How to Price Used Clothes for Resale: A Simple Formula That Works

Pricing is the single biggest factor in whether a used clothing listing sells this week or sits for six months. Undercutting bleeds margin; overpricing kills views. Here's the formula that consistently works across every second-hand marketplace.

The 3-step pricing formula

1. Find the sold price — not the asking price. Filter to "sold listings" on eBay, "sold" on Poshmark, or check five recently vanished listings on Depop and Vinted (the ones no longer showing means sold, not delisted).
2. Take the median of the five most recent comparable sold prices. Not the average — one outlier will pull the average up and make you overprice.
3. List 10–15% below the median if you want to sell within a week. List at the median if you can wait 2–4 weeks. List above only if the item is genuinely rare (deadstock, discontinued colourway, size 12+ luxury).

What counts as "comparable"

Match on all of these:

• Same brand
• Same item type (crewneck vs hoodie vs zip-up matters)
• Same condition band (new with tags, excellent, good, fair)
• Same size range (S/M vs L/XL — pricing differs)
• Same era if vintage (90s Nike hits different from current)

If you can't find five true comparables, widen to four criteria — but never compare across brands or across condition bands. That's how sellers overprice by 40% without realising.

Platform-specific pricing tweaks

• Depop and Vinted — buyers expect to negotiate 10–15% off. List slightly above your walk-away price.
• Poshmark — the platform pushes offer-based buying. Set your list price at the median, expect to accept an offer 10–20% below.
• eBay auction — start at 60% of median, expect it to end near the median. Fixed-price on eBay: list at median.
• Facebook Marketplace — buyers expect a discount for cash pickup. Price at median, accept ~10% off for local hand-off.

When to hold firm

• Deadstock (never worn, tags on)
• Discontinued colourway you can verify
• Small designer sizes (0–2, 42–44) that resellers stalk
• Luxury with box, dust bag, receipt

For any of those, price at or slightly above median. Buyers who want the specific item will pay full ask.

When to relist

If an item sits for 3 weeks without a single offer or save, it's overpriced. Don't drop the price — delete and relist at 15% lower. Marketplaces boost new listings, so a fresh listing at the correct price outsells a stale listing at the same price.

Faster listings, better pricing

The AI description generator reads your item photo and suggests a resale price in your local currency based on brand, item type, and detected condition. It won't replace your final judgement — but it gets you to a defensible starting price in about 10 seconds instead of 10 minutes of searching sold listings.