Los Angeles is a popular city for reselling used clothes. Here’s how to make money from your wardrobe

Los Angeles is known for having a large second-hand clothing resale market with stores scattered throughout the area, meaning you could make a buck off your wardrobe.

From independent boutiques like Wasteland to national chains like Crossroads, Los Angeles is home to resellers who frequent the dozens of boutiques to make a living selling used clothing and who know a thing or two about selling used clothes. Here are their tips.

Places to discover

National chains that have locations throughout Los Angeles, such as Crossroads Trading and Buffalo Exchange, are more style-focused, said Justin Goeller, the SoCal region manager. for Buffalo Exchange. According to Goeller, these businesses prefer trendy clothing and are more likely to buy your fast fashion.

In contrast, stores like Wasteland (which operates in neighborhoods like Melrose and Silver Lake) and 2nd Street (which spans Los Angeles and Orange County) tend to favor certain luxury or big-name brands. Employees at those stores said they still buy items like Prada or Gaultier, but have recently started paying for Marc Jacobs because of the brand’s recent comeback.

The staff said that doesn’t mean they won’t buy your clothes from Zara or Princess Polly, but if they have any in stock, they will prioritise branded items.

“If everyone has had skinny jeans for the last eight years, like this slightly worn pair from H&M, are they going to sell quickly now?” Goeller asked. “Probably not. But there’s always a classic pair of vintage Levi’s, a really nice brand, really good quality, and even if they’re not exactly trendy, there’s a good chance someone will still be interested in them.”

How to get paid

If you resell in-store rather than online, expect to make less than the clothing is worth. Thrift stores will buy the item from you instantly, but for less. The resale process is different from consignment, which requires you to wait for the thrift store to sell the item before you get your cut.

Payment policies may vary by thrift store, but reselling is consistent across most stores. Thrift stores will offer you the option to turn your winnings into store credit or cash them out for a smaller amount.

“For all the clothes I resell, the money I raise goes toward buying more clothes,” says Joanna Downing, who works at H. Lorenzo in West Hollywood.

Staff process the resold clothing at a Buffalo Exchange in Pasadena, where people bring their pieces in for cash.

Wasteland, for example, doesn’t do consignment. No matter how exclusive the designer, the store will pay for the items in full up front. Crossroads Trading will instead do consignment for high-end pieces, and similar stores cap the price they’re willing to pay for anything.

Don’t take it personally

Resale stores reject clothes all the time, so “don’t get upset,” said Regina Harris, director of Wasteland.

“No one ever turns down what you’re selling because they don’t like you, it’s just a matter of fashion and the times,” Harris said. “It’s so saturated right now and so many people are trying to do it.”

A lot of what they accept or reject from the public can depend on trends and those tastes can fluctuate, Harris explained. If you’re serious about reselling, keep an eye on what the fashion world is doing and what people are searching for. She said monitoring social media is helpful and can improve your chances.

For example, the buzz around Charli XCX’s “Brat” or a Gossip Girl The resurgence can tell you a lot about what people want to wear.

“Old” does not mean “dirty”

To make reselling easier, resale store employees told LAist that they tend to reject your clothes if they’re dirty or disorganized. They suggested washing and folding clothes carefully before bringing them in, ideally in a reusable bag rather than a trash bag.

What about trends in fashion?

According to Downing, trends and fashion are two separate things.

“Trends are just much more temporary,” she said. “Fashion is all-encompassing.”

Some designer and vintage clothing retains its value and appeal over time, which may indicate that it is fashion rather than a trend, Downing explained.

“I’d rather wait until I find the original of something than buy a remake of a remake of a remake,” Downing said.

To evaluate your wardrobe this way, Harris suggests people find out how much their clothes are worth on online resale marketplaces and compare those prices. You can also check a retailer’s website to see how much the brand typically sells for and how much your piece might be worth new.

Then take this item to different thrift stores to collect their offers.

Keep fairness in mind

Reselling is a useful part of clothing recycling by keeping some things out of landfills in exchange for a little cash, but there are some things to consider.

Some criticize Fashion specialists to gentrify second-hand shoppingalienating the low-income people they were originally intended to serve. This means being aware that how you price your clothes, especially online, can help avoid price gauges.