How to Sell Old Suits

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Figuring out what to do with the old suits you never wear can be kind of difficult. On one hand, the suits may have been cost hundreds of dollars when they were purchased. On the other hand, you can find suits at a local thrift store for a few dollars. To determine the best course, look up each suit’s brand and designer online to figure out if they’re valuable. Generally speaking, it’s best to sell suits worth more than $100 on your own to make the most money, while suits cheaper than $15 should simply be donated. Everything in between can be sold at a consignment shop to make things easier for you.

Method 1
Method 1 of 3:

Working with a Consignment Store

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  1. A consignment store is a shop that sells secondhand goods on behalf of an individual. When they sell an item, the shop keeps a portion of the profits and the original owner keeps the rest. Not every consignment shop sells suits, so call nearby consignment shops until you find a store that does. [1]
    • The benefit of using a consignment shop is that you don’t actually need to put any effort into selling the suits since the shop will do that for you.

    Variation: Take your suits to a thrift shop or resale shop to sell them quickly and make some fast money. You’ll only get a small amount of money, but you won’t need to wait for the consignment shop to find a buyer.

  2. Once you find a consignment shop that sells suits, take each suit you want to sell to the store. Explain to the clerk at the store that you have some suits to sell and show them what you’ve brought. Allow the clerk to decide which suits they’re willing to take on consignment. [2]
    • The shop may not want to take every suit you bring based on their current inventory or the overall condition of a suit. Use a different method to sell these leftover suits.
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  3. The consignment shop typically sets the price, so agree to their prices so long as you’re happy with them. You can always hold on to any suits that they don’t plan on selling for a price you accept. Then, simply wait for the shop to sell your suits! When a suit sells, they’ll either send you a check or ask you to come in to pick up your cut of the sale. [3]
    • Some consignment shops won’t tell you what they’re going to sell the suits for. You’ll simply have to trust them to set a fair price.
    • Expect to earn 40-60% of the profits from each suit the store sells.
  4. If you don’t live near any consignment stores, you can mail your suits to an online consignment store. To do this, find an online consignment store and follow their directions to ship them your clothes. In most cases, they either ask for photos or send you a special package to fill. Then, ship them your clothes and wait for them to sell! [4]
    • The most popular online consignment shops are thredUP, The RealReal, and Vestiaire.
    • You typically can’t send suits that are obviously worn down to an online consignment shop.
    • Expect to earn 20-30% of a suit’s market value when you sell through an online consignment store.
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Method 2
Method 2 of 3:

Finding a Private Buyer

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  1. Open the window blinds and turn your lights on to improve the lighting. Set a clean cloth out over a table and place your suit jacket on top of it. Put matching pants underneath them if you’re getting rid of them as well. Then, take 5-6 photos of your suit from different angles to give potential buyers a sense for what the suit looks like. [5]
    • Don’t include any photos of you wearing the suit.

    Tip: Be sure to take 1-2 photos of the interior lining of the suit. Many potential buyers will want to know what the lining is made out of and ensure that the inside of the suit is clean.

  2. Clothes typically don’t require more than 2-3 sentences of description. Start by listing your price, brand, size , and color in the headline. Then, include the designer, year, and any other information about the production run. Finally, describe the overall condition of the suit and mention how often it has been worn. Be honest about any damage or wear-and-tear. [6]
    • An example of a good headline is, “$95 – green Brioni suit 44R, pants 34x32.” A solid description may read, “This suit was produced in 1995 and is no longer manufactured. I have worn it 2-3 times for weddings and job interviews. It has a small rip on the interior lining near the neckline, but it isn’t visible when you’re wearing it.”
    • It’s best to be straightforward in your description and headline. Buyers won’t read any elaborate descriptions about your clothing.
  3. Sell your suits on Craigslist to find a local buyer and sell in-person. Go on Craigslist and click “create a posting” on the top left of the page. Enter your location and include whether the price is firm or not. Then, wait for potential buyers to respond to you via email. When you find a buyer and agree on a price, meet them in person at a public place and exchange the suit for cash. [7]
    • Craigslist is a great way get as close to market value as possible since you get to keep all of the money. However, it can take quite a while to find a buyer for your suits since you’re only selling it to people in your area.
  4. List higher-end suits on eBay where buyers can find them. Go on eBay and sign up for an account to create your post. Set your price and wait for a buyer to purchase it. When the suit sells, package it and mail it to the buyer. For any suit worth more than $50, pay a little extra at the post office to track your package. This way, you can’t be accused of never shipping the item, which is a common scam on eBay. [8]
    • You can list cheaper suits on eBay as well, but you’re more likely to find a buyer if you’re selling a rare or high-end suit since there will be fewer people with the same suit.
  5. Poshmark is one of the most popular clothing resale websites. One of the benefits of Poshmark is that you can sell clothing items in a bundle and avoid the need for multiple packages or multiple buyers. This makes it an ideal platform for getting rid of a large number of suits all at once. Sign up for an account on their website and post your item like you would on eBay or Craigslist. [9]
    • People often purchase bundles of clothing on Poshmark when they’re looking to completely revamp their wardrobe.
    • If you choose to sell your suits as a bundle on Poshmark, include a description for each suit in the advertisement.
    • For sales under $15, you must pay Poshmark a flat fee of $2.95. For sales over $15, you must pay them 20% of the final selling price.
  6. If you have a lot of items you’re planning on getting rid of, set a date for a yard sale. Put signs up all around your neighborhood listing the date and the address. The day of the yard sale, set your items out in your driveway along with your suits. When someone offers to purchase the suits, haggle over the offer until you find an amount you’re happy with.
    • Leave the dry cleaning tags on your suits to let people know that they’re clean. People are unlikely to buy clothing items they think are dirty.
    • Don’t expect to earn more than $5-10 a suit if you sell them at a yard sale.
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Method 3
Method 3 of 3:

Determining the Value of Your Suits

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  1. Some vintage suits fetch high prices on the secondary market, so start by looking each of your suits up online. Pull up a search engine online and type in the name of the brand on tag inside the jacket. Include the year, model name, or designer if there is one. Flip through the results for each brand to see if you have any jackets that fetch a particularly large price. [10]
    • If you have any suits that look like they sell for more than $100, set them aside so that you can sell them privately and earn the most money possible.
    • If you have more than 3-4 suits, keep a running list of what each suit is worth by writing it down. This way, you won’t have to keep looking prices up online.
  2. After setting aside the expensive suits, look each specific suit online. Type in as much information as you can and inspect the images online until you find your specific suit. Then, go on eBay or Poshmark and look at identical items to see what they sold for. This will give you market value for your suits and help you determine what you want to sell them for. [11]
    • Poshmark is a popular resale site for used clothing. After eBay, it’s probably the most popular option for used suits.
    • If the suit was mass-produced, look at the bottom of the tag for a sequence of letters and numbers. This is usually a model number, and typing it in after the brand name will usually lead you to the exact suit.

    Tip: If the suit was custom-made but the designer or tailor isn’t particularly popular, take it to a consignment store. It won’t sell well online, but a buyer at a consignment store might like the way it looks.

  3. Damaged and heavily-worn suits won’t fetch a high price. Knock 10-50% off of any prices you set based on the extent and visibility of the damage. If the suits have never been worn, you may be able to get more than the market value for the suit. Heavily worn suits should generally be sold for 50-75% of the market value.
    • Consider getting minor tears or rips repaired if you’re going to sell a suit for more money than the repair is worth.
    • A small tear on the interior lining on the suit is not nearly as big a deal as a large stain on the backside of a suit jacket.
    • You don’t need to determine a price if you’re taking the suits to a consignment store, but it helps to know what they’re worth before taking them in. This way, you can hold on to any items the clerk won’t list for a reasonable price.
  4. If your suits aren’t worth more than a few dollars, don’t waste your time trying to sell them. The effort and the time investment will simply not be worth it. Instead, drop your suits off at a nearby donation center to get them off of your hands. [12]
    • There are many nonprofits that accept used suits and give them to low-income job seekers so that they can dress appropriately for an interview. These nonprofits are a great option when it comes to getting rid of suits.
  5. Any suit that you’re going to sell should be dry cleaned before you sell them. Drop your suits off at a nearby dry cleaner and pick them up when they’re ready. This is the best way to ensure that you get top dollar for your suits. [13]
    • Get your suits dry cleaned before you take photos if you’re selling them online as well. The suit will look much better in the photos if they’re pristine.
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Common Questions: Getting Rid of an Old Suit

How can you repurpose old suits?

Disassemble the suit by ripping the seams, and set aside the pockets, buttons, lapels, and labels. [14] Reuse these parts in other projects, such as making your own hat or bag. Or, use the fabric to create another piece of clothing, like a vest or pencil skirt.

What should you do with old clothes that can't be donated?

Cut the fabric into small pieces and use them as “paper towels” for your home. Weave old sweaters into your pet’s bed, or use old t-shirts to make a DIY pillowcase. If you have towels, donate them to your local animal shelter so they can use it for bedding. [15]

What can you do with old suit jackets?

Donate old suit jackets to nonprofit organizations, such as Goodwill, Salvation Army, or Project Smile. If you want to earn cash for your clothes, resell your jackets on sites like Depop, Poshmark, or Mercari. [16]

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References

  1. ↑ https://www.boston.com/culture/lifestyle/2018/07/31/how-to-sell-your-clothes-at-a-boston-consignment-shop
  2. ↑ https://www.boston.com/culture/lifestyle/2018/07/31/how-to-sell-your-clothes-at-a-boston-consignment-shop
  3. ↑ https://www.boston.com/culture/lifestyle/2018/07/31/how-to-sell-your-clothes-at-a-boston-consignment-shop
  4. ↑ https://www.thepennyhoarder.com/make-money/quick-money/mens-consignment/
  5. ↑ https://www.nerdwallet.com/blog/finance/5-tips-for-selling-clothes-online/
  6. ↑ https://www.nerdwallet.com/blog/finance/5-tips-for-selling-clothes-online/
  7. ↑ https://www.moneyunder30.com/sell-vs-donate
  8. ↑ https://www.moneyunder30.com/sell-vs-donate
  9. ↑ https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-sell-on-poshmark-according-to-experts-2018-7
  1. ↑ https://youtu.be/PC30YErhn4g?t=65
  2. ↑ https://www.moneyunder30.com/sell-vs-donate
  3. ↑ https://www.gq.com/story/how-to-get-rid-of-your-old-suits-and-score-a-new-one-on-the-cheap-this-weekend
  4. ↑ https://www.nerdwallet.com/blog/finance/5-tips-for-selling-clothes-online/
  5. ↑ https://www.asg.org/suitability-repurposing-suits/
  6. ↑ https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/guides/how-to-get-rid-of-old-clothes/
  7. ↑ https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/guides/how-to-get-rid-of-old-clothes/

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