This is a contributing post from Valerie Fidan, a San Francisco based food and sustainable travel blogger. Live The Little Things is a space filled with real food recipes, travel, and wellness. These are the bits & bites that are part of her everyday life. It’s a breeding ground for ideas and excitement for a balanced and inspired sustainable lifestyle.
I’ve meant to write about this for a while now, since I started selling at both online consignment shops ThredUp and Twice as I’ve been cleaning out my closet. People have been asking, “What’s the difference?” “Which one should I use?” “I really like one, should I try the other?” Sure, I could sell on eBay, but I like not having to manage the items and having to wait to see if my items sell.
Trying to sell great dressy clothes or work attire? Twice is perfect for you.
Looking to sell your trendy clothing, shoes and even children’s clothing? ThredUP is your shop.
ThredUp
ThredUp’s online consignment store offers clothing, shoes and accessories for women, as well as clothing and shoes for babies and kids. ThreadUp caters to shoppers of all sizes, as plus-size, petite and maternity clothing are all sold on the site. Because of the wide range of brands accepted by ThredUp, the site often has the best prices out of all of the online consignment stores. It has everything from the clothing lines carried at Target, Gap, and Banana Republic to luxury brands like Kate Spade and Marc Jacobs.
Besides incredibly low prices, one of the biggest perks of using ThredUp is that it has a great referral program. For every new user you refer, you will receive $20 in credit to spend on the site. It’s also good to note, ThreadUp offers frequent coupons that are valid for both new and returning purchasers.
The Process
If you wish to sell your items via ThredUp, you can request a postage-paid bag, which you can use to ship your items to the company. ThredUp pays out up to 80 percent of the retail value on items it accepts. If it rejects items, then it ships them back to you for free or donates them on your behalf.
(Above is my potential earnings once my consignment shop items sell.)
ThredUp also offers two types of payout: Upfront Payout and Consignment Shop. What’s the difference between the two?
Consignment Payout is given to any items with a listing price above $40 so you can earn an even higher payout. This means you will earn 50% to 80% of the selling price once an item has sold. The percentage you will earn is based on the initial listing price of the item. For example, If your dress is initially listed on thredup.com for $90, you will earn 70% of the final selling price.
(Above is an what I received for my clothing and shoes)
Upfront Payment is given for any item with an initial listing price of $40 or less qualifies for an upfront payout. You can expect to earn between 10% to 40% of the anticipated selling price. Earnings are in your thredUP account as soon as your CleanOut bag is processed! (Woo hoo!) You may use your earnings immediately to shop on thredup.com, or after 14 days turn them into cash via Paypal.
Twice
The items featured on Twice, an online consignment store for women, are photographed so well that it almost appears that you are shopping at a full-price store. Brands from Gap to Diane von Furstenberg are listed on Twice at a fraction of the original retail price. Twice only carries items for women in regular and petite sizes zero to 16. While the products on the site are already reasonably priced, there are frequently coupons available on the website for new users.
The Process
Twice is a little different from some of the other online consignment stores in that it will purchase lightly-used items from you up-front, and then list the items for sale later. This means that you the seller will receive money quickly, instead of waiting for their items to sell. All items must be less than five years old and there is a very specific list of brands that are and are not accepted for consignment on the site, so be sure to check that list before sending in your clothing for resale.
The Verdict
Long story short, they’re both better for different purposes. While Twice was great for selling brands like Ann Taylor, ZARA, and Bebe – I felt like I got a better payout through ThredUp. But, of course, this had to do with the brands that I decided to sell to each. ThredUp also accepted a Coach Wristlet and shoes from Bebe, Target and Aldo. Both stores have the same process in which they send out a mailer bag, you place your clothes and mail it out; and, you’re offered a payout price that you can either accept or reject. Yep! It’s that simple. The best tip of advice I can offer before you sell your clothes is to research the different brands that each consignment shop is most popular for…this will ensure you get the best dollar for your items.
