Long time readers of this blog know that I love Gymboree clothes. They are the only brand that fits my very petite middle child. We tried low cost brands, and the clothes don’t fit her.
However, I always buy my kids’ Gymboree clothes during big sales and when I have a coupon. (I bought my nearly 3 year old her entire spring/summer wardrobe for this year for $73 just a few weeks ago.)
I then turn around and sell the clothes on eBay, lowering my overall cost per outfit to as low as just a few dollars to free. I often recoup my money because I buy the clothes at such a low price. (My daughter’s spring/summer clothes for this year only cost me $3 to $5 per piece, so it’s easy to recoup that money when I resell them on eBay.)
If you live in the snowbelt region of the country, you’re likely suffering through cold temperatures and snow and ice. Summer clothes may be the farthest thing from your mind.
However, now, mid-February, is the perfect time to list your kids’ outgrown spring and summer clothes on eBay. Here is why:
1. Ebay lets you list 50 auctions for free. In February, I list everything at the price I would ideally like to receive for the item. For instance, I listed many of my daughters’ used Gymboree dresses for $7.99 beginning bid price with a buy it now price of $9.99. Several of the dresses sold for the buy it now price. Many of them also sold for the starting bid price.
I only listed 52 auctions so that I would have to pay minimal auction insertion fees. (I paid less than $1 since the first 50 were free.)
Next month, when I get 50 free auctions again, I will relist those items that didn’t sell, and I’ll list them at a lower starting bid price, say $5.99 instead of $7.99. By next month, I want to be rid of everything. I will also list my son’s clothes then.
There will be more buyers in March, so starting with a lower bid price to create interest is a good strategy. There are fewer buyers in February, but they are fussier and want to find nice clothes for their kids, so they are willing to pay a bit more.
2. People in Southern states are experiencing warm weather. While it is only 30 degrees here in Illinois, it’s in the 60s in Texas, and people are thinking about warmer weather. By March, they will want their children to have their spring (and possibly summer) wardrobes in place. Of the 27 items I just sold in February, more than 2/3rds of them went to Southern states.
If you have outgrown kids’ clothes gathering dust in the closet, now is the time to list them. List in February and March for the most exposure and the best chance of selling all of your items.
Do you have any questions about selling your kids’ clothes on Craigslist? If so, ask in the comments.
{ 9 comments… read them below or add one }
We have most of our stuff down in storage. Selling it would probably be a third option. My wife is still halfway holding out hope that we might want a third child someday (I’m kind of over the idea and I think she is moving closer as well *lol*) and my sister-in-law is probably a couple of years away from wanting to have kids, so she’d probably get dibs on stuff versus simply selling it.
We held on to ours for a while too, but now we know we are done, so I get rid of it every season.
I didn’t realize you can get 50 free auctions per month. Is this a newer thing on Ebay? I guess I haven’t sold anything there for awhile…
I think it is relatively new, maybe within the last year. I love it!
I’m curious about your lower selling prices of $5.99 and $7.99. I know that you are hoping that people will bid and the price will be higher but if not that seems low to me when you consider shipping and fees. How much profit do you make on those items?
I usually buy my kids’ clothes for $3 to $5 per piece, so even at $7.99, I am making money. I also set the shipping at almost the exact price, adding on just about 50 cents to $1.00 more, and that helps to offset eBay fees. Having said all that, my goal ultimately is just to recoup my money so I am essentially dressing my kids for free. If I make money beyond that, bonus!
Okay! I was thinking that the $5.99 included the shipping which I know can be expensive.
If only my kids weren’t so rough on clothes! I have boys and even good quality clothes like Gymboree look worn by the time they are done with them…not to mention the stains. Oxyclean usually works, but every once in a while there’s a really tough stain that just doesn’t come out or one I miss before it goes through the wash.
Yes, I had a harder time with my son’s clothes when he was little because he was rough on them and spilled a lot.
The girls are better, but I have two girls, so the clothes go through both girls before I sell them.