posted on July 24, 2001 09:39:37 PM new
While, as Joice the moderator suggested, we will start the clothing seller message board over here (not that I think this is the correct place for this type of thing).
I over been selling clothing on ebay for almost 2 years. I started in used and now sell mostly new with tags. In March of 2001, I quit my real job to do this full time. It works for me.
So clothing sellers, this is your new board. Ask you questions, or talk about any thing related to selling clothing.
If anyone knows of a "real" clothing message board please let us know because that is what we were in search of in the first place.
posted on July 24, 2001 09:52:24 PM new
I'm here too. I sell lots of clothes. For me the most profitable items are maternity and hospital scrubs. Golf shirts did well until about a month ago.
posted on July 24, 2001 10:21:53 PM new
As a former Weekenders rep, I have a number of "samples" that I intend to list. Weekenders seem to do very well on eBay, I have even purchased some! Since these are all new anyway, I don't anticipate any problems, but I wonder about selling used clothing. Everyone's idea about "good" or "excellent" condition differs. Do you have many returns? Thanks!
Was just hoping to get clothing sellers together and talk clothes.
I sell mostly plus size clothes and mens suits.
How's business been for everyone?
I lurk on Ebay board, and everyone over there complains about how bad business is, but I really think it all depends on what you sell...and nobody seems to divulge what they sell.
It has been slow for me, which is typical of the summer.
posted on July 24, 2001 10:45:15 PM new
#1 - How long have you been selling clothing on ebay?
I have been selling clothing on ebay about 2 years!
#2 - Have you tried other sites? Which ones? Do any good?
NO! I sell on ebay. I have looked at yahoo but things do not seem to sell good there.
#3 - Are you a regular lister or seasonal?
I try to list 20-25 items a M-T.
#4 - Do you mainly sell new or used? or both?
I started with used and sell mostly New With Tags now.
#5 - If you care to share - Do you buy wholesale? Retail stores? Outlet stores?
My favorite place to get inventory is stores going out of business, when in is at least 90% off retail.
#6 - What state do you live in?
I live in Denver, Colorado.
#7 - What catorgories do you sell in?
I sell mostly big & tall men's and Plus Size womens. I also sell a few formal dresses.
Business has been very slow June and July. May was the best month I have ever had! I just wish I did not have so many deadbeats. A slow month and deadbeats can kill your business!
As for the problems with used clothing -
As long as you describe things honestly and try to hide anything, all is fine. I only have had (in 2 yrs) two people even ask to return the item. Neither read the measurements and the items did not fit properly. I do not refund unless it is my error. Bidders not reading is not my error.
I write my descriptions as if I were describing the item to a blind person. I give every detail.
posted on July 24, 2001 10:50:39 PM new
#1 - How long have you been selling clothing on ebay?
Since Nov 99...started selling a little bit of everything...but clothes was the only consistant thing that worked and I could get cheap enough to resell!
#2 - Have you tried other sites? Which ones? Do any good?
No..looked on yahoo and amazon and didn't see any action.
#3 - Are you a regular lister or seasonal?
Regular seller..30-35 items a week.
#4 - Do you mainly sell new or used? or both?
Mainly used.
#5 - If you care to share - Do you buy wholesale? Retail stores? Outlet stores?
posted on July 25, 2001 12:28:10 AM new
Hi All,
I have been lurking on the ebay board for a long time and finally decided to join in when I heard there was a clothing sellers "board". I sell exotic dancewear, and some vintage when I find it. It seems the thrift stores in my area have gone crazy with the pricing. It burns me up when I see ratty dirty things on the racks, priced higher than what it would cost new! I still buy alot of my clothes there, but sometimes I think the good old days are gone. Anyone else notice this or is it just me?
posted on July 25, 2001 12:48:19 AM new
I quit selling used clothing because I found I could get new clothing cheaper or at the same cost as Savers or Goodwill. Salvation Army here has nothing but trash - stained and torn, yet a $10-50 price tag. Go figure!
elizabethb - Do you make a good profit? I would certainly think so especially if you sell to the plus size woman. I have been searching for a source to get exotic dancewear or sexy lingerie in Plus Sizes and have not found one. If you are willing to share your sources, please email me at [email protected].
I have sold some black lacy lingerie at some nice prices and I know it is because you can not find it. Big woman ( and man) like to be sexy too!
posted on July 25, 2001 03:26:28 AM new
Good Morning all! A clothing sellers board, what an idea. I was going through the ebay discussion board this morning and came across this post. Just wondering if anyone here has heard about this rule on ebay, I have gone through everything on the site and don't find that this is necessary in an auction listing, but with all of the ebay police out there now....Here it is
"A few of you wanted to know the reason why ebay ended all 100 of my auctions last Friday. I got a call Saturday night from an ebay rep that told me that the only reason that they were all pulled was that the statement:
"Used clothing have been cleaned according to the manufacturer's recommended instructions"
was not in my auction template."
Would love to hear others thoughts on this!
[ edited by mswheatley1 on Jul 25, 2001 03:29 AM ]
posted on July 25, 2001 03:50:09 AM new thanks for taking the initiative and starting this thread, richierich!
i mostly sell vintage clothing, and/or vintage styles. sales have been decent, although i'm finding fewer bidding wars get going, and more things ending with 1-3 bids.
thrift shop prices, yes yes yes, they've gotten way out of hand now. $20-25 for a pair of nothing-special used pants? what, are they nuts?
mswheatley1,
i read that quote about cleaning on another thread on the ebay outlook board, but it was the first i'd heard of it. don't know about with newer clothes, but i do know that with many vintage clothes it's prefered you don't clean the items before selling, because so many of the fabrics or items are very fragile.
tradersjones,
forgive my ignorance, but what are weekenders? and no, i rarely have anyone wanting to return anything.
posted on July 25, 2001 04:29:56 AM new
Hi Everyone,
I sell books and clothes on ebay, used or new if I can find them. Summer has been WAY down on the clothes, so I am waiting for a while.
I have a question. I have a Pair of Tommy Hilifger pants. Tommys usually do REAL good.
The tag say 18, which is either a european size or a misprint, they can'tr be more than a 10. I liksted them as a ten, but did mention the 18 on the tag. So far no bids. I'm sure someone a 10 doesn't want a tag that says 18. ANy suggestions?
posted on July 25, 2001 05:11:33 AM new
Could the Tommy Jeans be a boy's or girl's 18? Did you include the measurements? When I am in that situation I usually would say something like, "The tag says 18 but they appear to be about a women's 10. Please refer to the measurments."
posted on July 25, 2001 06:03:30 AM new
Has anybody had any experience selling girls formals? Do they sell well and are they just a spring thing for high school proms?
I'ved done well with wedding gowns if I get them really cheap.
posted on July 25, 2001 08:24:19 AM new
Hi,
I've been selling clothing since June 99, when I bought something that I really liked and realized I could sell some of the stuff I was saving for a garage sale on auction and get rid of it. It worked like a charm and has now blossomed out of control.
I built up a fairly good business on Yahoo as well, till they implemented listing fees and self destructed. I do list a few things on Bidville, but it is still slow there, so I mostly list craft items/patterns/beanies over there.
I list consistently, year round Monday-Thursday.
I mainly sell used, I get most at thrift stores.
I live in Washington State.
I sell mostly career items, suits & dresses. With a smattering of everything else. I love when I find a Weekenders... almost a guaranteed sale. They are great clothes!
As was mentioned before, if you describe well and include any & all flaws in the description, you will not have problems with returns. I take returns only if it was my mistake, so if they don't read the measurements, too bad. I have had people request to return something, then never bother... I don't think they feel its worth it for a low dollar item.
I've done quite a bit with formal dresses. Sold well for me when I first was selling, not so good now. If you have a current style formal, there seems to be a market all year round what with homecoming & holidays in the fall/winter... Proms in the spring.... weddings in the summer. It seems there is always a formal occasion.
And I've never had any kind of luck with Tommy... so can't help with the pants thing.
posted on July 25, 2001 08:38:02 AM new
I'm going to pipe up here as a buyer - hope you all don't mind. What I like to see in clothing auctions is the following:
- Clear pictures. If the item is solid black, please show me one pic where the color is accurate, and one picture lightened so that I can see the detail. A picture of a solid black blob with a note in the description about how the item is prettier than the picture really doesn't help the buyer see the item.
-Measurements. Even more important than size, especially in plus sizes. "Big for an 18" doesn't help. Also, length please.
-Shipping clearly stated. I have to think most clothing items ship for 5 lbs or less, so please don't make me email you for shipping.
-An honest appraisal of condition, with all flaws noted. Or with all lack of flaws noted, i.e. "Excellent condition with no pulls, tears, etc."
Last note: I've found some wonderful clothing on eBay, and have yet to be disappointed, so my hat's off to all of you. I've sold a couple of clothing items also, and all that measuring and trying to get the item to look good in a pic drove me to distraction!
posted on July 25, 2001 08:48:31 AM new
I sell mostly clothing. Since I can't provide a link, you all might want to check out EBAY'S announcement board and read their post on 7/19/2001 at 10:50:20 PDT.
Back to the topic...
#1 - How long have you been selling clothing on ebay? A little over 3 1/2 years
#2 - Have you tried other sites? Which ones? Do any good? I have sold a little on Yahoo when they were free, but will not pay for their service. I also have listings on BidVille and I get about 1-2 bids per week. Ebay still seems the best place to list for me.
#3 - Are you a regular lister or seasonal?
regular
#4 - Do you mainly sell new or used? or both? Mainly used, but often sell NWT clothing.
#5 - If you care to share - Do you buy wholesale? Retail stores? Outlet stores?
Thrift stores - there are about 25 in my area within 100 miles, so there's always a really good selection
#6 - What state do you live in? New York
#7 - What catorgories do you sell in? Women's Business Wear, Men's business Wear, Plus Size Casual & Business
[ edited by ExecutiveGirl on Jul 25, 2001 08:50 AM ]
posted on July 25, 2001 10:48:55 AM new
A late morning start for me here. Glad to see everyone!
shrty411 - On the Tommy's I would not give the says tag "18" just give the measurements and say that they measure like a size ??. Maybe pal is correct, a girls size 18 measures very similiar to a ladies size 10 they usually have a shorter inseam but not always. I think the big difference is in the hip area. Girls hip area is smaller then a ladies.
deco100 - I sell a fair share of Jr. Girls formals, was doing really good - slow now.
cin131 - I would list it in misses/juniors.
Executive Girl - Glad to see you! Always enjoy your posts. I am going to check out the ebay post now. According to an email I have from Michelle G ( AW moderator ) you can post a link from the ebay boards to the AW boards. (I just do not know how )
These new discussion boards will not replace our current category-specific chat boards, but members will find them a pleasant addition to their eBay experience. Discussions on these boards will remain available for at least 30 days, and members can join in and/or review them at their leisure. We'll be introducing more boards specific to other categories at eBay in the upcoming weeks, so don't be disappointed if you don't see your favorite category yet; it will be here soon!
You'll find links to these new Category Discussion Boards on the Site Map, and on the Category portal pages (accessible via the 'Browse' link in the Navigation Bar at the top of every eBay page). We hope you'll also check out the other eBay Chat and Discussion boards. The Town Square and The Soapbox Discussion boards for both general and more serious discussion, The Park for fun and pleasantries, the Community Help boards for assistance with all things eBay, and the Chat boards where you can find a place to discuss just about anything!
posted on July 25, 2001 11:21:52 AM new
I am interested in talking, chatting, emailing clothing sellers in my specific neck of the woods. I know there are several ebay clothing sellers from the Denver Colorado area. I think it would be nice to share ideas and let each other know of wonderful cheap prices etc. Unless you can buy the whole inventory why not say I will shop here, you go there. Save me time from coming after you when nothing is left. I seen one at the store using a PayPal credit card I thought about introducing myself but it was sale day around here and who has time to chat.
I spend 6 hours 2 days - Thursday & Friday shopping -unless I find a going out of business sale and buy two truck loads (that's a real rush).
When I shop I get tons of questions, inquiring minds want to know. I might buy 50 shirts or dress at one time. Several exactly the same. I buy everything if the price is right. The clerks wonder, that's for sure. I am a personal shopper!
posted on July 25, 2001 11:38:25 AM new
"forgive my ignorance, but what are weekenders? and no, i rarely have anyone wanting to return anything.
kittyx3"
Weekenders is a line of knit separates that you mix and match to create different outfits. It's sold on the home demonstration "party" plan. The reps, known as "Fashion Coordinators" carry an inventory of samples that guests can try on at the party. Since they come out with a new line twice a year, there's always lots of samples!
Kathi
posted on July 25, 2001 12:07:15 PM new
I use to sell designer ballgowns and did very well. Now I sell vintage eyewear and handcrafted jewelry. My sales are consistent with approx. 75% weekly sell through. They are small and easy to ship too.
posted on July 25, 2001 12:23:57 PM new
Closing out our clothing sales as getting out of control and cannot handle with dayjob.
Instead will be setting up sellers with own auctions, ID's, credit etc. We do the wholesale and used buying and all bookkeeping and the owners handle the pics, listing and shipping. Owners get 70% and we get 30% of net profit.
Clothing is a blast to sell if you have the contacts. But our day job is worth too much to give up so going this route. Get to keep doing the buying which we love and let individuals do the rest - own their own shop - per se without the buying and bookkeeping hassles as some people think they are.
Measurements are key for clothing sellers. Used is very easy to sell and returns are not high. Deadbeats are higher in this category than others but shipping is SO much easier.
thanks for taking the initiative and starting this thread, richierich!
[ edited by sulyn1950 on Jul 25, 2001 11:26 AM ]