Selling vintage clothing is a booming business right now. In fact, it’s reported that resale grew 24 times faster than retail between 2017 and 2018. Additionally, the overall resale market is likely to reach $41 billion by 2022. If you’re considering trying the resale market, now is the time to do it – and vintage clothing is the way to go. Within the next decade, it’s expected that American closets will consist of at least 33% of used and vintage apparel.
If you have a love of vintage clothing and want to put that passion to work for you, then selling retro clothes online may be the business for you. There’s a market for trends from the past, but it takes more than just listing vintage clothes and waiting from them to sell to make a business successful. It’s important to know the advantages and disadvantages that you might experience, how to find the right niche within the vintage clothing category, where to source your pieces, and how to price it, for a start.
Before we get started on where to sell, let’s discuss the pros and cons of selling vintage clothing.
Pros and Cons of Selling Vintage Clothing Online
As with anything, there are benefits and drawbacks to selling vintage clothes online. Let’s look at some of each.
Pros
- The resale clothing market is booming. Overall, the resale clothing market topped $24 billion in 2018, and it’s expected to reach $51 billion by 2023.
- You’ll have a unique product catalog. Selling vintage clothing means there won’t be a thousand other ecommerce stores selling the exact same products you are. The nature of vintage clothing stores is that they always have new-to-the-store products for customers to see, rather than the same types of products day in and day out. That’s a big incentive for customers to visit the store often to see what’s “new.”
- There’s less competition. Because vintage clothing is unique, when customers fall in love with a piece of clothing on your website, it’s not likely that they’ll find the exact same piece for a lower price on another site.
- Customers are everywhere. You never know who is looking for the vintage clothing you’re selling. You could have a vintage 1920’s beaded dress in Los Angeles that someone in London longs for. With an online store, you can have customers from anywhere, not just your local market.
- Selling vintage clothing is eco-friendly. It’s estimated that 72% of consumers prefer to shop from eco-friendly businesses. Selling vintage clothing means that you are cutting out a significant amount of textile waste (transportation pollution, adding to landfills, use of non-renewable resources, etc.) that new clothing is responsible for – and your customers will love you for it.
Cons
- Sourcing vintage clothing can be time-consuming. Finding vintage clothing to sell isn’t as easy as sourcing other types of products. You’ll likely have to spend a significant amount of time finding the pieces that you sell.
- Repairs may be necessary. Vintage clothing often has to be repaired and cleaned. Because vintage clothes are, well, vintage, they often need to have repairs and they always need to be washed or dry cleaned.
- How you store vintage clothing matters. It’s important to store vintage clothes properly. Your storage facility should be temperature and humidity controlled. Also, never expose vintage clothes to direct sunlight, it could fade the fabric.
- Sizing has changed over the decades. Because a size 6 from 1950 isn’t the same as a size 6 today, you have to take the time to physically measure each piece and include those measurements in product listings.
Finding Your Vintage Clothing Niche
You can certainly decide to simply find and sell vintage pieces regardless of type, but you should also consider picking a niche to build a more loyal customer base. You can focus on a specific style (casual, evening wear), price point (couture, designer), decade (1920s, 1980s), or type of item (vintage concert t-shirts).
When you have a specific focus, you have an easier time attracting and engaging with customers. It may very well be the best way to sell clothes, in general. Here are a few things to think about as you search for a niche:
- What’s your personal style? It’s easier to source clothing when you’re familiar with it. If it’s possible, start with the stuff you like.
- Is the niche too saturated? Do some research and see if the niches you like are already over-represented. If so, you should consider something else.
- Is the niche too small? It may be difficult to source products if your niche is too narrow. Make sure that you choose a niche in which you can establish viable sources.
- Keep up on trends. It’s important to know what people are buying. Look at what’s being shown on runways and what influencers are saying.
Sourcing Vintage Clothing
Finding vintage clothing to sell in your online store can take some time, but when you find a valuable piece of the past, it will be worth it. Here are some common ways that ecommerce sellers source vintage clothing inventory:
- Thrift stores
- Auctions
- Estate sales
- Wholesalers
- Craigslist
- Consignment shops
- Flea markets
As you are sourcing vintage clothes, be sure that you inspect each piece closely. There may be stains or other damage.
Pricing Vintage Clothes
One of the most challenging parts of selling vintage clothing is pricing. There are some pieces that are rarer than others, some that are more valuable, some that require more repair than others, and all of these things have to be considered when you price your inventory.
That isn’t terribly specific, but because there is a wide range of vintage clothing, there isn’t a one-size-fits-all pricing formula or algorithm.
You’ll have to consider what you paid, the time it takes you to bring a piece up to selling condition, and what similar pieces are selling for.
Where to Start Selling Vintage Clothes Online
Here’s a list of the top online spots to sell your vintage clothes and some of them offer mobile apps too!
#1 Poshmark
If you use Pinterest, you’ve likely seen this site advertised. Poshmark is a website where you can sell your old clothes. The website is filled with apparel at a range of price points, from Levis to Louis Vuitton. You’ll find a wealth of name brand clothes such as North Face and Michael Kors. You can shop from people’s closets for a deep discount compared to buying in-store.
On Poshmark, sellers can quickly list clothing for men, women, and kids directly from their phone with the Poshmark app. Fees for listing your vintage clothing on Poshmark are taken from the listed price once you make a sale. It’s a flat $2.95 for items under $15, and 20% of the listing price for everything else.
The best part of selling on Poshmark, is they take care of the financial side of the transaction, sending you a pre-paid shipping label, and providing customer service for your shoppers.
#2 ThredUp
With ThredUp, selling couldn’t be easier. They simply mail you a clean-out bag, you fill it up with the clothing you want to sell, and then send it back for them to do the rest.
They have a huge inventory with 15,000 new items being listed each day. Like Poshmark, ThredUp charges 20% of the sale price as commission.
#3 The RealReal
URL: https://www.therealreal.com/
If you are looking to sell upscale retro clothing, then The RealReal is the site you should sell on. They identify themselves as a “Luxury Consignment” business and will accept your used designer apparel.
Quality products are likely to sell within just a few days, and you will get to pocket as much as 70% of the sales prices.
#4 Tradesy
Tradesy, similar to Poshmark, is another online designer resale site that boasts deep discounts on name brands. In addition to clothes, you’ll also find great vintage accessories.
Tradesy sends the seller a box along with a prepaid label to make it faster and easier for the buyer and seller. While you can list any apparel from any designer, luxury clothing and handbags tend to sell the best. For items that sell for under $50, there is a fee of $7.50, everything else is 19.8% of the sale price.
#5 ASOS Marketplace
URL: https://marketplace.asos.com/
The ASOS Marketplace is an online resale shop that is perfect for selling vintage clothing. It is, after all, the “home to the best independent brands and vintage boutiques.” You can list all your vintage, edgy, and retro clothing in one place, and they charge less than the other sites listed here – only 10% of the sale price.
#6 Refashioner
Refashioner sells designer pieces and exceptional vintage clothing with wonderful accompanying stories. While there are many luxury items and upscale pieces, Refashioner looks for more avant-garde designers and unique selections.
Items are organized by owner and all considered “owned” not pre-owned. Though they do have a backlog for selling and their fees are not disclosed, if you have valuable and unique vintage clothing, Refashioner is worth looking into.
#7 Mercari
The Mercari website makes it easy for sellers to list and sell vintage clothing through their mobile app. The process is simple: upload a photo, choose your price, and list your items. When you sell something, you’ll receive a pre-paid mailing label and ship the item directly to the buyer.
One nice thing about Mercari is, though it’s an ideal place to sell vintage clothing, you can also sell other non-clothing items as well. Mercari charges only 10% of the sale price.
#8 Depop
Depop is a website that lets you sell your old clothes, hats, and shoes to make extra money all from your mobile device. It lets you follow friends like shops and you can sell everything just by taking a picture of it from your phone.
They also allow you to sell other items such as art, books, illustrations, and vintage records. They call themselves a community and really push the connectivity of their shoppers and buyers. They don’t charge to list items, but they usually take up to a 10% cut of your sale along with PayPal transaction charges.
#9 Letgo
Letgo is a website where you can buy anything from tables and chairs to electronics and, yes, vintage clothes. It’s like a trendier version of Craigslist, going by the common saying “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure.” What’s great is the fact that there are no listing fees or commissions.
Also, if you’re looking to furnish your first apartment and you’re low on funds, Letgo is a great place to find inexpensive furniture.
#10 Varagesale
URL: https://www.varagesale.com/
Varagesale is a site that is very similar to Craigslist. On this site, you can sell pretty much anything. You can surf the site from your computer and from your mobile device. Varagesale is community based, sort of like a giant virtual garage sale. They make a point to weed out sketchy sellers to protect the community as a whole. Again, similar to Letgo, there aren’t any fees.
#11 Bonanza
Bonanza is an auction-based ecommerce site. On average, products on Bonanza are 3% less expensive than eBay and they allow sellers to make their own page or “webstore.” Bonanza states, “Until you make a sale, we pay all advertising costs on your behalf. We only make money when you make money.
No listing fees, no monthly store fees, no other sneaky fees.” Sounds like a great deal to me.
#12 OfferUp
OfferUp is similar to Letgo. You can buy and sell things online near you or look for things at a distance. The OfferUp mobile app is the main way shoppers access the site. It is one of the top apps in the shopping category on the Apple app store.
Sell Vintage Clothes on Etsy and eBay
We hope that the above list helps you started selling in the vintage clothing resale market. All the vendors we chose are experienced in finding and marketing to their own target audiences.
While these sites are trendy, cross listing your products on multiple platforms will net you even more sales and happy customers. This is what we call multichannel selling and is great way to succeed in the ecommerce industry. Once you’re ready, start selling on more established sites with tons of traffic such as Etsy and eBay.
Of course, once you grow and start selling on multiple places, an inventory management software may be helpful to automate boring tasks such as keeping your product quantities the same on every marketplace you sell on.
This means you can list your vintage clothes on tons of different sites at once without worrying about accidentally selling the same pair of boots to two different people at the same time. Another great idea is to open your own online shop with a software option like Shopify. There are a lot of great Shopify apps just for fashion retailers too.
No matter which vintage clothes site you choose we wish you luck in your endeavor.
Final Thoughts
While there are some tricks and strategies that you have to figure out along the way, selling vintage clothing online can be a very lucrative and fun business. Knowing the pros and cons, how to source products, and finding your niche, will give you the best chances for success.
Are you already selling on one of the sites listed above? Let us know about your experiences in the comments below.
Would like to know more on bussiness success and how to buy and sell
Hi Lindsey,
We’re excited that you’re looking for more information! Here are a few posts that will give you a strong overview:
Launch an Ecommerce Business
Best Marketplaces to Sell Online
Challenges That New Ecommerce Businesses Face, And How To Beat Them
Happy Selling!
Amazon only.. I reside in Baja california, would that be a problem?
Hey Tina!
Amazon Marketplace could be a great option for you no matter where you’re located because its all online.
If you have some hesitation about Amazon Marketplace, check out these 2 articles for some great info and tips:
Best Marketplaces to Sell Online
Challenges New Ecommerce Businesses Face, And How To Beat Them
Happy selling!
My mom has tons of old clothes and suits there very vintage. Trying to clean out the garage any tips not trying to get rich just trying to make her a little money and get rid of stuff. Thank you Deb
Hi Debra,
I would recommend using Poshmark! It allows you to easily list and clothes directly from your phone. They even send you a pre-paid shipping label, so you don’t have to worry about that.
Good luck!
Posh is not good for old or vintage clothes and the clientele are 20s and younger. No exceptions here. It is almost not worth the work of photoing, measuring, listing the ad for a few bucks. All posh buyers make low offers and posh takes there 20% cut over $15.
Hi KJ,
Thanks for sharing your personal experience. With Poshmark, you are paying that 20% cut for the convenience factor. There are definitely pros and cons for each platform, and some may work for specific scenarios more than others. If you are looking to make a profit on high quality vintage clothes, Etsy may be worth checking out.
Good luck!
I Have sold multiple vintage items on Poshmark over the last year and it seems to grow every week. Having the right inventory and enough of it is the key to making sells on Poshmark. Etsy is also a good platform to sell vintage items. I just started on Etsy but I know the harder you work the more you make and re selling requires a lot of work
Hi Christopher,
Thanks for that insight. It’s nice to hear directly from someone who is really moving inventory through Poshmark, as opposed to a lot of sellers who are selling leftover clothes from their closet. Do you have any tips about choosing the “right” inventory?
Thanks!
Haley
This was so informative and helpful! Thank you so much.
Do you think it’s better to have your own website, or sell on other sites?
Hi Sierra,
Both have pros and cons, depending on your situation. If you are just getting rid of some old clothes, I would definitely recommend selling them on another site like Poshmark or ThreadUp. If selling vintage clothes online is your business, selling on your own website could be useful. But if you are just starting out, I would suggest sticking to established marketplaces and shopping carts until you get the hang of things. Managing your own site can be costly and time-consuming, so it depends on your business’s current needs.
If you’re trying to decide which marketplace or shopping cart to use, check out this article: Best Marketplaces to Sell Online
Good luck and happy selling!
Thanks,
Haley
I have beautiful upscale hats from the 1950s that were my Mom’s. They are even in the original hat boxes. My concern is how I would ship them? Any suggestions – the boxes are round and kind of large. How do I figure out shipping price etc?
Hi Jane! UPS, FedEx, and USPS have shipping cost calculators based on weight and dimensions that are super easy to use. Also, we would suggest finding a shipping box that you can fit the round boxes in. We wouldnt want those original hat boxes to get scuffed or damaged in any way. Good luck!
Wife recently passed. Had many designer clothes, not exactly vintage. Shoes too, many unborn. Need help
Can someone come to me?
Hi Richard, we’re so sorry to hear that. Going through the onboarding process to sell clothes just once can be a pain, so you may be able to find an ecommerce seller that already exists to buy your designer clothes in bulk as inventory. I would try contacting sellers on eBay or Etsy who specialize in vintage/designer clothes.
Hey Richard! Sorry for your lost.
I sell online, if those items from your wife still available, I would like for us to talk, I might be interested.
Hello,
I have ties (more than 500) from the 70’s, they are silk and old and wide. They are new and in plastic. I think it would be ideal for movie sets. Whats the best way to sell them?
Hi Eric,
As to selling ties in bulk for movie sets, you may have to make some kind of connection in that industry. As far as selling online, I would go with eBay or Etsy.
Good luck and happy selling!
This article is better read, Best places to buy/sell trend online. Not for average Vintage clothes. The authors tone sounds like they like to buy mid range to high end clothes. It does not sound like they have very much personal experience selling online. Keep that in mind. You can not sell used cloths on Amazon! Maybe deadstock. Etsy wasn’t even on the list? But its recommend in the comments. This is a Trend article.
Hi Jenny,
Thanks for making those points. This article was written with ecommerce beginners in mind, but you are completely right. You cannot sell used clothes on Amazon, and we made sure to update the article. Where do you find the most success selling vintage clothes online?
Thanks, Haley
I have had some success selling vintage clothes on https://retrophoria.com
I love them because they don’t charge for listing clothing, only when you sell it. Works for me because I am a cheapskate.
Hey Sarah,
We’re so glad to hear that your experience with selling is going so well!
Now everything online. So, we can sell any product easily
Hey Lakshmi,
Yes, everything is definitely moving online. For more online help check out: Best Marketplaces to Sell Online
Happy selling!
Hi,
I’ve acquired two vintage mid-century swivel barrel chairs after my mom passed. The problem with selling them is I cannot box them up and mail.
They would have to be “locally picked up” Any idea where I could list them. (Other than craigslist) With most everyone else you have to mail.
Thank you in advance for any advice.
Sherry
Hey Sherry,
We’re so sorry to hear that.
We’re not quite sure where you’re located but you could definitely search around for consignment shops or thrift shops that give money for goods like your chairs.
Those are always great starting points when trying to sell bigger items! Another great source is Facebook Marketplace which could also be a simpler option, it just depends on the options near you.
Good luck!
Is the information above current as of 3/4/2020. Thank You!
Hey Casey,
Yes, we would still recommend these platforms to resell vintage clothes. If you’re selling used clothes and need to source more check out this article for some helpful tips: Used Product Sourcing Strategies For Online Selling
Good Luck!
Tyler
this is very helpful blog for any selling . thank’s for sharing
Thank you for your comment! We’re glad that you found the blog post useful. If you need more information about selling vintage products online check out this article: 7 Places to Sell Used Products Online
Happy Selling!
Tyler
I read your blog and I found out about this . thank’s
what a great information. thank’s for sharing
Great information, thank you.
I have a suitcase full of my mum’s 1970’s evening wear and not sure which would be the best site to sell on for this era. Would appreciate suggestions.
Many thanks
Hey Tamara,
We’re glad you found this blog post useful! Those must be some pretty groovy clothes you got there. As we mentioned in the article, eBay and Etsy are good places to start. We’ve also seen people sell vintage clothes successfully on social media sites. Facebook marketplace and its new Shop could be great for you. Try listing them on multiple sites, the more people that see your clothes the more likely you’ll sell them.
Happy Selling!
Hi Jami,
Can you please tell me the name of the inventory management software you mentioned near the end of your excellent article?
I am so glad to have found your article. It and the comments offers the best info, suggestions of other articles and most specifically relevant guidance I’ve come across after reading a lot about this topic, especially concerning which sites to use and why or why not.
In about a month, my 10 year transition from intermittent garage / apartment sales, pop-up stores and flea market booths to finally launching a full-fledged business, an ETSY store will be completed!.
ETSY and eBay will be the primary marketplaces for my diverse nventory of retro and vintage clothing and collectibles from my grandparents, Mom, self, friends and neighbors.
Selling across multiple platforms is very appealing now that I am aware of an easy way to manage the inventory.
Thank you to you and everyone who has contributed their insights.
Hey Vee,
We’re glad you found this article useful. It’s always great to hear entrepreneurs like yourself taking the next step in the ecommerce industry. We know you’re going to be amazing! To answer your first question, our very own software was mentioned in the article regarding inventory management. We’d be happy to tell you more about ecomdash if you wish. We’re even offering a FREE onboarding session to new users! Please let us know if you have any more questions and good luck with your new business!
Happy Selling!
My mom has been colecting Vintage clothing and costumes since the 70’s. She is ready to retire and has a vast inventory. We are looking for someone who is interested in purchasing large quantities. This is a gold mine for the right person. She has a storefront and has been rental only for years with over 2000 square feet full of clothing, costumes, masks, hats shoes, belts, gloves, and tons of accessories.
Hey Angie,
It sounds like your mother turned a hobby into a successful business! One option you can choose is creating your own online store and selling the vintage clothing there or listing your inventory on popular sites like eBay or the ones we mentioned in the blog post. If you have any more questions, please let us know.
Good Luck!
how do I sell beautiful vintage hats from the 50’s
Hey Patricia,
There are a few answers to your questions. First, listing your products on any of the marketplaces we suggested in the article is a great option. Second, Facebook Marketplace and now Facebook Shop is a quick and easy way to sell those beautiful vintage hats. You can also promote your product on Facebook and other social media platforms! Here are some best practices when you’re using social media for your ecommerce store. Let us know if you have any other questions!
Good Luck!