I recently discovered the joys of selling online. A little behind the eight ball, I have been meaning to sell some of my designer clothes on Ebay for years but just never got around to it. I have always been a fan of Ebay of course but it was the buying I was obsessed with.

I hoard clothes like a dragon hoards gold. Whether or not they fit or look good on me isn’t the point, I just love having them in my wardrobe.

During a fit of nesting I decided to clean out anything in my wardrobe I had never worn or would never wear again to sell . The sheer amount of it was astounding. I had pushed it all to the back end of he wardrobe – out of sight out of mind and until now hadn’t thought about the money I had wasted over the years on clothing I had no intention of wearing.

There was a brand new Herringbone suit with the tags still on, three Rebecca Davies dresses bought at a sample sale and the Cohen et Sabine jacket I mentioned a few columns ago to name a few. Not to mention all of the shoes that had been worn once, the bags that were growing old and dusty in their jackets and the beads jumbled together in a box under the bed.

I went to my friend for an advice. A seasoned Ebayer who had just done an annual cleanout she had all the hints and tips for selling clothing and making serious money. Now that everything I own is sold (I find myself looking around the house for things to sell – anything that’s not nailed down in fact) I can pass some of these tips to you.

Now every man and his dog can sell on Ebay but the key to selling clothes for quite often more than you paid for them? That’s a skill.

Tip One: Its all in the Heading

Everyone has a certain key word they search for whether it’s the label itself, New, Designer or NWTA (New With Tags Attached) theses should all be present in your title. If like me the item you are selling has only been worn once “Near New” is a great way to attract buyers who may be looking for new.

Tip Two: Decent Photographs

There are two tips here. Some of you will agree with me, some won’t but in my mind when I’m buying clothes I don’t want to know someone has worn it before. Even in a store I will try an item on and exchange it with another on the rack of the same size before buying.

When it comes to Ebay I don’t like seeing photos of someone wearing the item of clothing I am considering bidding for. Standing bare foot in front of a blank wall just doesn’t cut it for me.

Instead I use a bust mannequin to show off my items and photograph from all angles. If it’s a dress or pants I hang well from a hook high up on the back of a door. Shoot the item in close up with nothing else around. You want all the focus to be on the item.

Tip Three: Listing Time

Always list your items after 6:30pm on a week night. Think of what you do during the week, all I seem to do lately is to sit on the couch in front of the telly watching Temptation with a bowl of icecream in my lap. I would much rather be bidding on Ebay!

If you have two similar items, perhaps like me you bought three dresses in different colours “just in case” make sure you list the nicest first. You don’t want potential buyers waiting to buy the nice one and not bidding on the other two. It won’t drive the prices up enough.

Tip Four: List several items at once and in groups.

You want your Ebay listings to feel like a retail store. Don’t sell your old baby gear with designer clothing from Belinda it looks more like a jumble sale than an exclusive clothing auction.

Tip Five: Just do it!

Don’t wait around like me and make excuses not to sell. If you haven’t worn something in a season or like me you purchase something and almost immediately know it was a mistake list it! Even if you put a minimum amount you want for it. if it doesn’t sell no harm done. But if it does! My tip is to have a list of things you really want to buy with your Ebay money, makes it an easy decision.

And finally if your item doesn’t sell the first time you may decide to relist at a lower minimum price or cut the ties and give it to Vinnies.