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thredUp Review – Is thredUP Legit? Is It Worth Your Time?
Old Clothes Can Mean New Money with ThredUp
If you are a parent, then you certainly know that kids outgrow their clothes at a record pace. Consider yourself very lucky if you manage to get more than a season or two from the clothes your children wear. Often, parents save their kid’s clothes for younger siblings or for relatives or friends with younger kids. (See my post, Sell Your Clothes Online – Mega List of Sites and Apps for more ways to cash in on your closet!)
But what if you have no one to pass the clothes on to or you have no need to keep them? Did you ever wish there was a way you could make money with your child’s outgrown clothes? Well, there is a way. A company called thredUp is a unique opportunity where you can make money selling the clothing that your children have outgrown.
Getting Started
Before you begin the money-making aspect of this venture, you need to order what is known as a thredUp bag to put your clothes in. This will require a $4.95 deposit that will be refunded to you once you send them the bag filled with clothes so consider this free since the whole idea behind it is that you will send them clothes that you will receive compensation for.
They ask for this deposit due to the financial and environmental cost that goes along with the distribution of the bags. The bag will have thredUp’s address on it with a prepaid shipping label. Once you completely fill the bag with clothing, you can ship it via UPS or the regular postal service. You can either leave it for pick-up or bring it to a location to have it shipped. Either way works.
Keep in mind it can take one to two weeks to receive your bag. An e-mail will be sent to you confirming when the bag has been received.
What Types of Clothing Can You Send?
thredUp asks that you send children’s clothing or shoes that are bigger than size 12 months. They also do not want any junior or adult clothing nor do they want socks, underwear or sleepwear. Sending homemade clothing or clothes that have been altered in any way (hems, monogramming, etc.) is also not on the list of wanted items. The company does have specific criteria in terms of brands and quality.
You cannot send anything that is stained, torn, ripped or not wearable in the condition it is currently in. Basically, look at the clothing and ask yourself if you would pay for it yourself. If you answer no, chances are no one else will buy it either.
Returned bags have a worth that is determined by the quantity and quality of what is in them. The professional buyers at thredUp will carefully look at each item determining the quality and how well they will be able to resell it. An item that is viewed as “premium” (meaning it is in high demand and/or is a high-quality brand) will mean a better payout for you. For instance, clothing from Gap, Gymboree and higher-end stores will be worth more than items from discount retailers or flea markets regardless of their condition.
The company does request that you do not send any of the following brand names: Kid Connection, George, Koala Kids, Athletic Works, Faded Glory, Sonoma or Garanimals as these are difficult to resell. It usually takes one to two days to review the items in your bag. After the review, you will receive an e-mail letting you know it is complete and your cash will be immediately available.
How Will You Get Your Money
Once an amount is determined for your bag of clothes, you will receive a payment that goes into your PayPal account. You also have the option of getting a credit to the thredUp store so you can purchase clothing that other people have sent to them.
Does the Company Sell Everything That You Send Them?
If something cannot be resold, it is entered into their one-hundred percent Re-Use Program. This is a partnership the company has with national textile distributors and recyclers so that it is being used in some capacity rather than going in a garbage dump and taking up space in landfills. The company is always looking for new ways to reuse or repurpose what they cannot use themselves whether it means donating them or recycling them in some way.
How Much Money Can You Earn?
Obviously, the better condition your clothes are in, the fuller your bag or bags are and the better the brands are, the more money you will make. The amounts vary a lot since people send in a wide variety of brands and clothing. Some people have received as little as seven dollars while others have gotten more than one hundred dollars per bag. If you go to the thredUp website, they have a listing posted on how much some of their more recent bags have been awarded. This will give you an idea of what to expect.
Other Things You Need to Know About thredUp
Aside from what you can and cannot send in terms of clothing and brands, there are a few other things you need to know about the company before you give them a try:
1. You do not get a tax write-off for the clothing you send to thredUp. The company is buying these items from you and giving you more than what the IRS would value them at.
2. You cannot dispute the value that the company gives to your clothing. They promise that you will get a fair and reasonable amount for what you send. This is why they rely on professionals to evaluate the clothing.
3. Right now, only those living in the forty-eight contiguous states (and in the District of Columbia) can send clothes to thredUp. They do hope to one day go international with their business.
4. You cannot ask for your items back after they are sent. Once thredUp receives your bag, it is theirs to keep.
If you are undecided whether or not you want to try thredUp, you can fill out one of their forms and get an idea of how much you can make with different articles of clothing. The main thing to remember is that the more you have in terms of quality and quantity, the more money you will earn.
Is there a company like Threadup for adult clothing?