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Unworn fashion items such as period pieces, jewelry, and costumes can be a lucrative chance to make money and even build a business. However, like most things, there are various ways to go about it, and the multitude of options can be overwhelming. So where do you even begin? As a new venture, there are many choices available to you. From selling unworn fashion items on popular apps to renting out high-value and niche fashion pieces, here are some suggestions.
Check the Value of Your Gold
There could be a lot of value in your old workout jewelry. Selling gold and silver is one of the most lucrative ways to make money, and you can even make a business from it as a commodity seller. But before asking yourself, “What’s my gold worth?”, there are some pre-checks you must do first. One easy way is to look for hallmarks that denote the carat of gold and silver. It also helps to look for signatures from brands like Cartier, and of course, weigh your metals, too.
Sell Unworn Fashion Items Using Apps
Selling unused clothing is a massive market today, worth over $350 billion globally. As such, you can make money trading in fashion using the various online tools available to you to turn closets into cash. Some of the best include eBay, Depop, and Vinted, and here’s how to get started:
- Research the best brand for the items you are selling, such as Depop for vintage.
- Wash and mend clothing before photographing for the best image results.
- Write fun, creative, and highly detailed descriptions for users and platform SEO.
Check Out Luxury Designer Resale Platforms
As mentioned, you can sell clothing on many different platforms, but for the most part, these are generic. However, there are some platforms for highly curated fashion pieces and couture. With unique designer pieces, it is possible to command very high prices for sale and rental to a more sophisticated market that caters to the wealthy and celebrities. Some of the best luxury-focused platforms include Vestaire Collective and TheRealDeal for selling high-end pieces.
Package Pre-Styled Bundles
One of the easiest ways to make quick and easy money is to sell individual items, and this is pretty much the standard method. However, if you have a keen eye and a more creative side, you can compound income potential by pre-styling bundles. For example, rather than selling a vintage jacket and hat separately, you can match style with jewelry pieces and other accessories to sell as an ensemble with increased value, thanks to your own creativity.
Swap and Swish Unworn Fashion Items
Owning a business and selling used fashion can be lucrative and help you pursue a luxurious lifestyle, and one that will probably continue as an excellent income stream forever. However, there are various methods of branding and networking, such as swapping and swishing.
How swishing works
Attendees bring in unwanted clothes, which are inspected for quality. From there, you are given tokens to “buy” new items based on how much you brought and the quality of the clothing.
The benefits of swishing
Switching is an excellent way of keeping fashion sustainable as it keeps items in circulation rather than wasting them, and is a low-cost way to curate a selection of sellable pieces.
Finding swishing events
It’s very easy to find fashion swishing events. All you need to do is sign up with apps like Eventbrite to search for local events and even host a swishing session at your home.
Repurpose Damaged Fashion Items
One of the best things about fashion items is that they are highly versatile. In almost all cases, there is never a need to throw something away, as anything can be reused and repurposed. There is potential in most fashion items and accessories you can use, and thus, they can be lucrative with some creativity. For instance, torn fabrics can be cut and reused, accessories can be sewn into other pieces, such as hats, and leather from boots can become a pair of gloves.
Rent a Temporary Sale Space
If you enjoy social interaction and have a talent for sales, then straightforward space rental can be just what you need. Selling clothes isn’t actually that hard, as people will always look for high-quality items. However, they will always try to get the best value for themselves. So, one of the best ways to offer value while making money is to rent temporary store space, such as at a strip mall or even car boot sales. This is a great way to quickly clear stock and make money.
Rent Out High-Value Unworn Fashion Items
You can continue to use your fashion items by renting them out rather than selling them for a steady stream of income. In fact, the average fashion rental can make more than $22,000 per year based on the quality and desirability of the items. Here are some ideas for renting clothes:
- Reach out to local TV and movie studios with a portfolio of your fashion items.
- Set a clear rental price for your garments, which is usually around 30% of RRP.
- Find and build on a niche category for fashion items such as Victorian era pieces.
Use Your Fashion Knowledge
One of the most appealing ways to earn a living is to monetize your knowledge and ensure you get paid for the things you know. People do this all the time across every niche and sector imaginable, from tutoring to consultation. Fashion is a wide topic that covers many sub-niches, and specializing in just one of these can be a great way to make money from the knowledge and skills you’ve spent years sharpening, even if that’s blogging or making YouTube content.
Summary
Checking the value of items such as jewelry is a good first step to making money from unworn fashion items. You can also reduce costs and curate stock through fashion swaps and swish events, and you can also use your fashion knowledge to make money from your skills.
