Selling baby clothes online is one of the fastest ways to recoup money on items your child wore for a few weeks (or never at all). You can list individual pieces on resale apps, bundle basics into lots, or sell through consignment platforms that handle most of the work for you. The approach that makes the most sense depends on how much effort you want to put in and what kind of clothes you’re selling.
Pick the Right Platform
Each resale platform takes a different cut and attracts a different buyer. Choosing well can mean the difference between a quick sale and clothes sitting for months.
Poshmark works well for name-brand and premium baby clothes. The commission is 5.99% plus a flat fee of $1 to $3 depending on the sale price. Buyers pay a flat $7.97 for shipping, so you don’t need to worry about packaging costs. The platform skews toward shoppers looking for specific brands, making it a good fit if you have Gap, Hanna Andersson, Mini Boden, or similar labels.
Mercari charges sellers 10% of the item price. Sellers decide whether to absorb shipping or pass it to the buyer, with shipping typically running $4 to $15. Mercari attracts bargain hunters, so it’s a strong choice for everyday brands and bundled lots.
eBay takes 13.25% of the selling price plus a small per-order fee. You can run auctions or set fixed prices, and you choose whether to include shipping or charge the buyer separately. eBay has the largest audience, which helps when you’re selling harder-to-find sizes or designer labels.
Facebook Marketplace charges no listing or selling fees for local pickup, which makes it ideal for moving large quantities fast. You can post a bag of 20 onesies, price it to sell, and have cash in hand the same afternoon. The trade-off is that buyers expect rock-bottom prices and you’ll need to coordinate meetups.
OfferUp is similar to Facebook Marketplace for local sales, with no fees on in-person transactions. If you ship through the platform, expect to pay a minimum of $1.99 or 12.9% of the sale price.
thredUP is an online consignment store. You request a prepaid shipping kit, fill it with clothes, and mail everything in. thredUP handles photos, listings, and shipping to buyers. The convenience comes at a steep cost: the platform takes anywhere from 20% to 97% of each sale price, with the largest cuts on lower-priced items. This option makes sense only if your time is worth more than your margins.
Price by Brand Tier
A good starting point is pricing used baby clothes at one-third to one-half of what they cost new. From there, adjust based on condition and brand recognition. Items in like-new condition with tags still attached can sit closer to the half-retail mark; well-worn basics should be priced lower.
Brand matters more than you might expect. Resale prices break into rough tiers:
- Basic brands (store-brand labels, budget lines): Jeans sell for $4 to $6, tops for around $1, dresses for $4 to $6.
- Mid-range brands (Carter’s, Old Navy, OshKosh, H&M, Gap): Jeans go for $6 to $9, dresses for $6 to $8.
- Premium brands (Hanna Andersson, Little Me, Nautica): Jeans bring $8 to $12, dresses $8 to $15, outerwear $10 to $20.
- Designer labels (Ralph Lauren, Burberry, Mini Boden, DKNY): Jeans start at $12, dresses at $15, and winter jackets at $20 or more.
If an item would price out below $3 on its own, bundle it with similar pieces to make the listing worthwhile. A single plain onesie isn’t worth the effort of photographing, listing, and shipping. A lot of six onesies in the same size, priced at $10 to $12, is.
What to Bundle Together
Bundling is how you move basic items that wouldn’t sell individually. Group pieces by size and type so a buyer can grab exactly what they need for the next stage. Good candidates for lots include onesies (short-sleeve and long-sleeve), sleepers, socks in groups of three or more, bibs in groups of three, tights, and training pants. Accessories like hats and mittens also sell better as sets.
When you’re listing a bundle, put the size, the number of pieces, and the brands in the title. “12-Month Boys’ Onesie Lot, 8 Pieces, Carter’s/Old Navy” tells the buyer everything they need at a glance. Include a photo that shows every item laid out so there are no surprises.
Prepare Clothes Before Listing
Buyers can’t touch the fabric or check for stains in person, so the condition of your listing needs to do that work. Before you photograph anything, wash and dry every piece. Use a lint roller to remove pet hair, dust, and stray threads. Steam or iron out wrinkles, especially on dresses, button-downs, and anything with a collar.
Inspect each item closely. Look for loose threads, missing buttons, broken snaps, and stains. Small repairs like reattaching a button take two minutes and can keep a piece in the “excellent condition” category. If a stain won’t come out, you have two choices: drop the price and photograph the flaw clearly, or skip the item altogether. Honesty about condition prevents returns and bad reviews, both of which cost you more than the markdown would.
Take Photos That Sell
You don’t need a professional camera. A smartphone with a back-facing camera and decent natural light will produce better images than most buyers expect. Position your setup near a bright window and shoot during the morning or late afternoon, when indirect light is even and shadows are soft.
Lay clothes flat on a clean, neutral background like a white sheet, a piece of poster board, or a light-colored table. This style, called a flat lay, shows the full shape and color of each piece without distractions. For dresses and outerwear, hanging the item on a padded hanger against a plain wall can look more polished.
Take at least three photos per listing: a full front shot, a full back shot, and a close-up of any notable detail like a brand tag, embroidery, or a flaw. If you’re selling a bundle, photograph the entire group spread out, then include close-ups of two or three representative pieces. Buyers scroll fast, so your first image needs to be the clearest, most appealing shot.
Write Listings That Get Found
The title is your search engine. Include the brand, size, item type, and condition. “Hanna Andersson Girls’ Striped Dress, Size 80, EUC” will show up in far more searches than “Cute dress for baby girl!” EUC stands for “excellent used condition,” a shorthand most resale buyers recognize.
In the description, note the specific size and any relevant measurements (length, chest width) since baby sizing varies wildly between brands. Mention the fabric if it’s noteworthy, like organic cotton or fleece-lined. State the condition plainly: “Worn twice, no stains or holes” or “Light pilling on the knees, otherwise great shape.” If you’re in a smoke-free and pet-free home, say so. Many parents of babies care about this.
Ship Cheaply and Safely
Baby clothes are light, which is your biggest advantage on shipping costs. Most single items or small bundles weigh under a pound. USPS Ground Advantage is typically the cheapest option for lightweight clothing packages, with tracking included and delivery in one to five days.
For larger bundles heading across the country, USPS Flat Rate envelopes and small boxes can save money since the price stays the same regardless of weight or distance. You can order free USPS shipping supplies online and have them delivered to your door, which cuts your packaging costs to zero.
Avoid UPS and FedEx for small clothing shipments. Both carriers add fuel surcharges and residential delivery fees, and they calculate pricing based on package volume rather than weight (called dimensional weight pricing). That formula almost always costs more than USPS for a poly mailer stuffed with baby clothes.
For packaging, a poly mailer is all you need for most orders. They’re waterproof, lightweight, and cost pennies each in bulk. Fold the clothes neatly, tuck them inside, and seal the bag. For pricier items, wrapping the clothes in tissue paper adds a small touch that leads to better reviews.
Maximize Your Earnings
Timing matters. List spring and summer clothes in February and March, fall and winter clothes in August and September. Parents shop a size or two ahead, so listing seasonally gives buyers time to plan. Holiday outfits sell best four to six weeks before the holiday itself.
If something hasn’t sold in two to three weeks, lower the price by 10% to 15% or relist it to push it back to the top of search results. Most platforms reward fresh listings with more visibility. On Poshmark and Mercari, sharing your own listings regularly keeps them circulating in buyers’ feeds.
Offer a discount for buyers who purchase multiple items. This clears inventory faster and lets you combine shipping, which improves your profit per package. A simple note in your listing like “10% off bundles of 3 or more” encourages larger orders.
Keep your costs organized from the start. Track what you paid for shipping supplies, platform fees, and any cleaning costs. If you’re selling consistently, these expenses can add up, and knowing your true profit per item helps you decide which clothes are worth listing and which should go straight to the donation bin.