Selling Clothes Online to thredUP: Is It Worth It?

UPDATE: April 2020 / I’ve continued to send in to thredUP and most recently they accepted my items and put ALL of them up for consignment, meaning I got no cash up front. This appears to be a new policy. Really consider if it’s worth your time to wait a few months for the (small) payout to be credited to you.

Looking for a way to sell off your unwanted clothes from the comfort of home with minimal effort? The thredUP Closet Clean Out program might be what you’re looking for. Keep reading for my thoughts about my latest negotiation!

This post is not sponsored! All thoughts are my own.

What is thredUP?

thredUP is an online consignment store for women that specialize in clothes, shoes and, most recently, jewelry. Their prices are pretty on par with other consignment stores I’ve been to and they frequently have discount codes and hold site-wide sales.

Cleaning Out My Closet

I’m a big fan of cleaning out my closet and shopping on thredUP, so it seems only natural that I would love selling my clothes to thredUP, right? This was my 4th time selling my clothes to them in 5 years so I feel like I’m finally getting the hang of it!

They make the process super simple by sending you a pre-paid bag in the mail (it’s HUGE!) for free and clearly outline all the steps necessary to take in order to sell back your clothes. The clothes I sent in were all leftovers from my flash closet sale I held on Poshmark earlier this year.

I followed the guidelines on the thredUP clean out page and the accepted brands list which meant I tried to sell back seasonal items & those with a notable brand. The biggest brand I sent in was Loft but most clothes were your average Target & Walmart brand.

In total I sent 23 items ranging from pants, dresses, shoes, and even a few overalls. And there was still room left in my bag! HA!

How Long The Process Took

This process was actually really quick. Everything happened in under 2 months which is excellent because I’ve had some take longer than 3 months!

I ordered my kit on May 20th and it arrived on May 29th. Then I filled up my bag and sent it back on June 8th. On June 15th, my bag was received with an en estimated processing date of July 2nd. And then my bag was actually processed on July 6th.

It’s awesome how transparent they are with each step and keep you in the loop for everything. I was never worried about where my stuff was or if I did anything wrong!

What I Earned: Expectations vs. Reality

The biggest complaint I hear from people selling to thredUP is that the payout really stinks. It does. I’m not gonna sugar coat it. But rather than go through the process and then complain about it, I think it’s worth using the Payout Estimator before you send your bag in. This is a greatly overlooked feature that I think would save you a lot of heartache!

Most things that I sent in were modestly estimated to payout between 35 cents and $2.45. So in a perfect world, had all 23 items been accepted on thredUP, I would have earned roughly $25. And if I had tried to sell those things one by one on Poshmark, I could have netted a cool $165. But who knows how long that would take?!

What did I actually earn? Only 3 of my items were accepted for a grand payout of $13.61. That’s a lot more than I anticipated! And, to my surprise, 6 of my items were accepted on “consignment”. That means that they accepted those items and I’ll be paid when they sell, just like a B&M consignment store. I can expect $20.33 when that’s all said and done.

The funds for the accepted items are available to me immediately as thredUP credit, or I can cashout via PayPal after 14 days.

Would I Do It Again?

Yes! Given my current situation, I found this to be a suitable option. I’m trying to earn funds to pay for my doctor visits and the like but also have limited time & energy and don’t live near a traditional consignment store. This is a win-win for me!

If you’re really trying to get rich selling your clothes, try something else. But if you’d just like to get a little bit back instead of simply donating your clothes to a thrift store, give this a go.

It’s not perfect but it’s better than nothing!