Many popular brands of children's clothing have a very good resale value, and even basic clothes can fetch up to half the purchase price back at the time of sale, as long as the garment is in good condition. The resale value is best preserved when the colours of the textile have remained bright and the garment has not turned grey. The resale value of the garment is reduced by other wear and tear, such as twisted seams, loose threads and linting.
Unfortunately, stains and holes, which are so common in children's clothing, have a big impact and can reduce the resale value to almost nothing. These are things we can't always control in our everyday lives, but fortunately, by taking good care of your clothes, you can influence the price at which you can sell them in the future. Small things go a long way, and it's much nicer to find that your clothes are still in good condition long after your family's needs have passed.
Read this article for tips from Kidia professionals on how to preserve the resale value of your clothing and also check out our tips for stain removal.
Follow the washing instructions when washing your laundry
There are as many opinions on laundry as there are launderers, and it's worth remembering that these tips are intended to be used according to your own needs. Feel free to pick and choose the information you find useful and ignore the others!
Clothes are designed to withstand treatment according to the instructions, and colours, for example, may stay better at the highest possible temperatures than at lower washing temperatures. In many cases, clothes will last better in use when washing instructions are followed. This also gives them a higher resale value.
You can also save by turning the garment inside out when washing, which saves the surface from maximum mechanical wear. Remember also that by avoiding unnecessary washing, you will prolong the life of your garment. On the other hand, accumulated dirt destroys the fibres of the garment, so it is best to wash the garment after it has been soiled.
It is always a good idea to sort your laundry before washing, but according to your own needs. For example, black and white clothes should be washed separately from coloured and other coloured clothes. This will keep the colours of your clothes bright and prevent them from turning grey. White clothes should always be washed separately from other colours.
It is also a good idea to use recommended washing temperatures and the degree of soiling of the clothes as a basis for sorting. It is not advisable to wash overalls together with baby's bodysuits. Be careful not to mix delicate fibres with other laundry. A merino wool helmet cap will shrink miserably if it gets into 60 degrees with baby clothes.
Put some effort into drying your laundry too
Users of tumble dryers should pay particular attention to the recommended drying temperatures for clothes and familiarise themselves with the characteristics of their own dryer. Some clothes will stand up well to the dryer, while others will wrinkle and stretch out of shape.
The dryer wears out clothes slightly faster than cord drying, and clothes also shrink more than average when using a dryer. For particularly high-value garments, where you want to maintain their resale value, it is preferable to dry them by other means than tumble-drying. Some products, such as thick woollen garments, are prone to stretching and should be dried flat rather than hanging on a line.
When it comes to washing and drying laundry, the most important thing is of course to get it washed and dried. It's OK to fiddle around, but it's also very OK to throw all your laundry in the machine at once, forget to put it in the dryer three times and then wash it again and again.
Correct if possible
Even if clothes are always washed correctly and every stain is removed freshly, the resale value of the garment can still be destroyed. Accidents happen in families with children, and scissor-cut bellows, tatted trouser legs and all kinds of falls are a constant cause of clothes falling apart. Mending clothes is an art form in itself, one that inspires some and infuriates others.
Repairing, patching and mending basic clothing is often not a good idea for a flea market, but it is definitely worth repairing clothes that are still suitable for your child. From an environmental point of view, it is important that the clothes you buy are used up as much as possible.
Clothing patches are a quick and easy way to mend clothes, as are the various iron-on patches and glue patches sold in fabric shops, for example.
Repairing a branded garment is also profitable in terms of resale value. Of course, a repaired or patched branded garment is not worth the same as an equivalent product in pristine condition, but if the product is in good condition apart from one repaired defect, its resale value can still be quite comfortable. So it's worth making the effort to repair if you want to maintain the value of the garment.
Resale value is linked to the quality of the garment
Whether you buy brand new or second-hand clothes, you should, as far as possible, choose clothes made from quality, durable materials that will last for a long time. Would it be possible to invest in quality rather than quantity when buying clothes? Of course, everyone considers these questions from the point of view of their own family.
High-quality garments are more resistant to wear and tear, and one garment can have many users after it is made. If you want to be sure that a garment has a good resale value, you should choose brands that you know are committed to excellence in quality and manufacturing process.
Trendy or timeless?
Of course, the resale value of a garment is also influenced by its trend value. The children's clothing industry lives with changing fashion trends, but there is always a demand for certain classic, timeless clothes. You can quickly find out what's in fashion for children's clothing today by following fashion-minded content creators on Instagram, for example.
If a garment clearly represents the most sought-after trend colour or pattern of the moment, you should sell it on as soon as you no longer need it. Fashion is constantly changing and the resale value of a garment will quickly drop if it does not match the current trends. For this reason, it is not advisable to store clothes for a long time waiting to be sold. A super-selling garment right now could be the snow of winter's past in a couple of years' time.
Remember these before you sell
Once you have decided to put your children's clothes up for sale, it is definitely worth spending some time preparing your clothes for sale if you want to ensure the best possible resale value.
Before a flea market sale, it's a good idea to wash every single item of clothing. We strongly recommend using a fragrance-free detergent and drying your clothes thoroughly before packing.
Ironing isn't everyone's favourite activity, but it's still the most important tip we flea market professionals have for sellers. A wrinkled garment doesn't excite buyers in the same way as a smooth and soft garment. The price of a garment can be significantly higher if you put in the effort to iron it.
Read more in our article on how to make the most money at a flea market.
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Marttialiitto offers great tips on laundry, clothes repair, storage and recycling. We recommend you read and apply the tips to your own everyday life!