Turn Your Old Clothes Into Extra Cash Using Apps

One D.C. woman says she's made $7,000 in the last two months

The secret to making some extra money could be hanging in your closet. 

Apps are making it easier than ever to consign clothes from the comfort of your home. 

D.C. resident Penny Mause started using them on a whim. 

“I had two Anthropologie dresses that I had worn to work before, and I was not ever going to wear them again,” Mause said. “I decided to post my items, and they sold both within about five minutes. It was really exciting.” 

Those first sales were less than a year ago. Since then, Mause has made reselling clothing her full-time job. She’s moved on from her own closet and now buys items in bulk, at auctions or sales, and relists them online. She says she’s made $7,000 in profit in the last two months. 

“It’s addictive. It’s definitely addictive,” Mause warns. “You can’t believe that people are buying something from your own closet. You’re going to be sending it out to that person, who is going to give it a second life.” 

Mause didn’t have a background in fashion. She quickly figured out that you don’t need one to be successful. Many of her items sell for under $15, but when you make multiple sales each day, the amounts can add up quickly. 

“I try to keep [prices] as low as possible to enable more people to be able to buy,” she said.  

According to most users, the keys to success are taking photos with good lighting, being realistic about prices and providing accurate descriptions of the items you’ve listed. The apps provide sellers with shipping labels to make sending sales as easy as possible. 

So, what are the apps? 

Penny uses Poshmark, but there are several others that have large online followings. Here are a few of them: 

Poshmark calls itself “the largest community marketplace for fashion where any woman can buy, sell or share her style.” According to its website, 700,000 sellers have posted more than 5,000 brands. Poshmark takes a flat commission of $2.95 for sales under $15. It takes 20 percent of any items over $15. Buyers are responsible for paying shipping.

Vinted boasts 2 million members in the United States, with more than 1.5 million listings. The average age of buyers and sellers using the app is 24. Vinted takes a 19 percent commission, but no more than $5. Buyers pay for shipping, which is prorated based on price.

Tradesy is another buy-and-sell marketplace for clothing and accessories. Tradesy says users save up to 90 percent “on pre-owned bags, shoes, clothing, and more, from top designers.” Tradesy takes 9-11.5 percent commission depending on how a seller cashes out. Tradesy charges buyers for shipping.

Mercari allows sellers to post more than just clothes. Until mid-November, no commission is taken from sellers. Sellers can opt to pay for shipping themselves or pass the cost to buyers.

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