It can be easy to be overwhelmed sourcing at thrift stores with the variety of clothes they carry. I’m sure you’ve looking through rack upon rack and not recognized a single brand. Are they worth picking up? Is it popular? What sells well on each platform?
I know I struggled a lot when I first decided to start sourcing and it took a lot of trial and error to learn what brands do and do not sell. Now I am in no ways a fashion expert, but I’ve learned through this process to pay attention to popular trends and brands through research and social media. Whether you are selling on Poshmark, Mercari, or other reselling sites, here are some of the best brands I have found sell well online.
Women's Brands
Tops
This can be a tough category to make a short list of top performers. Overall look for top name brands that are trending and what is popular right now.
- Free People
- Lily Pulitzer
- Madewell
- Anthropologie Brands (look for RN #66170 on the label)
- We The People
- Zara
- American Eagle
- Crew
- Torrid
- Lululemon
What is have found to be the most helpful when sourcing for women’s tops is search more for the style than the brand. Having a great brand definitely helps, but if you source items from 5+ years ago your buyers do not care that the garment is Free People. They are looking for affordable fashion that is on trend right now. Some popular styles I am looking for right now are:
- Crop tops
- Boho
- Beaded embellishments
- Texture and rouching (particularly on sleeves and shoulders)
- Neutral tones
Activewear
Here are the best brands to sell in the active wear category:
- Lululemon
- Patagonia
- Athleta
- Fabletics
- The North Face
- Adidas
- Nike
- Gymshark
- Under Armour
- Puma
Remember with athletic wear the brand is not everything. Make sure you are sourcing products that stay within the most up to date trends and styles. Some of the current best-selling styles:
- 7/8 pants
- High-waisted bottoms
- Biker shorts
- Crop tops
- Tight fit, compression
Jeans
This can be a hit and miss category for me. If you are sourcing jeans make sure they are high quality, very gently used, and have no visible damages or stains to them. I have had one too many pairs of jeans sit in my inventory for months only to re-donate them back to my local thrift store. These brands, however, do well on reselling sites:
- True Religion
- Lucky Brand
- Madewell
- Citizens of Humanity
- American Eagle
- Levi’s
- Torrid
- Free People
- 7 For All Mankind
- Big Star
As with other categories, if you choose to source jeans make sure to only choose jeans that match with the current style. Jeans more than three years old likely won’t sell well for you.
Shoes
I don’t resell many shoes because I have a hard time finding high quality, gently used options when thrifting. Be careful to check the soles for wear and any scuffing. I have had the best results with NWT shoes with most of them coming from these brands:
- Birkenstock
- Dr. Marten
- Sorel
- Hunter
- Frye
- Burberry
- Vans
- Converse
Other great brands in the comfort and athletic category include: Nike, adidas, Merrel, HOKA, Tieks, and New Balance
Handbags and Wallets
Here are the best brands to sell women’s handbags and wallets:
- Coach
- Frye
- Betsey Johnson
- Michael Kors
- Kate Spade
- Louis Vuitton
- Tory Burch
- Fossil
- HOBO
- Prada
Men's Brands
Tops and Jackets
I combined these two categories because to be honest, men’s clothing is not my best seller. I do pick them up from time to time or have clothing from my husband’s closet, but otherwise I sell mainly women’s clothing. What I have learned from trying to sell men’s items is that men don’t tend to gravitate towards brand names as much as they do styles and trends. Look for what is popular in social media and even at big box stores and use that information when sourcing. Here are some of the brands that do sell well for me regularly:
- Nike
- Patagonia
- Polo by Ralph Lauren
- Carhartt
- Wilson’s Leather
- Levi’s
- NFL Official
- The North Face
- adidas
- Jordan
Some of the best items I sell for men tend to be coats, jackets, and trending activewear.
Jeans
Again, with jeans be careful about what you source. Make sure you are reselling in-style, very gently used jeans. Otherwise, I have found they don’t sell well. Here are some of the best men’s jeans brands:
- American Eagle Outfitters
- Levi’s
- Carhartt
- Lucky Brand
- True Religion
- 7 For All Mankind
- Wrangler
- All Saints
- Ralph Lauren
- Silver
If you choose to source jeans make sure they are either a popular vintage style or their style tag indicates they were made within the last three years. Older, less popular styles tend not to sell well. Also check your jeans carefully for flaws and stains before purchase.
Shoes
- Nike
- Sperry
- Converse
- Jordan
- Cole Haan
- adidas
- Red Wing
- Frye
- Marten’s
Boots and NWT athletic shoes sell very well and for the most money in the Men’s shoes category.
Home and Décor
Many reselling sites sell not only clothing, but home and pet items as well. While I tend to stay more in the clothing category due to my interests, I have seen lots of success with top brand home items. Here are some of the current trending brands
- Rae Dunn
- Disney
- Bath & Body Works
- Pottery Barn
- kate spade
- Anthropologie
- Vintage
- Pioneer Woman
- Starbucks
- Hallmark
This is such a broad topic that its hard to pick just a few. Look around at your local thrift stores for popular, gently used items. Make sure to check carefully for any damage or missing pieces.
Overall, when reselling the most important key to making a profit is to move items through inventory as quickly as possible. The faster an item sells, the sooner you will have more money to invest in even more inventory to increase your profit. Items taking up space in your storage are not making you any money. It can be helpful to look for popular and trending brands to ensure your inventory moves quickly and sales are made.
Next time you are at your local thrift store, see if you can find any of these brands! Do you have other brands and trends that sell well for you? Let me know in the comments below!
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