I’ve written before about ways you can get cash for your old clothing. One of the most popular ways is to sell your items to Plato’s Closet. This is a popular resale store for gently used, trendy items. Learn Plato’s Closet selling hacks.
Today I’m sharing some insider tips from my personal experience selling at Plato’s Closet over the years. There are some things you can do easily and quickly to make even more money on your items. If you’re going to spend time driving to Plato’s Closet to sell, why not make sure you get top dollar?
Plato’s Closet Selling Hacks
What is Plato’s Closet?
In case you are new to this store, Plato’s Closet is a popular teen and young adult clothing shop. Most of the items in the store are gently used but they also sell some items new with tags. It’s very similar to another young adult store called Buffalo Exchange.
On the mature woman side, there is also Clothes Mentor. These stores are all part of a national franchise but are independently owned and run. In addition, many of these stores are women owned businesses. Plato’s Closet has regular daytime hours just like a department store would, they just specialize in trendy, teen and young adult clothes.
For shoppers, prices are much more affordable than a department store or full retail. If you are used to shopping at thrift stores, I usually tell people that items for sale at Plato’s Closet cost a little bit more than a thrift store.
Plato’s Closet is a teen and young adult clothing resale shop and they offer cash on the spot. This store accepts both teen girls, young adult women and young mens clothing, along with shoes, accessories, jewelry and much more. Brands that Plato’s Closet stores will accept and trade clothes for cash include brands such as Aeropostale, American Eagle, Forever 21, Maurices and more. Clothing should be only a few years old, or less.
Related blog posts:
• Cash for Clothes Ways to Earn Money Now
• What to Spend Money On: Ideas and Tips
• Thrift Store Finds to Look for When Shopping
• Once Upon a Child Selling Hacks
Sell at Plato’s Closet
Earn the Most Money
When it comes to selling your new or gently used items for cash, selling at Plato’s Closet is a great option. In fact it’s probably the ideal option if you want only cash for your items, you want the money today and you don’t want to mess around with trying to sell online.
I’ve walked in and out of Plato’s Closet in an hour and earned $70 to $100 easy. This did not include any high end items like shoes or bags either! Continue reading to hear how I made this happen with Learn inside tips on how to make the most money possible when selling new or gently used items with these Plato’s Closet selling hacks.
• Appeal to Teen / Young Adult Audience: The first thing to point out with Plato’s Closet is you must sell them clothing that would appeal to teens (age 13 to 19) and/or young adults, think through college to maybe first job after college. This is not the store for the mature woman. However, some brands such as Athleta will appeal to both teens and adults. I often notice I’ll see more of the XXS or XS sizes of Athleta at Plato’s Closet due to their younger audience.
• Pay Attention to Brands and Trends: If you are unsure on brands, Plato’s Closet has a list of not only brands but also styles of items they are in need of or want to buy. Popular brands may also surprise you. Plato’s Closet often sells Target brands, Old Navy or even trendy less expensive brands such as Champion. But if you have some Coach or Gucci, they also won’t turn their nose up to it!
Also trends are important. For example right now overalls are popular and plaid shirts. Plato’s Closet might take these items regardless of brand name because they are trendy. You also want to make sure the items you are selling are relatively new, less than a few years old. Outdated items typically will not sell well here.
• Follow their Social Media: For more ideas on what to sell to your local Plato’s Closet, follow their social media channels and sign up for their email list. My local store often sends emails about sales, items in demand or special events. For example, a few years ago they had an athletic sale. I went in with athletic items and sold almost all of them to the store right before their big sale! These were items that were highly coveted to them.
• Include Shoes, Belts, Bags & Accessories: Keep in mind that Plato’s Closet also buys footwear, belts, bags, purses and other accessories. If you are unsure which accessories they will buy, call or visit your store to get an idea. I’ve also seen them sell mens and women’s hats, women’s bras, and even items like hair ties and hosiery of they are new in the package.
• Don’t Forget Young Men: As I mentioned, Plato’s Closet is a men’s and women’s store. While the majority of the retail space is devoted to women’s clothing they do have a men’s section. I was able to sell some of my husband’s clothing to Plato’s Closet right after college. They also typically have a display for team gear and apparel for local sports teams, colleges and universities.
• Launder All Items: This might go without saying, but please make sure the items you are selling are freshly laundered. Bring items in a condition and state you would want to purchase and wear.
• Pay Attention to Wear / Damage: While picking out items you want to try to sell to Plato’s closet, be sure to check your items for wear or damage. If clothing has pilling, is stretched, has ripped seams, stains or other damage don’t try selling the item. Unlike a thrift stop that takes practically any donation in any condition, the workers at Plato’s Closet look closely for damage or wear when purchasing items and will be quick to reject anything not up to snuff.
• Nicely Fold Your Items: I always make sure my items are folded nicely and presentable. I’m not sure how much this affects buying but I have to believe a folded item is nicer to look over than something crumpled and thrown into a big with little care.
• Store Items in a Proper Bin: I usually have a few bins on hand at home I use if I’m going to sell to a resale shop. Since the pandemic, most resale shops have gotten very picky over containers. They won’t let you walk in with a paper bag, cardboard box or laundry bin. Typically they prefer a plastic bin with a lid. The 18 gallon tote bins work well, if I don’t have a lot of items I might use a smaller bin with a lid.
• Show Off High End or NWT Items: I like to put a few of my best items on the top of the bin so that when the workers open my bin they see right away I have some good items. I’ll make sure the tags are showing or if the item is new with tag, make sure that is visible as well so they know you are offering up a brand new item!
Plato’s Closet Tips
In Summary
These are all my tips to get the most money for your new or gently used items at Plato’s Closet. In addition to following the tips above, be sure to be polite when interacting with the workers, patient and bring a smile. It may take time for them to review your items if it’s a busy day or there are other sellers before you while executing these Learn inside tips on how to make the most money possible when selling new or gently used items with these Plato’s Closet selling hacks.
If it’s a long wait I might shop in the store or run some other errands and then come back. When you return the store will let you know what items they are interested in purchasing along with an offer price. The great part about Plato’s Closet is you will receive cash on the spot.
When you sell be sure to bring your Driver’s License or ID as they will likely ask for it when you sell. You won’t need to worry about any kind of tax form or anything as these are your personal used items. Usually you will need to fill out a form with your name and contact information prior to the sale so they know how to reach you if you leave the store, such as by calling you on the phone.
Do you have a baby, toddler or child wearing clothing up to size 14? Be sure to check out my Once Upon a Child Selling Hacks to learn how to best sell your children’s items to that store.
Is there anything else you have questions about?
