I usually sell trading cards on ebay and am about to venture into new territory. I've got a few items of women's clothing (mostly new suits and business attire) in my closet that I am about to sell. I've read threads here about taking proper measurements and now have my new nifty neato measuring tape here with me.
From what I can see, I need to measure bust, waist, hips, shoulder to shoulder, and length. I have absolutely zero experience in sewing or anything related thereto (if it can't be done with needle and thread I run) so I need to know:
1. Do I measure the outside of the garmet or the inside for bust, waist and hips?
2. For bust measurement do I measure the biggest area, or just below?
3. Is it good to include lots of photos, with closeups, of the material (I think this one is a no brainer yes)?
4. Are there any other measurements that I should take?
Any help would be highly appreciated. These items have been in my closet for over a year, I am now both too large and no longer in the legal profession (HOORAY) so don't need them anymore.
posted on March 27, 2001 06:15:44 AM
Thank you both very much. I'll be including a wrist measurement, and the other measurements from the old thread (helpful in the extreme .
posted on March 27, 2001 06:42:05 AM
I am also thinking about selling some good used and some new clothing. I have read all the threads about the measurements. What I really need to know is if I am allowed to list the brand name such as Gap, Liz etc.
posted on March 27, 2001 09:19:38 AM
Measure clothing from the outside, and don't pull the garment or stretch it when you measure. Just be sure it is flat and "relaxed." I once had to return a top that was bias-cut and the seller had stretched it to the max to take a bust measurement. It "gained" ten inches that way, but the effect on the body was not pretty!
With elastic waists, measure twice: once with no stretch, and once with the waist pulled out to a reasonable size (not absolute max, which would be painful if you were wearing the clothing).
Take at least two pictures: one of the entire garment (preferably on a mannequin or model) and one or more of any important close-up details: buttons, manufacturer's label, fabric, etc.
Learn to do some quick and easy repairs yourself, like catching loose hems or sewing on buttons or snaps. You'll get far more money for your items for a small investment of time, and you'll improve your reputation for selling only quality items.
posted on March 27, 2001 11:00:10 AM
I like to see the shoulder measurements, from shoulder seam to shoulder seam across the top. Sleeve length is important as well, taken from the underarm seam down, and the length of the skirt and or inseam of pants.
If appropriate, the measurement around the hem of pants and skirts too.
I am petite as far as my height goes, but am broad shouldered, so the shoulder measurements are important to me. The distance from the neckline to the waist can be important depending on the style of the garment. While time consuming, it is better to have more than not enough.
Stating the size and if the garment is a regular or petite helps, especially with well known brands such as Liz, Casual Corner, etc. Those of us who wear certain brands tend to know what fits and what doesn't in certain names.
posted on March 27, 2001 04:01:06 PMRowane, I don't want to discourage you from selling clothing, but I think tomwiii was referring to this thread about small-wristed ladies:
Of course, that's obviously a worst-case scenario! Best of luck to you! You're starting out in great shape by asking advice here first--I've learned a lot here myself (and had some great laughs!!!).
posted on March 27, 2001 05:30:51 PM
Mommoo ~ I sell clothing almost exclusively, both new and used. I always mention the brand name and have never had a problem. (I've probably sent over 600 clothing items.)
posted on March 27, 2001 05:35:28 PM
We had a discussion about the use of brand names on one of the VeRO threads. The consensus was that "Ralph Lauren Polo Shirt" in the title was fine if indeed the shirt was a Ralph Lauren Polo shirt.
Where you can get into trouble is if you use "Ralph Lauren style Polo Shirt".
posted on March 28, 2001 12:30:45 AM
When I started "specializing" in clothing...I found this book to be wonderful: "The Complete Book of Sewing". It is a DK Publishing Book and tells you everything you need to know...fabrics, terminology, styles, etc. I use it daily! Good luck...Mallary
posted on March 28, 2001 10:28:23 AM
mommoo and rowane
We have sold thousands of clothing items on both Ebay and Yahoo. There is no problem using a brand name (or two) in the title or description as long as you are actually selling items of that brand in the auction.
As far as meaurements go it pays to be very conservative. Make sure that there's a little room for error.
Also include in your TOS that the person must check the meaurements. No returns if it doesn't fit. You won't believe how many people there are that don't check the meaurements and want to return the item because "It doesn't fit like a size X".
We've had several returns because of fit, even though we had accurate meaurements in the auction. One buyer said "I always wear a size 10 and don't need measurements. You should put in your auction that the item has been altered". How am I supposed to know if the item has been altered?
That's what measurements are for....
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