Through consignment and resale stores, parents can bring in cash by selling outgrown clothing, toys and other nice quality items. Especially in challenging economic times, many families need to bring in some extra income for spending money, to help pay bills, or even to provide for basics. Selling or consigning items at resale shops can be an easy and flexible part-time job for stay-at-home moms and dads.
Consignment shops, where used clothing is sold for the seller, offer incentives to clear out unneeded, lightly used items while making money.The majority of resale shops accept clothing in baby and children’s sizes, while others will also take clothes and products for pre-teens, tweens, teens and adults. Most stores also accept nice maternity items.
How to Make Money Selling Clothes, Toys, and More at Resale Shops
Begin by locating resale shops in your area. Check the yellow pages under the headings “Clothing, Used;” “Furniture, Used;” “Resale;” or “Consignments.” An Internet search of consignment or resale shops in your area may also help.
Next, it is a good idea to call or visit shops. Ask for their rules for consigning or, sometimes, buying outright. Most will have very specific policies. Some will arrange a time for you to bring in items, although others have a drop-in policy.
How to Make the Most Money Selling Used Items
Consignment and resale shops are looking to buy or accept products that will sell. For this reason, they tend to be quite picky. Button buttons, zip zippers, and snap snaps to make clothing look neat.
Resale buyers want items that are
- Currently in fashion and popular
- Safe (and not recalled)
- Spotless, clean, and fresh
- In good repair (no missing buttons, stains, broken parts, etc.)
- In season (generally for the season coming up next)
- The sizes and ages the store covers
- Ironed (or at least not wrinkled) clothing
- Ready to go right to the sales floor
They tend to prefer brand names whenever possible. Some examples of desirable name brands include:
- for kids — Osh Kosh, Tommy Hilfiger, Fisher Price, Gymboree
- for juniors — Candie’s, Unionbay, Mudd,
- for guys — Abercrombie, True Religion, Lacoste
These suggestions go for toys, baby items (such as cribs and changing tables), and all-age clothing. For furniture, one needs to follow the same general rule of having up-to-date, desirable newer items or safe items that fall in the collectible, antique, or vintage categories.
How Do Consignment Stores Work?
Most used-clothing shops buy or consign items from everyday people. Usually the buyers decide which items are acceptable for their particular shop at that time. It is common to feel hurt if some of your items are rejected. Shops know what will sell well and what won’t, so there is no reason to take it personally. Stores will generally give you the choice of taking home unwanted goods or donating them to charity through the store. Of course, each store is unique.
Once items are accepted for sale, resale shops generally set their own prices and tag the items. Many shops will keep the consignment items for a couple of months or so, and then put them on half price for another month. After that, items are given back to the seller or donated.
At many resale shops, a check or store credit is given once a month. It is often half of the price of the items sold.
You may not get rich making money by selling on consignment or by resale, but it is possible to make $25 to $75 a month without a lot of trouble. Some sellers make over $100 monthly, working part-time to allow for flexibility and time for their children.
For related information, see Most Popular Toys for Kids.
