With the New Year comes a fresh start: New goals, resolutions and dreams. Last year’s cluttered closet should stay there! So the thought that you can make money cleaning out your closet should excite you, but imagine every morning before work or school you wake up knowing that anything in your closet can be worn!
You may not know exactly what to wear, but everything in your closet should be wearable.
The only way to achieve this is by getting up and tackling that closet. In the process, why not make some money off of the old items you won’t wear anymore? The CGS Team is going to give you some great ideas for making money off of those old clothes, just in time for the New Year!
First, you can’t make money until you actually tackle your closet. Here are a few tips for getting started and knocking it out!
1. Start Early – Eat a good breakfast, grab your favorite Starbucks latte or tea, and get pumped. This could take a while.
2. Break Out The Tunes – Put your favorite playlist on to keep you going.
3. Follow the “One Year” Rule – Get yourself in the mindset to start fresh for the New Year. This means letting go of clothes, shoes, bags, accessories, etc. that you haven’t worn in over a year.
Ask yourself why you haven’t worn it, and then ask what you can wear it with. Evaluate the options and make your decision. Be prepared to let go, if you haven’t worn it in a year, you probably won’t wear it.
4. Focus On a Category – To make it easier, it helps to work on one category at a time. Start with accessories, move on to purses then shoes, and finish with your clothes.
5. Work in Sections – Start with dressers, drawers and nightstands. Once those are done then move on to your closet.
6. Use Piles – Create three piles: keep, store, and sell. Put everything you want to keep into its own pile. Everything you are ready to store away should go into the store pile. Lastly, anything you are ready to get rid of needs to go into the sell pile.
After you have gone through everything (by now your piles are overflowing), you are ready to make some money! There are a few options available to you. We are going to cover the best options to make the most profit.
Vintage, Thrift & Consignment Stores
Vintage and thrift shops are the perfect place to sell your old items. Buffalo Exchange is a popular vintage store that purchases gently used clothes. With locations across the United States, check out their website for locations near you.
If there is no Buffalo Exchange close by, check online for thrift and vintage stores in your city. These stores typically only purchase items in good condition, spot check your items for damage before attempting to sell.
Poshmark
This iPhone and Android app is perfect for selling those items that won’t make it through the New Year with you. Once you sign up, you can take pictures of your items to have them priced and listed on the Poshmark community.
We love that when your item sells, Poshmark sends you a prepaid shipping label, so all you have to worry about is the packaging! When the sale is made, funds are added to your Poshmark account, which can be withdrawn at any time. Keep in mind there is a small fee for items sold.
eBay
Be like Nasty Gal CEO Sophia Amoruso and start an e-boutique through eBay! This may require more time than the other options, but has the potential for the most profit.
Create an eBay account and follow the QuickStart Guide to get started. Ultimately, the site works by listing your item with pictures and descriptions and once your item sells, you ship it to the buyer yourself.
Related: 9 Tips to Manifest More Money into Your Life
There is nothing like some extra money to start the New Year! Make sure you didn’t work so hard clearing your closet just to spend it all.
We suggest you put most of it into savings and use the rest to treat yourself to something nice. If there were any items that didn’t sell, you can always try again in a few months or on a different website.
Don’t forget about Goodwill. You can also donate any leftover items. Starting the New Year with giving is something to smile about. Be sure to grab a donation sheet for taxes!
Do you have any tips for making money off old items? What about past experiences with cleaning your closet? Share your tips, thoughts and opinions with the community by leaving a comment!
2 thoughts on “How to Make Money Cleaning Out Your Closet”
After reading this article, I learned about some new apps that give me the option to sell the clothes I haven’t worn in forever. So excited to try Twice and Poshmark!
Ok, I am cleaning out my closet this weekend and definitely want to make some extra cash!