This year I took the plunge and decided to resign from my “permanent”day job. I decided I wanted to concentrate more on my business and spend more time with my kids. However, I do have to admit, I do miss the regular income that comes from having a day job.
Having your own business means that income might not be steady each week or month. Combine that with wanting to do the 2019 craze of going all Marie Kondo in my home and I have realized I have a HUGE pile of clothes to move that belong to my two kids. I bet we all have this pile of clothes, completely usable but with no future kids on the horizon and there is only so many clothes you can pass on, I though it would be good to compile a list of free or low cost avenues to sell your kids second hand clothes (providing they are in good condition!)
Facebook Marketplace
I am quite a frequent user of Facebook Marketplace. Just last week I purchased a pair of Hubble & Duke for my daughter because she lost her other pair and even though it is summer, she still insists on wearing them!
The great thing about Marketplace is that you have an unlimited amount of listings. Buyers can also search by location so you will hopefully sell your items to locals and not need to worry about shipping. You can also put up multiple photos and include key words to assist buyers with their search. The more photos you can provide the more succful you are likely to be in having a sale.
It is important that is there are any faults or marks on the clothing, ensure that these are disclosed as the buyer will want this information available to them before deciding to commit to the purchase.
Specialised Facebook Groups
If you have clothing that is of a popular brand such as Bonds, Purebaby, Pumpkin Patch, Rock Your Baby or many others, you will be able to join specialised groups on Facebook to sell your items.
The positive here is you have an audience that is already in love with the brand you are selling. However, these groups are usually State or Australia wide so you will likely have to post the item to the buyer. Some important points to note if you decide to sell to people not local to you:
- Always accepts payment by PayPal Goods and Services. Yes – you will need to pay a small fee but this gives you protection should the parcel go astray. As long as you keep a record of the tracking number then you have fulfilled your part of the agreement.
- Always send items in a tracked parcel or satchel. If you send items without tracking (for example in an envelope) and it does not arrive (or the buyer says that it did not beause you will have no proof), Paypal will rule in favour of the buyer and you will end up having to pay the buyer back.
- It is perfectly acceptable to quote a sales price $xx + shipping. This will also give people the opportunity to purchase multiple items from you and ship in one parcel/satchel.
- You could also try to sell bundles of products. This reduced shipping for the buyer and allows you to sell all the items at once. Sometimes this works, sometimes it does not. But even making a note on each individual listing that you have multiple items will encourage buyers to purchase multiple items from you
- Make sure you read group rules. Each group will work differently so you want to make sure that you are following the rules of admin.
E-Bay
I am no longer a user of E-Bay because I have found the fees can be really high but it is important to mention. If you have something that is of a small run, you might find E-Bay is the best option as it is auction-based and if there are multiple interested parties this will significantly drive up the price. If you can incorporate free shipping in the beginning price you will find this can help to attract more buyers
Create a Preloved Instagram account
This is a great way to put all your images together of the items you are selling and allow potential buyers to look at your purchases like they are ‘window’shopping.
In order to increase the number of people exposed to your items for sale the use of hastags such as #preloved #[brand name} #[brand name]forsale will bring new buyers in.
Instagram is all about first impressions so ensure you have clear and crisp images and you can also take advantage of the fact that you have up to 10 images that you can include with each upload if you have multiple pictures of the same item.
Preloved Children’s Markets
This option does take a little bit more time and effort as you will be selling your items in person but the great thing is that you will get a crowd wanting to spend and preloved children’s markets are generally well advertised. You will have to pay a fee to attend the market but this does cover advertising and gets you an interested audience in your products.
Some tips to keep in mind:
- Make sure all your items are labelled with prices so that it is easy for customers to see how much you are charging.
- Use clothing racks and hangers so you can fit more clothing into your space. Organise your items either by size or by type (ie – all tops together, all dresses together)
- You might also want to have containers on the table with clothing grouped by sizes so that customers can do through these as well.
- Have change on you. Lots of coins as you will find that people will withdraw $20 or $50 from the ATM.
- Be willing to give small discounts if people buy multiple items. Remember these are clothes you are wanting to get rid of. If giving a small token discount means that you will sell a bundle of items, do it! Cash in your pocket is better than too-small clothes sitting at home.
- Say hello to people passing your stand and make it look inviting for them to browse. Sitting on your phone or with your head in a book conveys disinterest and people will likely just walk on past.
Here is a list of some preloved children’s markets around Australia
Melbourne:
All for Kids Markets - https://allforkidsmarket.com.au/ (Northern Suburbs)
Bumble Bee Markets - https://www.facebook.com/BumbleBeeMarkets (Eastern Suburbs)
Baby & Kids Market - https://babyandkidsmarketmelbourne.com.au/ (Western Suburbs)
Sydney:
Kirribilli Markets - https://kirribillimarkets.com/
Glebe Markets - http://www.glebemarkets.com.au/home
My Kids Market NSW - https://www.mykidsmarketnsw.com.au/
Canberra:
Canberra Kids and Baby Fair - https://canberramarkets.net.au/category/kids-market/kids-market-resources/
Brisbane:
Rock a Buy Baby Market - https://www.facebook.com/RockABuyBabyMarket
Hobart:
Preloved Clothing Market - https://prelovedclothing.com.au/
My Kids Market - https://mykids.market/book-now-glenorchy/pre-loved-stall
Adelaide:
I was not able to find anything current for Adelaide. Please leave a comment below if you know of any and I will update this blog.
Perth:
PKB Markets - https://www.pbkmarket.com.au/book-a-stall (although no 2019 dates have been announced)
To get the best results, try to use a few of the above platforms ad hopefully that will bring in success!
Any tips, comments or other ideas for selling preloved baby & kids clothes, I would love to hear them below!