Spring Cleaning: Clean Out Your Closet and Earn Extra Cash

Remember clothing?  As much as we love our athleisure, we can still recall what it was like to wake up and put on something other than hoodies, T-shirts, joggers and leggings. And now that coronavirus vaccines are available and we're resuming some sort of normalcy, we look forward to traveling again and meeting up with fellow vaccinated family and friends for brunch and outdoor fun (still wearing masks and socially distancing in public spaces). We also look forward to refreshing our wardrobe.  But if you want to make room for new garments, it's time to declutter and find a new home for the clothes, shoes and accessories you haven't worn in a season.

Donating to a thrift store or charitable organization is always a good option.  For certain items in new or nearly new condition, however, you can also earn some cash by selling them at a consignment shop.  

Here are several e-commerce and retail consignment shops we love:

thredUp makes cleaning out your closet easy.  Simply request a clean out bag from the website and choose the option to either sell or donate.  You can opt to have items not selected from your clean out bag returned to  you for a fee or have them donated. When eligible items sell you can request to cash out or get shopping credit on the thredup site or one of their retail partners. Value and mall brands like Old Navy, Target, Forever 21 and GAP are given 60 days to sell and premium and designer brands like J. Crew, Lululemon, Gucci and Prada are listed for 90 days.  Listing prices vary depending on the brand.

Crossroads Trading has buy/sell/trade stores across the country and you can also sell your trendy items by mail. Sellers get cash for 30% of what their items are priced to sell for and 50% in trade credit. Buyers look for on-trend items in great condition.  Athletic wear, crochet, pastels, high waisted denim, and crisp whites are currently in demand.

Plato's Closet is the place to sell current styles and trends in name-brand clothing, shoes and accessories. So go through your closet, or better yet raid your daughter, niece or younger sibling's closet. Go to a franchise store near you and get paid cash on the spot. What they're buying: sunglasses, hats, bodysuits, booties, flip flops, jeans and denim jackets.