9 Ways To Make Money On Your Clothes In The New Year

Ring in 2019 by clearing out your closet and making room for some well-earned money.

It's always a great idea to de-clutter your life, but the new year feels like an especially prime time to clean out your closet. If you're planning on getting rid of stuff you haven't worn since before Instagram stories existed, you should at least consider making money on your clothes. Here's how!

HBO

Another huge benefit of selling, recycling or donating your clothes is the reduction in waste. Apparently the average American throws away 81 pounds of clothing a year. WHAT!? Just do this! Please!

1. Set up a Poshmark account and start selling everything in your closet. JK, but only a little.

Instagram: @hannahbeury

Download the Poshmark app to your phone, upload photos of the products you're selling, and share to your social networks. When someone buys an item, package it up in Poshmark's prepaid, pre-addressed label and you're all set to go! Keep in mind there's a seller's fee of 20%.

Pro Tips: Use great lighting and a compelling background to really make your photos stand out in the sea of items. Always put your best items at the top of your page to draw people in. Remember to share your Poshmark listings on your social accounts and with your network to get more publicity!

Download Poshmark for iOS and Android.

2. Use Instagram Stories and Highlights to sell directly to your followers.

Augusta Falletta

Create a highlights cover at the top of your profile for sale items, then start posting well-lit pictures of your clothing. Some folks model clothing, others set up flat lay photos (like above), but as long as your followers can clearly see what you're selling, you don't need to get super fancy.

Give details like price, brand, size, condition, measurements, and the shipping cost up front, then direct people to DM you with any questions.

3. Send your old clothes off to ThredUp, an online consignment shop that buys and sells women's and children's clothing, shoes, accessories, and handbags.

Instagram: @thredup

Sign up to get a free pre-paid mailing label or pay $1.99 for a bag and label (deducted from your earnings, so you pay nothing up front), then pack up your clothing and send them off. You can use ThredUp's Payout Estimator to get an idea of what your things may be worth. They let you know what they're specifically looking for during the time you're going to send in clothing, so you'll have the best shot at making money. For any items they don't accept, you can choose to donate them or have them sent back to you for a $10.99 return fee.

4. Recycle old clothes that are in any condition at H&M and receive a 15% off voucher for a future shopping trip.

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H&M doesn't discriminate against the condition of clothing. Sell the clothes in great condition, donate your clothes in okay condition, and recycle your clothes in poor condition to H&M to get the most from your closet.

Find an H&M store and ask for the garment collection box, usually near the cash register, and you'll get a voucher, usually 15% off your next purchase.

5. Bring a pair of old jeans to Madewell and get a voucher for $20 off a new pair.

Instagram: @madewell

Find a Madewell store near you, drop off your old jeans, and Madewell will send them to Blue Jeans Go Green to turn them into housing insulation!

6. Recycle an old pair of shoes or jeans at American Eagle and you'll receive a text code for $5 off a pair of AEO jeans.

American Eagle / Via blog.ae.com

All of the garments collected are recycled with the help of I:CO, a global company that closes the loop on textile recycling. Pretty sweet!

7. Consider checking out Grailed, which is specifically for men's clothing and streetwear.

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With a lower fee for sellers than Poshmark (6% fee + 2.9% PayPal fee + 30 cents), Grailed is a great deal. Set up an account, upload a photo and set your price.

8. And for Grailed's sister brand, check out Heroine which hosts women's fashion and streetwear.

Instagram: @heroine

It's the same deal as Grailed in terms of the low seller's commission. Make sure to give accurate, detailed descriptions of your items to give buyers all relevant pieces of information. Break out the measuring tape to really help with their decision!

9. Try Tradesy for any designer or super upscale products you may want to sell.

Instagram: @tradesy

They're known for selling authentic designer pieces, having a 60-second listing process, and sending you a complete shipping kit so you basically have to worry about nothing. You can technically sell anything from your closet, but you'll get the most bang for your buck on pieces that sell for more than $50, on which they take a 19.8% commission rate. Similar companies have commission rates of 20%, which makes Tradesy just a bit more competitive. Read more about how it works here.

Have another way of making money? Share it in the comments!

As we head into the new year, we're talking about all the ways to make your life and the world around you a little bit better. Read more Do Better 2019 content here.