How to sell clothes online: getting more from your wardrobe

Resale is changing how we think about our clothes

An item doesn’t lose its value when you stop wearing it. Resale offers a different way to think about value: giving clothing the opportunity to be worn and enjoyed by someone else, while you get back some of what you spent.

New Post Office research among 2,000 adults¹ who’ve sold through a second-hand marketplace found:

• 34% have bought a wardrobe item knowing they were likely to sell it later
• 37% consider potential resale value when deciding whether to buy something
• 1 in 5 would pay more for a higher-quality item if they thought it would retain its value
• 36% have bought an outfit for a specific occasion knowing they’d sell it afterwards

For some shoppers, that might mean spending a little more on something they think will hold its value. For others, it could simply mean thinking ahead about whether an item could be sold on once they’ve finished with it.

Make your wardrobe work a little harder

Sometimes an item has done its job after one big occasion. Sometimes it’s simply been gathering dust for too long.

Either way, selling it on can help you recover some of what you spent.

Our research found:

• Almost half (47%) want to turn items they no longer need back into money
• A quarter use resale to fund new purchases 
• 21% sell wardrobe items to recoup as much of the original cost as possible

For some, resale starts before they’ve even bought an item. Our research shows people buy items like dresses (38%), shoes (37%), coats (34%) and designer brands (27%) knowing they’d probably sell them after wearing or using them only a handful of times.

Weddings, holidays, seasonal clothing and other one-off occasions can all be moments where people buy something knowing they may later pass it on.

Which clothes can hold their appeal?

There’s no guarantee an item will resell for a particular amount, but some pieces naturally attract more interest than others.

According to our research, consumers believe accessories like handbags (36%), jewellery (33%) and watches (31%) are the wardrobe items most likely to retain their value when resold.

Stylist and second-hand fashion expert Bay Garnett says pieces with personality can stand out:

“The pieces that tend to stand out on the resale market are the ones with personality: a great coat, leather jacket, distinctive dress or brilliant bag.”

She also notes that trends can give older items a boost when particular styles come back into fashion.

Help your clothes hold their value

If you think you might sell something later, looking after it from the start can make a difference.

Bay says condition still matters. Vintage doesn’t need to mean perfect, but there’s a difference between character and damage. Generally, the better an item has been cared for, the easier it’ll be to sell.

A few simple habits can help:

• Follow the care instructions
• Store clothes carefully
• Deal with stains or marks quickly
• Look after zips, buttons, trims and fabric
• Keep extras like dust bags or boxes where relevant

When to sell

There’s no single right time to resell something.

You might keep a favourite piece for years or buy something for one occasion knowing you’ll probably move it on afterwards.

For some sellers, timing matters. 25% have sold an item while it was still available in shops to try to maximise its resale value.

So if you know something is unlikely to get much more wear, it might be worth selling it while there’s still interest in it rather than leaving it at the back of the wardrobe.

Sold it? We can help you send it

Once you’ve found a buyer, the last step is getting your item on its way.

Most reselling platforms will allow buyers to pre-select postage, meaning you can simply print your labels or bring a QR code and head to a convenient drop-off location when it suits you.

At Post Office, we offer delivery services from multiple couriers, including Royal Mail and Parcelforce Worldwide in all branches and DPD and Evri in a growing number of branches too. So, when you're selling on marketplaces, you can include these courier options to help boost sales, safe in the knowledge you only have to make one convenient visit to drop all your parcels off.

If you need to pay to send your parcels outside of where you sell them, you can compare prices with Parcels Online.

Simply enter your parcel’s size and weight and compare delivery options. Choose and pay for the option that works for you. Select a participating Post Office branch. Then drop off your parcel when you’re ready.

No printer at home? No problem. Bring your QR code into branch and we can print the label for you.

All couriers offer services with tracking, so you can keep an eye on your parcel as it makes its way to its new owner.

Making selling that little bit easier

The final part of resale is the practical bit: packing the item and getting it sent. We asked sellers what would make selling second hand clothing easier:

• 28% would like more convenient local places to send parcels
• 21% would value being able to choose between several parcel carriers in one place
• 21% want clear advice on what delivery option is best for their parcel

Post Office can help with several of those practical steps, providing a choice of couriers and making it easy to send all your parcels from one convenient location. If you need to buy postage, help and advice is available in branch or online.