Does Plus-Size Clothing Sell Well on eBay?
Women of all sizes get tired of their wardrobe from time to time. Certain pieces fall out of style or stop fitting or maybe you just don’t like what you have anymore. So, you’re interested in selling some of your old plus-size clothing on eBay. Will it sell well?
Yes, plus-size clothing can sell well on eBay, but the key is being accurate in the description of your measurements. Rather than saying the shirt you’re selling is a 3X, describe how big the bust and hips should be to fit into the shirt. This will increase interest in your listing.
In this article, we’ll provide plenty of tips and tricks for selling more plus-size clothing on eBay. We’ll discuss what the market looks like, if clothing brand matters, and how much you should sell your clothing for. You won’t want to miss it!
Is There an Interest in Buying Plus-Size Clothing on eBay?
When you visit a clothing retailer that’s not exclusively plus size, there’s always a risk that you’ll walk in there and find nothing that fits you. That can make you think that eBay is going to be predominantly focused on straight sizes as well.
Yet that’s not true. If you visit the eBay website and click the section titled Women’s Clothing, plus-size clothing is its own category. Yes, it’s a little messed up that straight sizes can shop by categories like activewear, dresses, hosiery, coats, intimates, jeans, and shirts while plus sizes have all that lumped into one category, but it’s better than nothing.
Besides if you click any of those individual clothing categories, you can search plus sizes within the category. For example, if we look at the women’s coats, jackets, and vests category on eBay and you check the sizes, you can filter results by regular, plus, petite, tall, or junior sizes.
Does everyone shopping on eBay know that? Maybe not. What’s important here is that not only is there a whole plus-size category on eBay, but any of their supposedly straight-size categories include plus sizes as well.
Okay, but eBay has all sorts of stuff for sale. That doesn’t mean people are interested in buying it. If you start selling your plus-size wardrobe on eBay to make some extra cash or you’re even looking to pursue selling your clothes as a full-time venture, is anyone going to be interested?
Most definitely! You have to remember the statistic we always mention, which is that 68 percent of American women wear a size 14 and up. These women have a hard time finding clothing that fits them in stores, so they’ll shop online. They may also prefer online shopping since they can avoid the dressing room as well as the stigma that sadly still sometimes comes with bigger women buying clothes.
EBay is as trusted a website as Amazon or Facebook Marketplace is. Rather than buying from only one brand, a woman can shop several brands on eBay and often find deals too. If you sell high-quality clothing and add helpful descriptive information (more on this in a moment) in your listing, then there’s no reason your clothes wouldn’t sell.
Think of it this way: 68 percent of American women are the majority. By selling plus-size clothes on eBay, you’re appealing to the majority of women.
Does Brand Matter When Selling Plus-Size Clothing on eBay?
Some of the plus-size clothing you want to get rid of is from a small boutique brand. Maybe you have a few shirts that you cut the tags off of because they were itching your back. You’re worried about the salability of these clothes. Should you be?
Certain brands do indeed sell better than others. According to this Balance article from 2019, those brands are St. John (which is not St. John’s Bay), Eileen Fisher, and Ralph Lauren Black Label. Anthropologie clothing sells well too on eBay, including its many, many sub-brands. They are Tracy Reese, Elevenses, Girls from Savoy, Sparrow, Free People, Olivia Grace, Field and Flower, Tabitha, and Isabella Bird.
eBay’s website has a top brand listing. Besides the above brands, their list includes:
- Adidas
- Athleta
- Burberry
- Calvin Klein
- Columbia
- Hanes
- J. Crew
- Levi’s
- LulaRoe
- Lululemon
- Moncler
- Nike
- Patagonia
- Puma
- The North Face
- Victoria’s Secret
- Zara
These clothing brands all have one thing in common. You want to guess what it is? That’s right, they’re all predominantly straight sizes. Sure, Eileen Fisher has some plus-size clothing, as does Ralph Lauren Black Label, LulaRoe, and plenty of others, but these clothes are made for smaller women.
Does that mean you’re out of luck if you want to attract buyers to your eBay listing on brand recognition alone? Not really. You’re playing a different ballgame as a plus-size seller. Here are the brands eBay spotlights in plus-size clothing:
- ASOS Curve
- Lane Bryant
- Old Navy Plus
- Torrid
- Eloquii
- Ava & Viv
- Forever 21 Plus
- Adrianna Papell Plus
- Ashley Stewart
- City Chic
Those brands should be familiar to you if you read this blog, as we talk about retailers like Lane Bryant, Ashley Stewart, and Torrid all the time.
Far more important than the brand of clothing you’re selling is an accurate description of the garment. We touched on this in the intro, but we want to discuss it in more detail now. Rather than just look at the size on the tag, include measurements. The Balance, in another post, says that about 50 percent of eBay sellers believe this kind of information can make a big difference in getting your item sold.
We’d say that’s even more of the case for plus-size clothing. After all, if you’re a straight size and you usually fit in a large to an extra-large, if you buy an XL and it’s a bit loose, that’s not the end of the world. However, as a plus-size woman, a difference of a few inches in the bust or hips can very much influence how clothing fits.
So don’t just look at the tag and regurgitate that information. Describe the hips, bust, and waist sizes for garment fit. This eBay Community post from one plus-size clothing seller implored their fellow sellers to begin doing just that.
As the poster says: “as we all know, ‘3x’ can run anywhere from a 45” bust to a 55” bust, or more.” The poster also mentions that it helps if you do any of the math necessary for calculating sizes so the buyer doesn’t have to.
In other words, you want to make it as easy as possible for the buyer to determine whether they’ll fit in the garment.
How to Price the Plus-Size Clothing You’re Selling
You’re feeling pretty confident about selling plus-size clothes on eBay, but there’s one hurdle that still awaits. How much should you sell your clothes for? Should they be higher-priced by brand, whether they’re used, or by size?
This post from the eBay Community shares a pricing formula you can use. Let’s go over the formula now so you can figure out how much that cute Ashley Stewart shirt should cost or that Dia & Co. skirt.
Tally Item Price + Shipping Supply Cost + eBay Fees
Do you not remember exactly how much that Ashley Stewart shirt ran you? No one really keeps tags on used clothing, and you certainly didn’t. We first recommend checking the Ashley Stewart website. If it’s been years since you bought the shirt, then try looking it up online to see what it retails for.
Once you have that price, you also need to consider how much you’ll spend on packing materials. You might ship your clothing in a box or a packing envelope. Whatever the cost of shipping materials, add that in as well.
Next, you need to account for eBay fees. For instance, their return insurance policy is at least $0.25, says the eBay Community post. eBay’s fees may be $3 or up.
So if your shirt was $20, it costs you $3 in shipping materials, and you add the $3.25 in fees, now the cost of the shirt is $26.25.
Research
You can skip this step if you didn’t know the cost of your clothes in the first place, as you’ll have already done it. Even if you do remember exactly how much you spent on your clothes when you bought them, you won’t get that price down to the decimal point when reselling on eBay. The only exception might be if you kept the clothes in immaculate condition, but even still, don’t expect it.
You’re selling something that’s used, and that always means the value will be lower. How much lower? That’s what the research ascertains. Look around on eBay or sites like Poshmark, Depop, or even the Facebook Marketplace to check what your clothing is selling for. If you see several sold listings, this indicates that yes, people think that price is acceptable.
Remember also that you need to make a profit, so selling the shirt at $26.25 is not a good idea. You’re only breaking even then. Even if you don’t intend to make eBay a career or hobby and you only want to empty your closet, you’re still hoping to make some money from doing so.
Tips for Selling More Clothes on eBay, Plus or Not!
As we said we would, let’s wrap up with some tips for selling clothes on eBay. Whether it’s your own plus-size clothes you want to sell, a partner or friend’s straight-size clothes (or both), these tips will make you more moolah.
The More Information on the Clothes in Your Listing, the Better
Besides the precise sizing information, include literally as much information as you have available when writing your eBay listing. For example, if your clothes were stored in a smoke-free and/or pet-free home, tell people that. This doesn’t matter to all buyers, but it does to enough of them, as those conditions better maintain the integrity of the clothing.
Describe the clothing brand, type of clothing, color, pattern, fabric type, whether it comes with tags, whether it’s new or used, how used (worn often versus sitting in a closet untouched for years), and what you paid for the item if you remember. You should even mention how to wash the clothing.
Yes, this sounds like a lot, and you may even deem some of the information extraneous, but it really isn’t. These details altogether can influence a purchasing decision one way or another.
Sell One Item at a Time
You may have found 10 pieces of clothing from your closet that you don’t care to keep, which is great. You shouldn’t group them together and sell them that way on eBay or any other online reseller.
Why? Well, for one, your listing will be more expensive. You’re not going to sell three shirts at the same price you would one shirt, of course. The higher price might turn buyers away. On top of that, what if the buyer doesn’t like all three shirts? Sure, there’s one in there they would love to own, but they don’t care for the other two, so they skip the listing and look for the one shirt on its own.
If you have 10 items to sell, list them all individually. This is more time-consuming, but your clothes will have a better chance of selling.
Take Pictures from 360-Degree Angles
Don’t you hate when you’re deciding whether to buy something on eBay and it comes with two pictures, front and back? Or, even worse, just a photo of the front? Don’t be that kind of seller! Take photos of the garment from every angle: front, back, side, top, bottom, everything. Show the seams, the hem, any embellishments, even the tag.
Put the Clothes on a Mannequin
Oh, and please don’t lay your clothes out flat on your bed and take photos that way. It’s not easy for a woman to envision wearing clothes when they’re flat like this. Also, some plus-size women can get intimidated by the sheer size of the garment when it’s flat and decide not to buy it.
Instead, make like a retailer and put your clothing on a mannequin. Sure, mannequins aren’t cheap, running a few hundred dollars each, but if you’re planning on selling clothing on eBay for the long haul, investing in a mannequin is a must.
Take Photos in Great Lighting
Last but certainly not least, please check the quality of your lighting before you begin snapping away. Dim lighting can make your clothes look equally dark while artificial lighting adds an unappealing yellow sheen.
Whenever you can, use natural light. That may mean taking your mannequin to the yard and photographing the clothes out there.
Conclusion
Selling plus-size clothes on eBay is a viable venture. All your favorite plus-size retailers are popular on eBay, so go ahead, why not sell some old clothes? Just remember to price your clothing fairly and be descriptive in your measurements. Best of luck!
