If you're like most people who want to sell clothing on eBay, you might not know where to find inventory to sell.  This guide will give you straight-forward answers as to how to go about finding clothing to sell, and hopefully make a profit from!  Please see my How to Find Inventory for your eBay Store guide for basic instructions as how to get started.  Here we go!

There are 3 Basic Ways to Purchase Clothing to Resell on eBay:

1. Retail Stores

You would love to sell Gap clothing, but can't figure out how people find it to resell it, right?  Well, there's only one place I know of to find brand new Gap clothing, and that's Gap!  The same thing goes for almost any other clothing brand.  To sell NWT (new with tags) clothing, you'll need to first purchase it yourself from a retail store.  The secret is to find it at a low enough cost to make a profit.  This will take some work on your part, as you'll need to visit those stores often enough to be able to know when a good sale is taking place.  Some clothing stores never have good clearance sales, which is why it is difficult to find the item in the first place on eBay.  Some clothing chains sometimes have good sales, but othertimes don't.  For example, in my area there are two different stores from the same chain.  I just happened to go into one a few weeks ago and they were having a 50% off the lowest clearance price sale.  I bought a bunch of stuff, then went to the other store, hoping to find the same sale.  They didn't have it.  Turns out, the first store just had a lot of summer stuff to get rid of, so the corporate office authorized that huge clearance sale for just that store.  Sometimes you just get lucky! 

Visit the retail stores who's clothing is attractive to you.  Get a feel for prices, sale dates, and promotions.  Go back often.  Try not to let the salespeople know you're selling on eBay; some stores frown on that.  Sign up for stores' mailing lists - sometimes they send out coupons to those customers.  All in all, take a genuine interest in the clothing you wish to sell.  Knowledge is Power!

2. Consignment Stores or Thrift Stores

Some great deals can be found here, if you know what you're looking for.  This all goes back to having knowledge about what you want to sell.  You can't go into a thrift store having no idea what you want to sell, and expect to find a diamond in the rough.  Prior to shopping, research different brands by looking at completed auctions to see what sells. 

There are a few basic things you need to look for when purchasing clothing for resale from thrift shops.  First, make sure there are no stains, holes, etc.  It's easy to miss these things when shopping, so be sure to closely examine the item when you get home.  Second, make sure the item is a current style.  Going back to the Gap example, if you find an item at your local TS (thrift store) from Gap, but its a few years old, chances are the style might be out of date.  Third, know how much to pay for an item.  The only way to really know for sure is by having an idea of what certain things sell for.  This will take experience and research, and cannot be accomplished right away. 

Thrifting for inventory can be overwhelming at first.  Here's an idea:  Take a pen and paper with you to the CS or TS the first time you go.  Write down what you find, along with prices.  Don't buy anything.  Come home, and look for similar items already listed on eBay.  When you find what you're looking for, you'll get an idea of how much you should pay for the item. 

3. Private Consignment

Some people acquire inventory privately.  They may know someone who has a ton of clothing they want to get rid of.  Friends may give you items they no longer want for you to sell. 

A great way to find inventory is to put an ad in your local paper stating that you will buy certain items.  This can get complicated, however, so you should be willing to talk to people and barter with them.  You may want to have a fixed price in mind before meeting with the other party.  Some people might pay $1 an item, others might pay more depending on the item. 

Some people actually have clients who consign items with the seller.  For example, a client wants you to sell her dress for her.  You would keep a certain perentage of the profits, and give a larger percentage back to the client.  This can work great if you have little money to spend to start. 

Now that you know how to find your inventory, get out there and do it!  Have FUN!!