How to Fund Your Summer Wardrobe

The British summer is finally here!  Regardless of the weather, it is nice to have some new things to reinvigorate your summer wardrobe.  Often, just one or two nice new items can make all the difference, but how can you find the money for them?

Well, it can be very refreshing to have a good clear out, make space for your lovely new things and raise some money in the process to pay for them.  In these times of austerity there is a thriving second hand market ready to buy your unwanted goods.  Just think – that item you have not looked at, used or worn for the last two years can move on and reinvigorate someone else’s wardrobe or home.

Beating the Heat by grantuhard, on Flickr.  This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.

Car Boot Sales

If you have quite a bit of stuff and you do not mind early mornings then a car boot sale is a good place to start.  Take plenty of snacks and a thermos of hot chocolate, especially if it is a cold day, otherwise you might end up spending more money at the burger van than you take in profits.  Car boot sales are a cheap way of accessing customers – a slightly more expensive alternative is a market.  Many towns which have markets do a flea market or equivalent.  Although more expensive than a car boot sale, you will generally get more money for your stuff.

Antique Dealers

If some of your stuff is a bit more special or older then antique dealers or specialist shops might be interested.  In the big cities there are plenty of outlets for old records, for example.  This will probably take more time and effort on your part; however you are also more likely to receive what your items are worth.

The Internet

If you have anything left over, or you would rather stay at home in the warm, there are plenty of websites willing to help separate you from your stuff.  A simple ‘sell my old stuff’ internet search will bring up lots of options for you.  eBay is one of the most well-known and operates as an online auction where you can sell pretty much anything.  Beware of postage costs with some online sites.  Before advertising weigh your items and calculate your postage accurately.  People will not buy from you if you charge too much, but also you do not want to find yourself paying for the postage either.

If you have items which are of high value or more specialist, tailored websites could help you connect with the right customers.  For example, try using Autotrader for cars, Amazon for books and Etsy for homemade crafts.

Auctions

Auctions are a really fun way of selling your stuff and most large towns and cities have an auction house.  There are a variety of types, from the more specialist to general sales.  If you do sell your stuff this way though, the auctioneer will take a cut of any sales made.

Get selling and that new wardrobe could be yours.  Good luck!