If you love snagging 1970s clothes at the thrift store for next to nothing, selling vintage clothing online might be right for you. Having an eye for finding and curating vintage pieces is a skill with benefits that extend beyond your unique closet.
Vintage shoppers rely on shop owners to take on the tedious task of searching and create a relaxed browsing experience – with the best items in the best condition. With consumers becoming increasingly aware of where their clothes come from, selling vintage clothing offers a sustainable business opportunity in a growing market.
In this guide, we’ll walk you through building your own brand and showing you how to sell vintage clothing online—and anywhere else. You’ll learn where to source products, get photography tips, pricing strategies, and more, all backed up by industry insight from successful vintage sellers.
The market for vintage clothing
In Germany, second-hand fashion currently accounts for around 13% of sales in the clothing business. Looking back over the last few years, poland email list the trend is increasing and the number of vintage sellers on platforms such as Etsy and eBay is growing.
Although there is a lot of competition, there is nothing wrong with creating a unique vintage brand that reflects your individual taste and stands out from crowded marketplaces. However, before you start selling vintage clothing, use time-sensitive offers in your email campaigns you should have a good understanding of the terminology.
Vintage vs. Antique vs. Retro
There are some terms you should know if you want to start a business selling vintage clothing online :
- Vintage Clothing: Vintage clothing is generally described as anything between 20 and 100 years old.
- Antique clothing: Clothing is considered antique if it is more than 100 years old. Such pieces are rarer and are often found in museums or private collections.
- Retro (or Repro) Clothing: Pieces produced in vintage style within the last 20 years are not considered vintage. Typically, these items are labeled as retro or repro (short for reproduction).
How to Sell Vintage Clothes Online in 11 Steps
In this guide, colombia business directory you’ll learn how to sell vintage clothing with help from founders of four successful vintage stores. Learn from their experiences the best practices for sourcing vintage items and building your own business.
1. Find your niche
Every successful business starts from the same place: with a great business idea . Of course, you can just sell what you like, but choosing a specific niche within the vintage world can help differentiate your business from others.
The following niches are possible, for example:
- A specific decade or several decades, such as the 1920s or 1980s
- A specific purpose or occasion, such as evening wear or sportswear
- High-quality vintage designer clothing
- A niche product, like vintage band T-shirts
- Rework or upcycled styles (redesigning vintage clothing into new pieces)
- New retro vintage style clothing (read our guide to starting your own fashion label )
- Trendy styles, such as the revival of the 90s
Dayna Atkinson, founder of FYRE VINTAGE, has found her passion in reinterpreting vintage pieces by taking them apart and sewing them together in new ways. “I have a good mix of regular vintage clothing and reworked vintage fashion, which makes my shop unique,” she says.
Once you have decided on a niche, you should test it against several criteria before you commit:
- What’s your style? You’ll find it easier to find vintage clothing if you follow your own aesthetic preferences. You’ll already know the brands and be able to spot good pieces more quickly in crowded secondhand stores.
- Is your niche too narrow? If you choose a niche that is too specific, you may have trouble sourcing enough inventory. Make sure you have reliable sources for your niche.
- Is the niche overcrowded? Are there already too many shops selling vintage clothing in the same niche? If so, how can you differentiate your offer?
- Should you follow a trend or start a new one? What’s emerging on the catwalks or in influencer trends can give you direction. Vintage clothing sells better when it fits a modern style or lifestyle.
2. Build your vintage clothing brand
A solid brand for your vintage business will help you find a relevant audience, create a blueprint for future employees, and keep your focus consistent.
It’s important to define your vintage clothing brand at this early stage. Answering a few questions will help you tell your brand story, develop your visual aesthetic (or brand identity ), capture your mission, and more clearly envision your ideal customer.
You’ll refer to your brand guidelines regularly, whether it’s when designing your website or curating your collection. And as you grow your business and hire employees, these guidelines will help ensure a consistent message.