How to Cash In On the Unwanted Clothes in Your Closet

— -- Clothing resale is a multibillion-dollar industry, and with children heading back to school, many parents may be thinking of clearing out closets.

With her two boys finally back in school, Cari Lasdon of Lower Gwynedd, Pennsylvania, is among those taking aim at her family’s closets.

Lasdon went digging through drawers in her bid to remove all the outgrown and unwanted wardrobe items. She went through her children’s rooms and the one she shares with husband, Alan.

But just how do you turn a pile of clothes into cash? On hand to help Lasdon was resale expert Lauren Lerner, who says very motivated people should sell their clothing online.

Websites such as Poshmark, Tradesy and Threadflip allow sellers to post photos of their still-trendy clothing to market and sell online. Sellers can get top dollar for presentation and popular brands.

Lerner went through Lasdon's items and determined that a Shoshanna dress that retails for about $200 could fetch as much as $70 if effectively resold online. A child's polo shirt – costing about $35 brand new – could be worth up to $20 used, Lerner said.

Another child's shirt that could have fetched up to $15 had a stain, so should probably be listed at $7 to $10, Lerner said.

If this kind of presentation seems like too much work, you can also go an easier route: bag it.

With ThredUp, you’ll be sent a bag. Fill it up, send it back and ThredUp sells the items for you and takes a commission.

Other companies, such as The Real Real and FlipSize, offer similar deals. Many companies will offer to donate clothes that don’t sell, and some accept unwanted shoes, purses and accessories.

Lasdon sent four bags to ThredUp, where the company’s team inspected each item for quality and salability.

Alba Barragan, operations training supervisor explained its criteria.

“We’re looking for things that are like new condition so that when our customers receive the item they feel like they’re getting a great new addition to their wardrobe,” she said.

Lasdon’s four bags of clothes fetched her $262. Lerner said Lasdon could make about $100 more on the Shoshanna dress and two children's shirts.