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Get Paid to Clean Out Your Closet

 

I have moved twice in the last year and it has become very clear to me as I pack and unpack boxes of clothes, that I desperately need to clean out my closet. There are tons of clothes in sizes that I likely won’t see again and several things that I have kept for a long time thinking that there will be some event that comes up that I will need those dresses for, but it seems that my invite to the Oscars has been lost in the mail for yet another year.

I have tried out several services trying to figure out how I can make some money for cleaning out my closet and want to share the methods that have made me the most money back.

Poshmark

This online resale shop has definitely brought me the most money per item sold. The process of selling isn’t complicated, but it does take some effort. If you find something you want to buy – enter MATTIEMG at checkout for $5 off your first order!

PROS:

• You get to set the prices for your clothes, which usually means you are making more than what you would get at a consignment store.
• The sales process goes through an app and the learning curve is really short, so you can get an account and make a sale all in the same day.
• Shipping to buyers is set up through the app as well. When you make a sale, you get an email with the shipping label. All you have to do is print the label and package your products.

CONS:

• In order to get your products viewed, you have to really engage with Poshmark users through the app. Share listings from other sellers. Follow lots of accounts. It may take some time to build momentum, but you will get there!
• If you are looking for a quick one day closet clean out, Poshmark may not be the route to go. You will have to hang on to the clothes while you are waiting for them to be sold. If you have a spare closet or storage box in your house, you could use that to hold all of the clothes while you wait for them to sell.

ThredUp

Easily the most convenient closet clean out service I have used! ThredUp is an online thrift and consignment store, so you send them clothes and they pay you for the ones they can resell. If you have items that are able to sell at a really high price (think designer handbags that have barely been used) then you are able to get a percentage of what ThredUp sells it for.

PROS:

• You do not have to leave your house if you use ThredUp. You order a clean out bag online, the bag is mailed to you, you fill up your bag and stick it back in the mail. There is absolutely no way that you can drive around with stacks of clothes in the back of your car for weeks/months if you use ThredUp.
• ThredUp gets your clothes out of your closet fast, so you can see results of your hard work immediately!
• If you send items to ThredUp that they can’t sell, you can elect to have them donated. So you can feel good about none of your clothes going to waste.

CONS:

• ThredUp is VERY specific about the clothes that they will accept. They have a list of brands that they will accept and if your items don’t match with that list, you will certainly not be getting money for them. Clothes also have to be purchased in the last 5 years and in really good quality. So save your best stuff for ThredUp and use another method to sell those clothes from college!
• Since you don’t price your items, you won’t get as much money back in sales. But you have to factor the convenience element into your decision.

 

Plato’s Closet, Buffalo Exchange Thrift Stores

These brick and mortar thrift stores will buy your clothes from you so that they can resell them. You have to physically go to the store, which eliminates the extra cut that shipping takes out of your profits from online stores.

 

PROS:

• You can visit the stores and be present when someone is going through your clothes and point out value. I have gotten more money than what was offered to me because I was able to point out items that still had tags or clarify how recently I had purchased an item.
• You can clean out your closet and take them to a thrift store in the same day. Gotta love checking things off the to-do list.

CONS:

• If you are the type of person who will leave a box of clothes in the trunk of their car for weeks – you are going to have to push hard to get past that.
• Some of these stores are very particular about seasonal clothes. So if you are cleaning out summer items just before winter, you won’t get as much money for your clothes.

 

Consignment Stores

These stores will allow you to drop off your clothes, price them and then you get a percentage of what they sell for.

PROS:

• This model is great for letting you set the prices and providing a storage place for your clothes while you wait for them to be sold.
• You will get to talk about pricing with someone who has a lot of experience in making money on resales.

 

CONS:

• Depending on which store you decide to partner with, they may have specific styles they look for. They may only sell kids clothes or designer items. Be sure to do your research!
• It may take a while to get your money since you have to wait for clothes to be purchased to claim your payment.

 

 

Cleaning out your closet is a great way to make some money back on things you aren’t using or enjoying any longer. If you try out a few of these methods and still have clothes that aren’t selling, please take them to your local homeless shelter!

If you use any other services to help get cash back when cleaning out your closet, let me know in the comments below! I would love to try them out!

 

 

PS: Check out some of my listings on Poshmark!