Essential Tips for Drop Shipping Clothing

Did you know that clothing, shoes and accessories are eBay's second top seller? Clothing is a great market to get into for several reasons; there are so many different categories; there is always a demand for clothing; shipping of clothing is low risk; and there are many niche markets to explore such as men's plus size swim wear, petite maternity wear, and kids colored jeans.
What does drop shipping clothing involve?
As with all drop shipping, selling clothing through a drop ship supplier starts with finding a reliable supplier who stocks the items you want to sell. Finding a supplier who stocks the items you want isn't always easy, but there are several ways you can go about finding yourself a drop ship supplier:

• Try Googling 'the name of your product you want to sell + drop shipper'. Remember that the best suppliers aren't always on the first page of search results. Keep in mind that when you search for suppliers this way, you run the risk of encountering con artists who prey on taking newbies sellers for a ride (and taking their money for a ride to down to the bank!). One way to check that a supplier is legitimate to visit Domain Tools and enter the URL of a supplier you are looking into. Look under 'Registration Record' and see when the site was created. If it is less than 2 years old, we recommend that you find yourself another supplier, don't be tempted to give them a try because they are the cheapest you can find, they are highly likely to be a fake supplier who is attempting to lure you in then take your money and run!
• Use a reliable supplier directory such as SaleHoo which guarantees their suppliers as safe and legitimate.
• Look through trade magazines - TradePub.com offers free downloadable trade magazines with information on suppliers as well as handy tips about what products are up and coming for the next season

Once you have found your drop ship supplier, it's time to start listing! Pull the photos and product descriptions from your supplier's site and make your own listings on eBay or wherever you intend to sell. When deciding on a price to sell your goods at, keep in mind the extra charges involved with drop shipping. Usually, a drop shipper will attach around US$2-US$5 onto the advertised price.
When the item sells, visit your supplier's site and buy the item which you have just sold and enter the buyer's delivery address at the checkout.
Your drop shipper will then send the item out to your awaiting buyer. Easy!
Tips for successfully selling clothing

• When selling on eBay, make use of acronyms. These help to give you better item titles and tell the buyer a lot about the item you are selling. For example, NWT = New with tags, so the buyer will know that the item is brand new, unworn and because it still has tags attached, it's suitable as a gift, if necessary. Here are a few more helpful acronyms you may wish to use when selling clothing:

            EUC: Excellent used condition
            FC: Fine condition
            G: Good condition
            HTF: Hard to find
            NBW: Never been worn
            NM: Near mint (condition)
            NWOT: New without original tags

• Describe the item in detail. Does it have pockets? Where? How many? Does it have vintage buttons or perhaps French cuffs? Make sure you describe the item as accurately and with as much detail as possible. This helps the buyer make an informed decision, and prevents any surprises when they open the parcel later
• List basic measurements such as armpit-to-armpit and shoulder-to-waist. If drop shipping, your supplier will have to provide you with these details. This is essential for encouraging buyers when they are skeptical about wasting time and money on buying something online that may not fit them.
• Keep up with trends by reading fashion blogs and articles so you can source next season's hot items
• Sell easy-fit items like scarves, hats and neck ties. People are more likely to buy these as there is little to no risk of them not fitting the buyers.

Best Wholesale Clothing Suppliers

Are you looking into selling wholesale clothing but don't where to start? Or have you been wondering where your competitors get their amazing products from (and how they get them so cheap!)? Read on to find out how to find the very best clothing wholesalers on the web!

What to look for in a wholesale clothing supplier:

A wide range of products: A supplier who caters for everyone from babies to fashionistas won't just offer you convenience; they will offer you more opportunities to sell to a wider audience.
A taste for what's hot: Fashion moves very quickly with some fads only lasting a few months (remember those awful scarves with skulls on them? Thank God they only lasted a few weeks!), but during those few months, fads can be highly profitable. Therefore you need a supplier who can quickly sniff out the new trends and source them from the manufacturers to bring them to you.
Quality products: Before you place any big orders, get a few samples to take a look at. Suppliers are more than happy to do this - some even expect it. Take a close look at the quality (wear them around and wash them, if you can, you'll get a great idea of how they will wear). Order a few different items like shirts, jeans and coats to really get an idea of their quality standards. Better quality clothing will mean more repeat customers so make sure you spend some time doing this.
Exceptional customer service: When things go wrong, like shipments going astray, or orders are incorrect, the last thing you want is an irresponsive supplier who doesn't return your calls. Before you place an order with your new supplier, make sure you do a little test by emailing or calling them with a few questions. See how helpful they are, how thoroughly they answer your questions and if emailing, how quickly they respond.

How to find the best suppliers

So where will you find suppliers who offer all of the above, I hear you ask? Well, the best suppliers aren't always easy to find but with some time and persistence, you can definitely get there! Unfortunately, it's not really an option to email your competitors and ask them where they source their items from, but with some patience and persistence, you too can find great suppliers who will help to propel you to PowerSeller status before you can say "bootleg jeans"!

• Performing a Google search is a great start, but remember that the best sellers aren't always on the first page of search results. Also keep in mind that when you search for suppliers on Google or any other search engine, you make yourself vulnerable to con artists out there who will take your money and run off into cyber space, never to be heard from again.

• To really ensure that you get the best possible suppliers, use a reputable online supplier directory, such as SaleHoo.com. Be wary of small lesser-known directories, as there are actually only a few reputable ones.

• To find local suppliers, trade fairs or shows are a great way to find out about the latest products and to meet suppliers face to face. Or for a simple option which you can do from home, simply pull out your Yellow Pages and look for manufacturers, suppliers or wholesalers near you.