Give your clothes new life
Have clothes you no longer wear hanging around your closet?
Secondhand clothing and shoes for sale at Find Clothing Exchange in Portland, Maine. PHOTO: RAINE RAYNOR
This article was last updated May 2024.
By Bray Hunter
Are you cleaning out your closet or eagerly trying to refresh your style? Are you tired of clothes that don’t fit quite right taking up space in your dresser? Maybe you have an outfit you bought for a special event and probably won’t wear again. If you have clothes that you just don’t love or need, chances are that someone else will feel differently about them. There are many ways to give your clothes a new lease on life—whether you want to donate, sell on consignment or sell online. With any of these choices, you are helping to reduce waste–and as a bonus, supporting a nonprofit or getting a little cash back for yourself. Whether you stay local or tap a wider online market, there are many ways to keep your used clothing out of the landfill. We put together this guide to help you choose which option is best for you!
Jump to our lists of:
Before donating your clothes, check that they are in good wearable condition. PHOTO: RAINE RAYNOR
Donating and recycling your used clothes
Donating clothes and items you no longer use is a great way to get them into the hands of someone who will happily give them a new life. Donation helps reduce waste while supporting people and organizations in need. There are many local organizations throughout Maine which accept clothing donations, including Maine Needs, faith-based organizations, shelters, and other social organizations, as well as Goodwill and Salvation Army (nine Maine locations)
When donating clothes, make sure they are clean, dry and in good wearable condition. If you have items that are torn, damaged or otherwise not in usable condition, you can donate those to textile recycling facilities, such as Apparel Impact or Ecosmith through local donation boxes (Maine Needs, a Portland-based nonprofit has compiled a great list of locations here). If there isn’t a donation box in your area, For Days, an online clothing recycling company, offers yet another option for shipping clothing to be recycled.
Material Objects, a consignment shop in downtown Portland, accepts jewelry in addition to women’s clothing, men’s clothing, shoes, bags and accessories. PHOTO: RAINE RAYNOR
Selling to consignment shops
Are you looking to sell in person? Local consignment stores allow you to sell your pre-owned items within your community. Maine has a wide range of consignment stores, including ones that focus on women, men, all genders, plus sizes, vintage, teens, babies and kids, outdoor clothing and gear, and even items for pets!
Many stores, like vintage-focused Little Ghost in Portland, curate their stock based on season, brands, era and/or style. That’s why it can be worthwhile to sell items to multiple stores. PHOTO: RAINE RAYNOR
There are typically two types of selling arrangements. One option: The store reviews your items and pays you upfront a portion of the price they believe they can get for them. This method provides immediate cash but is less common and tends to offer a lower percentage of the expected sale price. The second and more common selling arrangement is when a store reviews what you have to offer and select items on a consignment basis for a set period of time. At the end of your consignment term, you receive a payment if the item is sold. This method typically offers a split that ranges from 40–60% of the selling price and gives you a choice to pick up your unsold items or allow the store to donate them. Shops may also offer payment in store credit, typically at a higher percentage of the selling price than cash.
Here are our tips:
Go online or call ahead to find out the store’s policies, the types of items they will accept and when they accept consignment items. Plan ahead and know that you may have to wait a bit to get an appointment, if walk-ins are not allowed.
Most consignment stores are well versed in resale value and know what tends to sell in their particular store. If you want to get a comparison price, you can look up your product online before bringing it into the store. The quality, brand, year of clothing, seasonality and style can all affect how much money you may be offered and the amount of your split.
Know the worth of your item, but don’t over-evaluate it. If you believe the item is worth more than you are offered, you can always try another consignment shop or other methods of selling.
Be sure to clean, fold and neatly pack your clothing in a bag or bin. Stores may refuse items that are dirty or smelly.
Don’t take it personally if the shop doesn’t take some of your items; they might not be the right match for their shop or fit with their inventory. Different stores accept different items, so try multiple stores!
Selling secondhand clothing online
If you are looking to sell your clothing online, there are many resources and tools to help you do so. Major websites where you can buy and sell secondhand clothing and accessories include Poshmark, eBay, Depop and thredUP. On each of these sites, you will have to create a profile to access the selling platform.
It is easy to feel overwhelmed; however, there are many small steps to simplify the process. Here are our tips for listing your items:
When taking photos of your clothing, try to have nice lighting and include a solid background such as a light-colored wall. Provide enough photos for the shopper to fully understand the product before they buy. (You don’t want to have unhappy customers!)
Take plenty of photos to provide customers a complete sense of the item you are selling. PHOTOS: BRAY HUNTER
When listing your item, there will often be an option for a description, where you can notify customers of any damages (e.g., stains, holes) and details; these can include the size, brand, color and condition, such as “new with tags.”
Often, the site will recommend a price for your item. However, it can be beneficial to search the item you are selling online for a cross-comparison of value. Once you have done all these things, you can list your product.
It is important to know before you sell that many online clothing reselling sites charge a fee when an item is sold. eBay has a fee that depends upon the item category and the final sale value. For clothing, eBay takes 13.25% if the total sale amount is less than $150 and 8% if the sale is more than $150. For Poshmark, the fee is 20% on sales of $15 or more or a flat fee of $2.95 on all sales under $15. Depop has a fee of 10% on the total transaction amount.
Through donation, consignment and selling online, there are numerous ways to provide a new home to your unwanted clothing. By recycling your clothes and passing them on, you are taking important steps to reduce waste and playing a critical role in the reimagination of our current fashion and clothing industry.
Bray is an Innovate for Maine Summer Intern and a rising senior at Colby College.
Where can I donate my used clothes in Maine?
Where can I sell my used clothes and gear in Maine?
Have a consignment store to add to this list? Contact us or comment below.
Artemis Plus Size Resale
96 Ocean St., Suite 1, South Portland, ME
Women’s clothing sizes XL-5X
Bearly Used Boutique
104 Kennedy Memorial Drive, Waterville, ME
(207) 616-0918
Women’s clothing, shoes, bags and accessories
Buy Low Baby
99 Commercial St, Bath, ME
(207) 442-9555
Baby/toddler clothing, shoes and toys
Bloom Consignment and Resale Clothing
863 Main St., Westbrook, ME
(207) 887-9448
Women’s clothing, shoes, bags and accessories
Estilo
153A Park Row, Brunswick, ME
(207) 729-0107
Women’s clothing, shoes, bags and accessories
Find Clothing Exchange
16 Free Street, Portland, ME
(207) 699-4285
Women’s clothing, men’s clothing, shoes, bags, accessories
Forget-Me-Nots
240 US Route 1, Falmouth, ME
(207) 781- 8252
Women’s clothing, shoes, bags and accessories
Fresh Start Boutique
29 Main Street, Kennebunk, ME
(207) 985-7892
Women’s clothing, shoes, bags and accessories
The Growing Place
1221 Broadway, Bangor, ME | (207) 947-9055
548 Hammond Street, Bangor, ME | (207) 941-1055
Children’s clothing, women’s clothing, maternity clothing, toys and baby equipment
Haberdashery Resale Clothing Co.
305 Commercial Street, Portland, ME | (207) 747-4153
114 Main Street, Freeport, ME | (207) 572-5849
Focus on women’s clothing, shoes, bags and accessories, with some men’s clothing
Material Objects
500 Congress Street, Portland, ME
(207) 774-1241
Women’s clothing, men’s clothing, shoes, bags and accessories
Little Ghost
31 Forest Avenue, Portland ME
(207) 773-8290
Vintage women’s clothing, men’s clothing, shoes, bags, accessories, art and decor
Lots for Tots
240 US-1 D6, Falmouth, ME
(207) 347-8601
Baby/toddler clothing, shoes, furniture and toys
The Once More Store
1480 Lisbon Street, Lewiston, ME
(207) 333-9878
Children’s clothing, shoes, toys and entertainment
Peacock Consignment Boutique
388 S. Main St., Brewer, ME
(207) 947-4780
Women’s clothing, shoes, bags and accessories
Portland Gear Hub
155 Washington Ave, Portland, ME
(207) 761-7632
Outdoor gear and apparel
ReStyle
475 US Route 1, Freeport, ME
(207) 865-4500
Women’s clothing, shoes, bags and accessories
Revival Boutique
162 Main Street, Bethel, ME
(207) 824-0577
Clothing, shoes, bags, accessories and furniture
Robin’s Nest Consignment
169 Searsport Ave, Belfast, ME
(207) 218-1167
Furniture, décor, fashion accessories
Woods + Waters Gear Exchange
12 Pleasant Street, Brunswick, ME
(207) 844-8353
Outdoor gear and apparel
