Old clothes may seem like they are just taking up much needed space, but inside piles of garments could hide a hidden treasure trove of valuable goods. Last year’s, even sometimes the previous decade’s fashions may hang sadly in the wardrobe. However, with a few clues these forgotten garments could work for you and still brighten up your day. The good news is that no matter how you feel about that tired selection of clothes, whether they were unwanted gifts or the flight of fancy from yesteryear, each one has the potential to pay you back. Simply throwing them away would be a mistake.
Valuing Clothes
Each year, a shocking £140 million worth of unwanted clothing is dumped in landfill sites across the UK. It’s estimated that the typical British household owns clothes worth a surprising £4,000, yet 30% of these are never worn. That means most homes are sitting on a pile of old clothes they paid £1,200 for, yet they no longer make any use of. On the other hand, surveys show that, while householders spend about £1,700 each on new clothes peryear, two-thirds of people are willing to buy second-hand clothes. All that’s needed is a way to unlock the cash each item is worth.
Saving Textiles
The nation as a whole would benefit from increased re-use of unwanted clothes. In a UK retail industry worth £44 billion per-year (about five-percent of total consumer spending every year), if the length of time clothes were used by households was extended by an average of nine-months, £5 billion would be saved from the cost of materials used in clothing manufacture. This means less resources would be used to produce new clothes, which is good for the environment.
Making Cash
So how does this all affect the average person? The key is to learn how to learn how to sell clothes for cash. musicMagpie requires no membership fee, is simple to use and has stores located across Britain easily accessible to most people. A simple quote system will let you know how much your clothes are worth before you box them up to take in exchange for payment. People living in rural or remote locations can make use of the free courier service, which is fully insured for added peace of mind.
If you normally give your old clothes to the charity shop there is an option to give the payment to the charity of your choice. Alternatively, you could put it towards a fresh outfit, something for a big night out or regular day wear. Whether this is second-hand or totally new is a choice only you can make!
