Can I Make Money Selling My Kids' Clothes?

Short answer – yes, you can absolutely get cash by selling your children’s used clothes. Now exactly how much? Well, it depends...

It is important to acknowledge upfront that items lose value once they are worn; generally speaking, secondhand clothes will be marked down 50-80% from their original retail price. While that is substantial, the good news about reselling children’s clothes is that kids have a lot of clothes. If you’re cleaning out an entire closet full of clothes that your child has outgrown once or twice a year, it can really add up.

There are several factors that influence how much you can expect to earn selling your kids’ clothes, including:

Are you selling direct or via a resale shop?

At a high-level, you can choose to sell your clothes directly to other parents or you can use a “middleman” in the form of a consignment or resale shop.

If you’re selling directly, for instance through an online platform like Poshmark, Kidizen, or Facebook Marketplace, you have more control over the selling process and can set the price. The downsides? It’s more work as you must create listings, take photos, and coordinate with potential buyers. It can take time for items to sell, and you may find that the fees, shipping costs, and materials (e.g., poly-mailers) cut into your pay-out.  

Oppositely, you can look to a consignment or resale shop to do the heavy lift of selling for you. In this scenario, you don’t set the price, and the shop will take a portion of the pay-out to compensate for doing the work of selling. But the big benefit here is that it is super easy for you - no managing listings, taking photos, dealing with buyers, or dealing with shipping logistics!

To sum it up, if maximizing the pay-out is your top priority, selling directly on an online platform is likely a great option for you. If convenience is a big consideration, consignment and resale shops give you a way to get some cash without the hassle.

What brands are you selling?

When it comes to resale, not all brands are equal. Savvy secondhand shoppers are discerning about brands and seek out those that are known for their quality and durability – and they are willing to pay more for these brands.

Oppositely, consignment and resale shops often receive more inventory from fast fashion brands than there is demand for, so these brands are less likely to be accepted for resale and tend to get significantly small pay-outs. If you’re selling these items on your own, your best bet is to bundle them together to maximize value.

What is the condition of your items?

Condition matters… a lot. If there are visible signs of wear or damage, items are unlikely to be accepted by consignment or resale shops and, even if you’re selling directly, you may find that shoppers are less excited to purchase. We always suggest that you prioritize items in excellent condition for resale.

So, what do you do with items that are in poor condition or unwearable? You can always give them to a textile recycler so that they stay out of the trash. At Bounce Mkt, we give unwanted clothes to Helpsy, a B-Corp textile recycler with a mission to keep clothes out of the trash.

Are your items seasonal?

It might go without saying, but people are more likely to pay more for items that are in season. Selling a Christmas sweater in July, as an example, is a tough job. If you want to maximize your sales, you may benefit from holding items for sale until the appropriate season.

Note, at Bounce Mkt, we buy all seasons year-round. We store off-season items and bring them out when the time is right.  

What sizes are you selling?

Infant clothing is trickier to sell; there is a ton of supply but generally not as much demand for baby sizes among shoppers. If you’re eager to sell your baby clothing, consider bundling items together and/or prioritizing “special” items that are a bit more splurge-worthy. 

Ready to start selling your secondhand kids’ clothes? Learn more about how Bounce Mkt makes it super easy for parents to sell and extend the life of their kids' clothes!