Are you new to selling clothing on eBay? Welcome to the Clothing & Accessories Board! This board can be a wealth of good information.

Before posting questions or requests for assistance on the boards, we recommend reading through the information in this thread first… you may find the answers to your questions here!

Please remember that this posting is a compilation of advice and recommendations from fellow sellers. It’s advice… nothing more, nothing less. And as with anything, it’s not recommended that you take all the information contained in this thread and follow it blindly. Instead, gather the information offered, evaluate it, and think about how it fits with the business practices you’ve chosen to implement. Understand both the positive and negative impacts.


Where Do You Find Your Items To Sell?
This is probably the MOST frequently asked question from new sellers on this board! However, please don’t post this question, because board contributors will usually not share their inventory sources. Sourcing for inventory is a time consuming and difficult task, so this information tends to be held pretty close to the chest, which is entirely understandable. Valuable advice and information is provided here on a range of topics… just not inventory sourcing.


What Should I Sell?
Something you love! Something about which you are passionate and knowledgeable. This will truly make a difference in your sell-through, because it's easy to see in a description if a seller is selling something they know nothing about.

As tempting as it might be, don't rely on pre-constructed lists of labels for which to search. Fashion trends shift quickly, and just because something was a sure fire seller six months ago doesn't mean it will be today!


What Do All The eBay Acronyms Stand For?
Good question! You’ll want to know a variety of the clothing specific acronyms, because you’ll use them in your titles and descriptions. eBay has compiled a great summary about acronyms – here’s the link:

Link


Titles
Titles are important! The key words you use in your title will determine how many bidders actually find your listing. With that, be sure to include as many of the following pieces of information as possible:

Brand Name
Size
Color
Descriptive Adjectives (slinky, silk, boho, etc.)

Do not waste your title space on words that bidders would normally not use in a search. Examples like L@@K! and WOW!!! come to mind… these do nothing for attracting bidders and actually waste valuable title space. One of the most common mistakes new sellers make is underutilizing their title, and not including key pieces of information, such as size.


Listing Description
The listing description needs to include all the information a bidder would need to make an informed purchasing decision.

Listing Templates
Consider using a uniform template or theme for all your auctions that is easy to read. Remember… using all caps is construed as shouting, so this practice isn’t advised for your listings. Steer clear of hard to read fonts and font colors, and busy backgrounds that detract from rather than enhance your listing. Many bidders find cutesy cursors, music, animated gifs, etc. an annoyance (and these can also slow down the loading of your auction).

Size and Measurements
Yes, take the time to include measurements!! Buy an inexpensive tape measure at your local craft or fabric store. Lay your item flat to take measurements, then double each measurement when including it in your description. Measurements to include are:

Chest (armpit to armpit)
Waist
Hips
Length from shoulder to hem
Inseam (a pant measurement from the crotch to bottom of the pant leg)
Shoulder Width (seam to seam)
Sleeve Length (shoulder seam to sleeve edge)
Rise (a pant measurement from crotch seam to the top of the waist)

Fabric Content and Care
Describe the specific fabric content as stated on the inside label, and whether the item is machine washable, hand washable, or dry clean only.

General Description
Include descriptive details! This part doesn't have to be long and winded; just a simple description will do. For example, is the item lined? What are the types of closures used… snap, hook, button? Are there pockets? Kick vents at the hem? Back waist ties? Shoulder pads? Include mention of any/all defects that you find. If you can see it, the buyer will see it. Honesty is best!

Condition
Under describe and over deliver!! Don’t describe a garment as “excellent” condition unless it’s just that. Descriptions such as good, great, excellent, etc. are subjective, so it’s always advisable to add some detail about condition. Note and photograph any flaws, such as stains or holes. If there is wash wear, mention it.

NWT – Items that are NWT (New With Tags) are in unworn condition with their original retail hang tags attached.

NWOT – Items that are NWOT (New Without Tags) are also in unworn condition – the only difference from NWT is that the item no longer has the retail hang tags. If an item has ever been worn, it should not be described as NWOT

NOS – (New Old Stock) Vintage items with their retail hang tags attached.


Photos:
Photos are also a critical element for your listing. Ideally, it’s recommended to include a photo of the entire outfit and a close-up. Photos of both the front and back are advisable. Several photos are better than one, but you also want to be aware of bidders using a dial-up method of accessing the Internet, which means too many photos might be slow to load. Quality is more important than quantity, so make sure your photographs are clear and easy to view.

Photography tips for selling clothing:
Photograph items with a neutral background – make your sale item the focal point of the photo.

If possible, avoid photographing items on a bed or floor. If you do, consider laying down a white sheet so that there is no such background.

Always rotate your images so they appear right-side up in your auction.

Consider using a photo host, such as photobucket (which is free) to host your photos and save on eBay fees.

Inexpensive photo editing software package are available and useful for removing cluttered backgrounds, correcting tint, etc.

Many bidders prefer not to see the clothing item modeled on a live person. Consider purchasing an inexpensive “half-manni” that hangs on the wall, or a full mannequin for use in photographing your items.

Some colors are tough to capture! Challenging colors such as black or red are best photographed using as much natural light as possible. Trial and error is inevitable when it comes to photographing clothes. Take the time to test out a variety of light settings (direct sunlight, indirect sunlight, shade, etc.), to see which setting works best for you.


Pricing:
Pricing is always a challenge for clothing sellers. You want to find that price point that will encourage bidding, but also be within a comfortable range for you as the seller. First and foremost, research completed listings of similar items that have sold in the last 30 days. Here’s how you do that:

Click on Advanced Search
Type in the item’s name
Click on the box Completed Items Only

This will result in a list of similar items that have sold in the last month. You can sort by highest price to see the highest sales for this item. You can also obtain information about the most typical starting bid used.

Above all else, start the bidding at the very lowest price at which you’d be comfortable selling your item. For example, some sellers start all their items at $0.99, as a way to encourage bidding. This can be a successful strategy for a seller, but only if you are comfortable actually selling some of your items for $0.99, because this will inevitably happen now and then.

Many sellers recommend pricing an item within a range that includes the item’s cost along with eBay & Paypal fees and the minimum expected profit. Remember that the purpose of an auction is to be a little daring! For those items that you need to get XX.XX amount as a minimum, consider using the fixed price format or Buy It Now, or place the item in your store (if you have one).


Shipping:
The very first investment a new seller needs to make for shipping is to purchase a small scale. This allows you as a new seller to avoid the very common mistake of underestimating shipping. Shipping scales can be found on eBay, or at any local office supply store.

Sellers have two options for shipping rates. The first is to enter the actual weight of the item in the shipping calculator for the listing, which allows prospective bidders to enter a zip code to obtain the actual shipping cost. The other option is to charge a flat rate for shipping.

Either way works, but above all else we recommend that you keep handling charges down to a reasonable level. Nothing will turn away bidders faster than excessive shipping and handling charges!

Did you know… USPS Priority Mail supplies are free! Supplies can be obtained (in limited quantities) at your local post office, or in bulk by visiting the USPS website.

Many sellers use Tyvek envelopes for shipping clothing – they tend to be waterproof and very lightweight. A free Priority Mail tyvek is available, and plain white Tyvek envelopes can be purchased from a variety of retailers (including eBay sellers) for shipping items using a method other than Priority, such as First Class or Parcel Post.


Terms of Service
Terms of Service, or TOS, are a description of your general selling terms. Some sellers elect to create a TOS that could compete with War and Peace in terms of length… this really isn’t advisable. Another inadvisable practice is to use threatening or negative language in your TOS (e.g. PAY ON TIME OR WE WILL IMMEDIATELY LEAVE YOU THE NASTIEST NEGATIVE YOU HAVE EVER SEEN). Instead, consider keeping your TOS professional and concise. Include the following:

What types of payment you accept

How quickly payment is due

How frequently you ship, and the shipping method(s) used

Whether you accept returns or offer refunds, and if so your policy for how these types of issues are handled


General Tips for Success

1. Inspect your items closely! It’s always disappointing to be preparing an item for shipment to its high bidder, and discover a flaw you missed that wasn’t mentioned in the auction.

2. Spell check is your friend! Use it on your auction descriptions before you post, to ensure that your listings appear as professional as possible.

3. Make service a top priority. Respond to emails as quickly as possible. Ship your packages often. If you can only ship infrequently (once a week, for example) be sure to mention this in your auction description.

4. ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS use Delivery Confirmation when shipping. Despite what many uninformed sellers state in their auctions, saying "I'm not responsible for your package once it's left my hands" is simply not true. As the seller you are responsible for successfully delivering the package to the purchaser. If it gets lost in the mail the loss is yours as the seller. Insurance protects YOU as the seller - NOT the bidder. If a bidder files a PayPal chargeback request claiming non-delivery, and you can't provide a delivery confirmation number proving delivery, PayPal will most likely refund.

5. Along the same lines as above, if a package's value is more than you'd be comfortable losing, consider insuring it for your own protection.

6. Remember also that shipping to an address PayPal calls "unconfirmed" provides no protection as a seller, so you do so at your own risk.

7. Remember that your reputation as a seller hinges significantly on your feedback rating. This said, make it a priority to protect that rating! Consider waiting to leave feedback until the bidder has touched base with you to express satisfaction with the transaction.

8. Make it a habit to research. Check completed listings for items similar to what you list. Read the board threads periodically. Be aware of what you need to do to remain competitive and viable as a seller.

9. Steer clear from talking about WHY you are selling an item (my loss is your gain, gastric bypass--take my fat clothes please, etc. – this can not only be offensive to certain bidders, but can also appear unprofessional.


Some BIG No-No’s to Selling on eBay:
Two occasional mistakes new sellers will make have to do with key word spamming and shill bidding. Both of these are considered a "no-no."

Key word spamming is the practice of using a word in your title or description to draw bidders to your auction, even though that word has nothing to do with your auction. For example, listing a purse as a Kate Spade Similar Black Microfiber Purse, when your purse isn’t a Kate Spade. Or stating in an auction listing for a Tommy Hilfiger skirt that you also have GAP, Ann Taylor, Abercrombie & Fitch, and other similar quality labels available in your other auctions. Keyword spamming can result in your auctions being reported and removed without notice.

Shill bidding is the practice of having friends, family, or acquaintances bid on your auctions as a way of driving up the ending price. Shill bidding is a serious offense that can result in account suspension. Believe it or not, many bidders out there actively watch for and report shill bidding frequently.

Above all else, have fun! And best wishes to you for successful eBay sales!!