Greetings!  Have you ever tried to buy clothing on eBay?  If you have, you've probably experienced the same frustration that most bidders have - poor quality or no pictures, clothing items in the photos are folded up or not displayed well, no measurements are given - making it impossible to tell if the item will fit you properly or not, and little or no information is provided about the item.

Here's a common-sense guide to selling used or new clothing on eBay:

1.  PICTURES: Take clear photos of your item, including a full-length shot of the entire item, top to bottom.  Include a back & front shot of the item if the back has special features like a tie on a dress, elastic on the waist, pockets, etc.  

Take one close-up shot of an item that has a small pattern, like a houndstooth check or small plaid or floral design - these patterns can blur in a digital photo and appear to be solid in your listing photos. 

A good rule of thumb to follow with photos is to make the item look as professional as possible - like you would see it hanging on the rack at a retail store.  There are many sellers on eBay selling hanging mannequin torso forms - male and female - which have a hanger type hook at the top.  These are extremely useful in displaying your clothing items.  It is very difficult to see the details of a dress, shirt, jacket or suit when it is laid out on the floor, or draped over a sofa or chair.  If you are selling clothing in a mixed lot, try to avoid just folding it up all together on the dining table - in fact, avoid this with ANY clothing listing - your bidder cannot see the entire item, and cannot tell if it is what they want - you will lose a good many bidders this way.  The item will almost always sell for more if you display it well, and completely - not folded up.  It may cost you a bit more to list more than one photo, but in the end, if you make more on the auction, and have a happy bidder that will bid again, it's worth it! 

Make sure your clothing item is clean and pressed before taking photos of it.  It's important for the bidder to see the true nature of your item - what it will look like when they wear it - and I don't know about you, but I don't tend to wear items that are wrinkled!  Again, a professional appearance will go far towards impressing your bidders!

2.  DESCRIPTIONS:  The description, after the photo, is the thing that will drive your bidders to buy! 

A clear, concise description of your item, including measurements, color of the item, and any other pertinent details will ensure your bidder fully understands what they are getting.   Describe the item, including brand name, size, whether it's new or used and the following measurements:   for shirts/jackets - shoulder width, sleeve length, length from collar to hemline, and chest width.   For pants/trousers - waist measurement (if elastic waist, measure relaxed and fully stretched and include both measurements), hip width, rise from crotch to waistband, inseam from crotch to hem, and overall length.  These measurements will assure your bidder that this item will fit them properly, and may actually increase your return business, because bidders will know that with you, they can see exactly what they are bidding on, measurements and all!  Size definitions vary from manufacturer to manufacturer, so a size 14 in one company may vary by a couple of inches from another company's size 14 - and that couple of inches can make all the difference in the world to your bidder. 

Describe the color - digital photos can distort colors, making a blue appear purple, and a gray appear black.  Tell your bidders exactly what color your item is. 

Describe the details of your item - tell your bidders how many pockets it has, if it's a single or double-breasted suit, how many buttons and where they're located, if the sleeves or hems are cuffed, what type of collar, etc. 

3.  SHIPPING: Shipping clothing can be costly, especially if you are selling clothing in a mixed lot.  If you have a large lot, offer your bidders a few different shipping options.  Perhaps they are in a hurry for the clothing, perhaps not - give them the option to choose the shipping method that's best for them.  I've personally sold items to folks in Alaska that needed a big men's suit coat for a wedding - and needed it fast - so they were happy to pay for expedited shipping to get it in time for the big day, and thanked me profusely for shipping it that way.

4.  THE LITTLE THINGS: Make sure your bidders understand all the fine details of your auction. 

State, very clearly, the terms of payment, shipping, returns, and communication.  Tell your bidders when you expect payment, what form of payment you accept, how returns are handled, and how to contact you.  Encouraging and maintaining open lines of communication with your bidders will go a long way towards preventing negative feedback caused by lack of communication between seller and bidder. 

Tell your bidders what type of environment the clothing is coming from.  Clothing picks up strong odors, like cigarette smoke, very easily, and a smoker most often doesn't realize how strong the smell is to a non-smoker, or someone allergic to strong scents.  As a simple courtesy to your bidders, state whether your home is smoking or non-smoking, and whether you have pets.  Disclosing this information in the listing will help your bidders know what to expect when opening their package.  More than one eBay seller has been hit with negative feedback due to pet hair on the clothing item they sold, or a strong smoke odor that the bidder found offensive. 

Make sure your clothing items are clean, pressed, and pretty much ready to wear right out of the box when you ship them.  This will do a lot to impress your bidder - you want them to open the package and say "wow - look at this!" 

Finally, try to go the extra mile to make this a special item for your bidder to open up when the package gets to their door.  I will include a few seasonal candies, a little extra gift of some sort, or just a nice card that says "thanks!".  Just something extra that doesn't cost me a lot, but makes the package special for the bidder to open.  A little warning, though - don't include strongly scented fabric softener sheets, sachets or potpourri - many people are allergic to strong scents and will not appreciate opening a package that sends them into an allergy attack. 

I hope you've found this guide useful - good luck in selling your clothing items!