Pre-loved selling better than New items?

[jennyswardrobe]

Hi there,

I have noticed that my pre-loved designer labels are selling faster than my brand new items that are heavily discounted. Is this normal here?

Thanks!

Jen

[roger_roger_over_and_nowt]

There is no "normal" here  but i'm guessing that good quality/condition items may sell better because buyers may think that heavily discounted new items may not be real.

Just a thought lol 🤐

[jennyswardrobe]

I have a strong feeling that no-one believes new items are real. I brought a load of sale items years ago and anything which still has a tag on I put on eBay to sell. Is there anything I can do? I am seeing others sell the exact same thing three times the price that I am selling for, and my items don't even get a view 😞

[gjalp]

Are they selling though? Or are they just listed higher? I prefer preloved because its recycling, its often better quality and more importantly, if its clothing, its because its something I know my size will be right. Other than white goods, our household generally prefers secondhand as we like to save things from going to landfill. We also repurpose a lot of things too.

[jennyswardrobe]

Maybe people are just thinking of the environment, which is great! What is troubling me is that I have had to massively reduce my new designer items. My jeans for example, originally retailed approximately for £60, I have had to put a starting price of £10.00 (before the buyer protection fee) and I have had zero views 😞

[the-nutwood-collection]

I have a strong feeling that no-one believes new items are real

You're probably right.  Buyers are wary of 'too good to be true' prices, and eBay has a reputation for being the home of cheap knock-offs.  Buyers have the MBG, but many would prefer not to have the hassle of returning the item.

My advice would be to delist all the new items and relist a few in 3 - 4 weeks' time.  Use new images - buyers may remember the old images - and fiddle about with the title and description so that the listing looks new and not a relist of the previous one.  Make sure your images are the same quality as your competitors'.  Pitch the price below the price your competitors have sold at (not what they're asking) but don't undercut them by too much, you want the buyer to think they've spotted a good deal, not a bargain.

If the items sell, then you can start filtering the other new items through.  If they don't sell, then it looks like the trend is for pre-loved - so run them through the washing machine to take the newness away, and try again.

[jennyswardrobe]

Thanks for the advice. I'm genuinely considering wearing what I can and then in six months time, putting it back up for sale as Preloved 😂

I have gotten to the stage that despite initially being sale purchases, I'm putting it up up for a starting bid much lower than it's actual cost. So unless the bid climbs massively, that's an instant loss.

I thought perhaps it's because I haven't got a lot of followers. But now I truly do feel that people mistrust the authenticity of the item. I deliberately kept a pair of gloves I brought in their sealed packaging to prove they are real. However, it's so hard to do this and take a good photograph.

I think selling Preloved is definitely the "in" thing at the moment. Thank's for stopping by and sharing your opinion 🙂

[vinylscot]

As others have said, a lot of folk are suspicious of designer items being sold by individuals, and prefer to but them from known sources. (Not suggesting for a moment that your items aren't genuine).

And, as you're a private seller, you're not actually making a loss, you're recouping something from selling a piece of clothing you no longer want.

I'd certainly be more comfortable buying designer items from established business sellers, although I'm quite happy to buy second hand from private sellers.

[jennyswardrobe]

Thank you for your comment. With what everybody is saying I will definitely just stick to the Preloved selling, and go from there 🙂 My fault for buying stuff during COVID I did not need. Although, perhaps I can find some use for the new stuff myself. I don't mind losing some money, but it's just that's it's quiet a lot considering what I brought it for. Would have loved to have broke even instead (if that was possible) Thank you for stopping by 🙂

[jma2815]

I’d just like to ask why you are often concerned about having a lot of ‘followers’ - yes, there is a button for such a function but I’ve not experienced it to be at all important and used to have a very successful selling account that had one ‘follower’ for years. I doubt the vast majority of buyers even know about it and even if they did I don’t think it would lead to more sales. This is ebay, not instagram. 

Maybe someone else’s experience is different and they love and cultivate their ‘followers’! 

As to your question about selling BNWT clothes my advice would be to list as buy it now at a high enough prices that they don’t look too good to be true. I never, ever buy clothes from auction listings however much I want them, it just takes too much time and trouble. 

New with tags is rarely the truth from a private seller of clothes and I always take it with a pinch of salt so if I were you I’d list them as used, very good condition and if they genuinely do look, feel and smell NEW (you know they aren’t new, you’ve owned them tags or no tags) your buyer will be delighted. 

[jennyswardrobe]

Hi JMA,

Thank you for your reply. Just to prewarn incase I misspell anything, as I didn't sleep well last night so apologies in advance! I am a very tired lady, and I will quickly reply before sleeping 🙂I am trying to get more followers quiet simply, to try and tackle my lack of views for my items. I only very recently returned to eBay to try and sell items I no longer need or use, and I noticed than no matter how low my starting bid, that the item still didn't get any views. I tried taking better photos, but that didn't do much. So my only other assumption was my lack of followers. Can I ask what BNWT means? I love that last tip you put at the end, I think that would really help me out. Any advice is greatly welcomed 🙂Thanks for stopping by 🙂

[the-nutwood-collection]

I've just checked and found I've 330 followers.  That came as a surprise.  However,  I can assure you that I don't have 330 people buying regularly from me - or even occasionally buying from me.

As an OP has said, I don't think the number of followers bears any relationship to the number of sales.  Maybe it's an advantage in collectable categories where buyers want to be alerted immediately when a seller of must-have items lists a new goodie, but it has zippo effect in other categories.

[gjalp]

Many of my buyers are repeat ones and those also swing by when I list new items but as you say, my items go to collectors so they will follow me. My private sales often need me to send offers out to watchers to get the sale, more so since BPF came in. I list as Ive always done but send offers to make the items a bit cheaper and more desirable. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesnt. Private selling is a lot more work these days and I have to end then relist/sell similar on a regular basis. 

[tressygirl]

Not really an answer to your question , just an observation, hopefully helpful. 🤗

I had a look at your lovely items, a pair of jeans caught my eye, but you have no exact measurements,  just size 14.  There are no waist , no inside leg measurements,  and I have Long legs,  so would need to know that buying them,  I wouldn't look like I had water in the cellar!

You add in that description....
 ' Please be aware, that different designers come up a little longer or shorter depending on the brand. Please make sure you are familiar with the Ann Bernecker fit. '

In my humble opinion that's not really helpful,  I'm sure most may not be aware of that makes fit, and perhaps you'd find more buyers,  adding those important relevant measurement to all listings,   as adding just size 14,  can mean very different sizings,  with different Brands not just with ' Ann Bernecker'.

Jeans do look nice !  🤔

@jennyswardrobe 

[lucy_farmer]

'In my humble opinion that's not really helpful,  I'm sure most may not be aware of that makes fit, and perhaps you'd find more buyers,  adding those important relevant measurement to all listings,   as adding just size 14,  can mean very different sizings,  with different Brands not just with ' Ann Bernecker'...'

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Absolutely right.

This is a horribly snobbish thing to say, but I'm going to say it anyway.....  clothes from good brands and shops come up a lot smaller than clothes from cheaper places.

For instance, a dress from Hobbs in a size 14 would probably be the same actual size as a size 10 dress from Matalan.

A buyer unaware of this would be a bit suprised (and disappointed) to find they're not a size 10 after all.....☹️

[jennyswardrobe]

Haha, thanks. I will see if I can find out the exact measurements 👍The reason I warned of the sizing, is because I don't accept returns. And I would hate for someone to purchase them and be disappointed. I was trying to be as honest as possible for good customer service 🙂Maybe if I find out the exact measurements that could fix the problem 🙂

[jennyswardrobe]

Yeah, I am.a bit if a stress head. And I'm always worried that someone will buy something and it not fit them because of the variation. Hence the warning to try and cover everything for the customer 🙂 I will definitely do my best to find what the manufacturers official measurements for the item were at the time and include them🙂

[tressygirl]

Truly,  I would add them to All your clothing items,  especially if you do not accept returns.  This might lead a buyer towards opening a case for item not as described,  to send their item back if it doesn't fit, to receive a refund,  that case you could not refuse, and appealing a decision for a refund for a clothing item, is not easy, eBay do not see the item, and usually will believe the buyer, here.

Adding measurements to all your items , may relieve you of some unnecessary mandatory refunds !  🤗

@jennyswardrobe 

[the-nutwood-collection]

Don't waste time searching for the measurements on the manufacturer's website.  Make an eBay seller's day and invest in a tape measure - only £2.95, freepost.  It'll probably be the only sale the poor devil gets today.

To measure the waist, fasten the garment and measure the inside of the waistband.  This is particularly important with jeans because an outside measurement can be 2.5cm greater.

To measure the leg length, lay the jeans flat and measure the inside seam.

For measuring other types of garment see https://www.thetailoredco.com/how-to-measure-clothes-for-selling-online/

[suelel1968]

When i search i tend to put something like ladies red wool cardigan 10. Then i get a load of cheap tat which has 5% wool and I could buy on temu cheaper. So i generally then select "used" to avoid the tat.

Also, i never buy clothes via auction. Never buy much via auction to be honest.