Hey lovelies!
This weekend I hosted a humungous clothing sale in a bid to declutter my wardrobe and pass on my pieces to loving homes. I've been toying with ebay, ideas of a car boot sale and wardrobe resale sites for a while, but this has by far been the most successful result I've experienced. Below I've pieced together advice on how to host your own successful sale!
First up, lets get this out of the way - you HAVE to go through your existing clothes and chose what you would like to sell. For me, I'd half done the job as my clothes have been in storage since I moved flats in January. My things were in bags already, bags which I hadn't really missed which in turn meant I didn't really need them. Cue - clearing out of many many bags. Everybody has different gages on how they clear out, but for me I felt like being ruthless on account of wanting total liberation. It worked. I am walking on air but more of that later . . .
Find a location close to, or at, your home.
Who wants to lug around bags of clothes + clothing rails when you could minimise your efforts and keep things close to home? Or better yet, in your own place! I hosted my clothing sale in my front room. If this is not an option for you then investigate your local town or church hall, there's often a space for low rent closer to you than you think. If the cost of renting is high why not partner up with a few friends who'd like to sell too? You could even trade some items with each other if you find that you're selling pieces the other covets. I traded a silver skirt of mine for a super cute blouse which I loved.
Show em' what you've got.
I've been lamenting the fact that I've got mismatching rails since we moved in, but, ugly or not, they came in SUPER useful for displaying my wardrobe when it came to organising the room. I tried to hang more precious items - jackets, dresses and blouses on hangers, and then folded all other ware - jeans and t-shirts, on a table. I displayed my shoes on the floor and on sweet wicker baskets, and made sure there were a few mirrors around for people to look in when they tried things on.
Sticker up!
This is one of the most useful tricks I've learnt. Take time before your sale to go through your wardrobe and use coloured stickers to mark prices. I had five different colours for five different prices and it made the sale run so much smoother when people could refer to a wall chart for costs. I wanted to keep my prices at a 'car boot' level so I opted to price between £1 - £15, and had individual prices for designer goods. Also, remember to get a float ahead of your sale so that you can give change. If there is not a cash point near you, make sure to advise that people bring cash.
Spread word
I actually decided to do my sale super last minute so invited friends via text and asked them to bring others that they thought may be interested in the sale. A Facebook group can work really well too, as can social media postings, although I would advise not to give your address away to people you do not know if you are hosting at your home. Everyone that attended my sale was either a friend, or a friend of someone close. Be flexible and welcoming to people that may contact you last minute, I ended up extending my sale for two days to accommodate some people that couldn't make the first.
Be a mirror AND a hostess
Buying at a clothing sale is no different to buying in store. You have customers and they need to be looked after! Offer your guests refreshments when they arrive and be on hand should they need any help. I had a few rooms where women could change in privacy, and helped them find items which I thought would suit them. It was so fun to tell the story of certain items, and pass on the enjoyment of my most special pieces. I loved the thought of my friends making their own wardrobe memories.
A clothing sale is a GREAT opportunity for you to Spring clean your wardrobe, have fun and make a little extra cash. Having been physically and mentally bogged down with way too much STUFF for months, the freedom of having shed heaps is one of the best feelings I've had in a long time.
Let me know if you guys have ever hosted a sale, or if you have any other fun ideas for Spring cleaning your wardrobe!
Have a super day all!
Love,
MB x
