How to earn big bucks from what’s hanging in your wardrobe

Aussies wanting to make some extra cash are being encouraged to look inside their wardrobes, with tens of thousands of dollars up for grabs by selling or renting closet items. SEE HOW

Prue Gillespie sells her second-hand clothes at markets and rents them out to make money. Picture: Nigel Hallett

Aussies wanting to make some extra cash are being encouraged to look inside their wardrobes, with tens of thousands of dollars up for grabs by selling or renting closet items.

As sales of second-hand fashion boom across the country, with eight in 10 Australians now buying preloved, and a surge in new selling platforms, experts reveal it’s never been easier to make money from your old clothes.

Website and app Yordrobe, which allows users to sell, shop and swap items with thousands of members across the country, said sales were skyrocketing, translating to a win-win for sellers and the planet, with items saved from landfill.

“It’s amazing to see how quickly some of these items move, and how much money our members make from things they no longer wear,” Yordrobe owner Paul Eigner said.

Most items on the site sell for about 50 per cent of the original retail price, with some women even able to turn their sales into a significant side hustle.

“Some members list just a few pieces and make a couple hundred dollars, while others with bigger wardrobes or a regular selling strategy earn thousands or even tens of thousands,” Mr Eigner said.

Prue Gillespie. Picture: Nigel Hallett

Online consignment store SwapUp has also experienced a boom in members, with almost 40,000 subscribers across the country selling fashion from top brands such as Coach, Kenzo, Prada and Burberry.

The site takes care of all the hard work of selling a piece from assessing, photographing, listing and pricing to shipping it to the buyers, with consignors earning between 15 to 60 per cent of the sold price.

“SwapUp is most popular with busy women who are looking for a more convenient way to buy and sell second-hand because we handle all the logistics end-to-end,” said Alifa Putri from SwapUp.

UK-based global site Depop is also helping people make serious money from their wardrobe, with one of their biggest sellers earning over $2 million.

Recent research also found second-hand sellers could make an average of $300 a month, or almost $3800 a year.

“We’re seeing thousands of entrepreneurs building brands and doing what they love, while also equally supporting people on the casual selling end, who just need to clear some room in their wardrobe and want to pick up some extra cash while they do it,” said Steve Dool, Senior Brand and Marketing Director at Depop.

Markets have become another popular outlet for those selling off outfits they no longer want or need.

Brisbane’s Love Me Again Market charges vendors $95 per stall, with women selling popular labels from Country Road and Camilla to Zara and Zimmerman at up to 80 per cent off regular retail prices.

“We regularly hear sellers making $500 to $2000 in one four-hour market,” said market organiser Lana Sciasci.

“It’s an incredible way to earn some fast cash and re-home pieces that are no longer serving you.”

Prue Gillespie is a regular vendor at the markets and also rents her wardrobe to bring in some extra cash.

“If you’ve got pieces and you’re not going to wear them again for whatever reason … it’s a really good thing to kind of keep that circular fashion movement going,” she said.

The mum-of-two says she can make about $3000 in just an hour at the markets by keeping her prices highly competitive (nothing over $200) and presenting them well, including steamed, with price tags and organised by colour and designer or label.

She also rents her wardrobe out through her Instagram page @hire — withpg and said she the rental fee of usually $120-$140 covered the cost of her outfits, making her purchases essentially free.

“For me fashion’s a really happy place and a fab outfit, regardless of the price or brand, makes me feel really good and it makes other people feel really good and it’s nice to share that,” she said.

TOP TIPS FOR SELLING CLOTHES SECOND-HAND

1. Take good photos. Show the front and back of the item and up close images so buyers can see the fabric. Also include photos of the item being worn

2. Write accurate descriptions of the item including the brand name, material used, sizing, etc

3. Be open and honest: If buyers have questions about the items you have for sale, the best way forward is to be open and honest with them. Let them know about an issue with sizing, flaws, or details on the item.

4. Wash the garment and steam or iron it so it looks its best

5. Price things fairly and include price tags if selling at a market

6. Be responsive to ads: Wherever possible, be quick to reply.