Selling used clothing and shoes

The second-hand clothing market is efficient: buyers know what a brand is worth and they search by size. Your job is to be findable and to answer the questions before they are asked.

Photograph the label

One photo of the size and care label, one of the brand label, and one of the item flat or on a hanger. Buyers scroll past listings without a visible size, and they ask for measurements on anything expensive.

Measure the things that matter

• Shoes: the size on the label, the size you actually wore, and the length of the sole in centimetres.
• Coats and jackets: pit to pit, and shoulder to hem.
• Trousers: waist, inseam, and whether the leg has been altered.
• Dresses: bust, waist, and length from shoulder.

Be blunt about condition

Say "worn" when it is worn. Note the scuff, the missing button, the stretched cuff, the smell of a house with a dog. Any of these is survivable in a listing and fatal when discovered in person.

Washed and photographed in daylight sells better than ironed and photographed under a yellow bulb.

Three routes, three trade-offs

• Sell it yourself: the most money, the most messages, the most no-shows.
• Consignment shop: less money, no messages, and they will refuse anything they cannot sell.
• Donate: no money, no effort, and a receipt if the organisation provides one.

Call ahead before taking a car load of clothing to a consignment shop; many take seasonal stock only.