Guaranteed Clothing Sales for the New EBay Seller: What sells best in the spring/summer?

A follower of My Dear Trash sent me an email with a request.

“Can you please feature what clothing brands sell best for you on Ebay?” she wrote.

Of course I would love to, but the writer in me can’t do anything simple. By all means, let me make it complex by breaking it down into a series I’ll call “Guarented Clothing Sales for the New EBay Seller.” Now that’s a challenge I can dig my teeth into. Seriously, I have years and years of EBay photos. It’s a blast looking through them & pulling out my best sellers. Every article of clothing has a story behind it. Some are stories of success and others are stories of failure. It’s freaky how I remember what individual items sold for. When I’m old and gray, I’ll be shouting out clothing measurements and listing prices in my sleep.

I find the change of seasons brings a whole new wave of shoppers to the EBay market. People want to put away their parkas and breakout a Hawaiian Print shirt. Summer vacations are being planned and most women in American are on some sort of diet to look great for swimsuit season. Guess who will sell them their summer dresses?

Over the years, I’ve found some brands that sell great for spring and summer, so let's get started.

In Arizona, I find a lot Fresh Produce clothing at thrift stores. There clothes are fun and light with great prints and easy care. Just throw this dress in a beach bag and you're ready to go. This dress sold for $17.50.

Here are a few other Fresh Produce finds.

Tommy Bahama is a great investment for EBay listings, but it doesn't sell well in the winter. These shirts are hot in the spring and summer. Hey, men want to look good too. The more colorful, the better. TB silk Hawaiian shirts usually sell in the $25.00 range.

I'd never heard of Jam's World until I started selling on EBay. I remember the first time I found one of these prints. To say they're bold is an understatement. I wasn't sure if I should invest in such a loud shirt or not, but I can tell quality when I see it. JW clothing usually sells in the $25.00 range. If you can pick them up for $1.00, then you've got a great product.

I also really like Patagonia. Their clothing is high-quality and usually organic with simple lines and earthy colors. I don't find Patagonia often, but it's always a thrill when I do.

Hot Cotton is 100% linen of pure summer; also with bold colors and fabulous quality. They sell in the $20.00 range.

I also sell plenty of short overalls, anything linen and lots of summer dresses. But don't think you can pass up looking at coats and sweaters. The summer is the best time to start shopping for the Fall/Winter season. I store bags of clothes in my garage for the next season and it really pays off.

Taxes, Craig's List and my Top EBay Sales of the Week

Yesterday the counselor and I had an appointment with our accountant.

Image found here.

Taxes are stressful and for a girl who’s not to detail oriented( remember the counselor calls me reactive), I had to step it up a notch. I downloaded my PayPal earnings and EBay fees. I deducted my Goodwill and USPS receipts. The counselor and I worked all day on piles of paperwork and tax forms. The fact that we are still in love really says something about his good nature and our commitment to each other.

The day went from busy to busier when I had a couple of calls off my Craig’s list postings. I made two sales. Remember the chair I purchased last week from Goodwill for $32.00.

I brought it home and cleaned it up a bit.

The boys loved it. They brought out their blankets and snuggled up with each other while we watched Aliens in the Attic. Today when they came home from school they were very sad because the chair was gone. I was thrilled because it sold for $95.00.

Last week, I made my way to Salvation Army for their Wednesday 1.00 day. It’s was a bit of a zoo with a full parking lot and no shopping carts to speak of, but I found some great things.

For example, this beautiful Jam's World Shirt. Remember, last week a pair of Jam's World Pants sold for $16.09 so I hope to make a nice profit off this $1.00 investment.

Anyway, after I shopped I made my way outside and saw a Salvation Army truck picking up trash. I spotted a beautiful table/desk and asked the attendant if I could buy it.

For $5.00, I brought this beauty home. With just a little dusting, I placed it on Craig’s List & it sold for $45.00.

I haven’t done Craig’s List in a while, but Kelly is the expert that inspired me to give it serious consideration again. Craig’s List has no fees and is local for your area. So, my sells are listed for the Phoenix area and picked up at my home. I must advice, use caution with Craig’s List. You can always count on SPAM/fraud email to come into your email account (just don't open it) and always have someone with you when you open your home to a stranger. Personally, I’ve had a great experience and think the Craig’s List community is very nice. I still have posted this Lane Chestnut Hope Chest. I purchased it this weekend at a yard sale for $40.00 and have it listed on Craig's list for $100.00. It's a beauty and a great buy for someone out there.

Yesterday was also a shipping day. You know how I feel about shipping (it’s not my favorite part of EBay selling), but after our tax appointment the counselor and I made it to the post office. The automated machine makes it so great for after hours. I do have 2 international sales this week (Canada & Switzerland) so I’ll be back at the post office waiting in line later today.

I can't believe another week has passed (that means only 4 weeks until baby girl is born). Here are my Top EBay Sales of the Week.

A pair of overalls is always a sure sell. These Tommy Hilfiger Large Denim Jean Overalls sold for $17.50.

I fell in love with this Women's Small Curious George Primal Bike Shirt. I had a ton of interest in it, with over 12 people following it throughout the week. Only two people bid, but I was still happy with the sell at $9.49.

These Ann Taylor Loft Pants Tan Career Pants sold for $15.53. I'm not sure why they sold so high, only that two very serious people wanted them. New, they'd be around $50.00 and both bidders were aware of this. The interesting thing about these pants is I relisted them for .99 cents because they didn't sell the first week at $6.99. Sometimes a .99 cent listing gets a lot of attention and turns into a big sell.

I found this Ralph Lauren Plus Size 3X Denim Jean Dress at the Mountain View Rummage Sale. The dress has two small sunflower size tears at the sleeve. Even with this defect, I listed the dress and mentioned the flaws. The dress still sold for $24.99.

I was bad and sold the Eileen Fisher bag I promised I'd never sell. I only sold it because I knew the bag would be dirty in about one minute of use. I sold it for $10.49 to a customer in Germany. I hope she enjoys it.

This lot of Ralph Lauren Medium Shirts, purchased for .50 cents each at a yard sale, sold for $9.99 as a set. Cute, aren't they.

This weeks EBay sells are looking just as good. Be sure to become a follower and you'll be qualified for our 3 current give-aways (check the top right of the screen to see them listed). Also, I'm looking for resale success stories. Be sure to leave your story under any blog posting in the comment section. It's exciting to see what you're doing and you could be featured on My Dear Trash and win the EBay shirt give-away.