get interested, be more selective as well as avoid some pitfalls in such fascinating yet mysterious types of transactions.

This is a link on 27 ways to re-use old clothing - for inspiring resourcefulness in this situation.

Photos courtesy of the author.

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