Martha in VA Posted January 20, 2008 Share Posted January 20, 2008 I have some beautiful, like-new, flower girl dresses that I would like to see on Ebay. Is there anyone experienced with selling clothing who can give me any advice - how to best describe the dresses, and more specifically, how to package/ship them? Thanks so much! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue G in PA Posted January 20, 2008 Share Posted January 20, 2008 people type it in the search engine. Include brand name, size, condition (NWT if new with tags, etc.) and a good photo of the outfits. You will probably get a better auction audience if you sell small "lots" of clothes instead of individually. People appreciate getting a better "bang for their buck" as far as S/H is concerned. Large lots of clothes turn me off only b/c I may or may not need all they are offering. BUT, I love auctions for 3 or 4 outfits at a time. Combine similar outfits of ones that can be mixed and matched. Show photos of the different possibilities. If you just have dresses, individual auctions for each one might be okay. Packaging: I always packaged my clothes in a Priority Mail padded mailer with the clothes wrapped in tissue paper and sometimes included a dryer sheet to make them smell nice :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melissel Posted January 20, 2008 Share Posted January 20, 2008 Your best bet is to cruise on eBay for awhile and see how other people selling similar items are listing them and describing them. I prefer to see more than one picture when I'm buying clothing. Be sure to also check the completed auctions to see how the ones that brought in more money were listed and described. If you're just selling the dresses, I would go with individual auctions, since most people probably don't need more than one flower girl dress. But I would not prominently in each listing that you have other items listed currently as well, and that you're happy to combine shipping. People can click through to see all your auctions at once and decide if they want to buy more than one. Also, depending on the size of the dresses, they may not fit nicely in a padded priority mailer, so you might need to end up buying one of the bigger ones. Fold up the dress as you would to mail it and see how small you can get it without squashing it, then measure and go shopping at a supply store that sells different sizes of mailers and see what might fit. For something like that, that's not easily washable, I'd see if I could get a plastic bag (like a giant Ziploc or something) that I could put it in. The padded mailers offer some protection, but I'm always paranoid about water leakage or something! And as someone who hates smelly clothes (sorry Sue! they make me sneeze terribly), I wouldn't put a dryer sheet or anything in. I don't mind getting flowery-smelling regular clothes, because I just toss them in the wash anyway. But with something that would need special care, I wouldn't want it to be hanging around with the scent on it. Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martha in VA Posted January 21, 2008 Author Share Posted January 21, 2008 Thanks Sue and Melissa! You both gave me very helpful ideas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
readwithem Posted January 21, 2008 Share Posted January 21, 2008 I've never sold anything on Ebay but I've bought tons of clothes. You might want to find out how much the shipping will be - it always shocks me how much a dress costs to mail (about $7 or 8). I agree about doing each separately, with clear photos (the more the better, front and back) and actual labels. Describe the condition of the dress - it it was worn only once it's probably in excellent condition. Another thing I've noticed is lots of sellers seem to "Febreze" the clothes, they smell very nice when I receive them :) Also I love to hear from a seller immediately - I've bought several things where I didn't hear from the seller till the item showed up on my front porch. It's always reassuring to know the seller is on top of things :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeanne in MN Posted January 21, 2008 Share Posted January 21, 2008 In regards to shipping, I would figure out the shipping costs in advance or have a shipping calculator so people can see up front what shipping will be. Most people do this, but not all. I skip auctions that don't have that or skip them if their shipping is inflated. :) I think if you are selling flower girl dresses, they might be best sold individually since it's a specialty item that most people wouldn't need more than one of. In case they might be, though, be sure to offer combined shipping with your other auctions. I agree with packing it in a ziplock bag or something first before packaging it to protect it from water damage. Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cin Posted January 21, 2008 Share Posted January 21, 2008 I have alot of nasal allergies, so I, too, prefer non-smelly things. I've gotten things that have dryer sheets or perfumed tissue paper in them, and I've had to open them in the garage with my head turned away or breathing through my mouth. I would just make sure that there are no odors in the dresses and specify that they come from a smoke free, pet free home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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