Re: Item listing questions
Just a few comments and notes.
I sold clothing for years and years and years.
Coats and shoes are heavy and bulky and cost a lot to ship, so much so that they frequently aren't competitive. The best clothing items are less than 16 oz so they can be sent USPS First Class, though these days 16 oz is nearly a Priority Rate.
Coats are seasonal. They won't sell most of the year. Lately, with warmer winters many places, they often don't sell at all anytime, particularly in the south. There's a reason they're in the thrift store.
Returns can run anywhere from 3-7%. This is a significant risk/cost. Returns for my current selling categories run 1/10-3/10 of 1%. Almost zero, for all intents and purposes.
Shoes and clothing are categories with low limits on name brands when you're starting out. Competitors are cut-throat, and prices are often extremely low. Thrift store purchases are often defective in difficult to discern ways with the inexpert eye.
Style is critical. Last year or last decade's cut or color or fabric is a zebra in a race-horse market. It'll sit in your garage until you die of old age or re-donate it.
It also is a deeply troubled category with a high rate of returns, and a 'free rental' and 'look it over and see if I like it before I keep it" problem.
Measurements are a must, and even with measurements if people complain they don't fit or don't fit properly, returns will be on you, not the buyer. I assure you many people believe they are a small, but are actually an extra large. They will cut you no slack if it doesn't stretch enough to cover the belly fat from last year's Christmas cookies and eggnog.
Heaven forbid you don't know the difference between an outlet mall Ralph Lauren and a Dillard's or Macy's Ralph Lauren, they will claim fraud in a heartbeat.
If you send clothing Priority Mail due to weight and it is returned to you, it will come back to you Priority, and even a Flat Rate envelope is around $5.95, (which won't work for most clothing), so a return will cost you at least $12 round trip just in lost postage.
Not that you can't make decent money in these categories, because people do, but it is an uphill battle.
Good luck!
|