How to Sell Baby Clothes Online

Photograph items individually, close up. Use good lighting and a neutral background.

Since your baby grows so quickly, she may have worn many of her clothes only a few time--and sometimes not at all. While passing on the threads is certainly an option, consider getting some of your money back selling them online. With a little time and effort, you may be surprised at the small chunk of change you can get back from selling well cared for, good-quality clothes.

Difficulty:

Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Sort through your baby's clothes. Put aside anything she hasn't worn in the last month if it's her size or smaller. Also put aside larger sizes you may not want. Do a second sort of the items you've put aside. Pick out only items in good condition with no holes, tears, pilling or stains. You can sell these clothes.

2. Choose a place online to sell your baby clothes. EBay and Craigslist are options. EBay works well if you'd rather ship the items off somewhere than meet someone face to face.Your clothes may sell for more here as well, especially if you have rare or sought-after brand items. However, Craigslist saves you from packing and shipping time.

3. Take clear, close-up pictures of your clothes with a digital camera. Try to take individual pictures of each item, close enough to see the fabric quality and color. Pay attention to lighting, as it can affect how the item color looks. Even if you're selling your clothes in a lot (group), it's best to photograph products this way. When selling, be as honest as possible and never misrepresent your products.

4. Write an item description. EBay has templates and guides available on their site when you set up an auction with them. Please note that you must have an eBay username and password to put an item up for bid. Be as thorough as possible about clothing sizes and condition. Craigslist descriptions need not be so thorough, but the more detail you give, the better idea your customer has of your product.

5. Prepare your listing for eBay or Craigslist, making sure your contact information is correct. On Craigslist, If you don't want to give out personal information, simply check the option for making your email address anonymous. Your personal email address will show up as "[e-mail]" to the person viewing the ad. EBay also has an "ask seller a question" system that is safe and disperses no personal information.

6. Set an asking price for your clothes. On Craigslist, be aware that buyers may wish to negotiate with you. On eBay, you may set a "reserve," or minimum bid, the items can sell for. You may get much more than your reserve, or it may not be met at all, depending on your listing. If you were going to give the clothes away anyhow, consider not listing a reserve. Sometimes buyers are attracted to "no reserve" auctions. Post photos of all clothing with your listing.

7. Contact any potential sellers with questions as soon as possible. When you have a buyer, be clear about item delivery or pickup place and time (for Craigslist), and send your eBay auction winner a receipt when payment is received and notify them when you've shipped the item.

8. Package all items well. Use tissue paper or other packing material and include an invoice. Thank your customer.

Tips & Warnings

• Offering free shipping on an eBay auction sometimes entices bidders who may have otherwise overlooked your items.

• For a greener, frugal alternative to selling your baby clothes, consider swapping them online for other baby clothes, gear or products for mom. See the resources section for suggested swap sites.

References

• Internetbased Moms: Start Your Own Clothing Baby & Toddler Clothes Resale Business
• Ebay Guides: The Ultimate Guide to Selling Baby Clothes

Resources

• Swapmamas