Everyone knows proms are expensive. With the largest portion of prom costs usually going toward the dress, it’s only natural to look for ways to recoup at least some of that spending.
In this guide, we’ll explore where to sell prom dresses for the best price and discuss options such as consigning and donating your gown so you can decide which option best suits you.
Main Takeaways:
- Consigning, selling, and donating are the three main paths to consider when parting with your prom dress.
- Consignment stores and online platforms are a convenient, low-effort option, but they take a portion of your sale, which can be anywhere from 20% to 95%.
- To make the most profit, you can sell your prom dress yourself locally or on platforms like Poshmark, Queenly, DePop, etc.
- Using Vendoo to cross-list your prom dress on multiple platforms may help you reach more buyers and sell faster.
- Donating your prom dress to organizations like Becca’s Closet helps support a good cause and may offer tax deductions.
Where to Consign Your Prom Dress
Consignment is a good option for those who don’t want to deal with all the hassles of the selling process. Consignment shops and online platforms will sell your prom dress for you, saving you time and effort in exchange for a percentage of your sale.
Nice bonus: you instantly free up space, as your dress won’t have to collect dust in your closet while you wait for the buyer.
The bad news is that you only get paid if and when the dress sells, and the commission fees can be from 20% to 95%, depending on the brand, condition, and even age of your dress.
Local Consignment Shops
The quickest and easiest option would be to look for consignment shops near you that accept prom dresses. You may want to stop by several locations for dress evaluation and then choose the place that offers the highest quote. Your payout with local stores will typically be 40-70%, but each store sets its own policies, so it’s a good idea to do a quick research of your local options to get an idea of your earning potential.
Tip: You can also use your local Facebook groups or other social networks to check if there are individual resellers in your area who could be interested in selling your prom dress for you.
The Real Real
If you have a designer dress from one of the luxury brands on this list, you can try selling it with the online consignment platform The Real Real. Their commission rate for clothing items is between 20% and 70%, depending on how the platform’s algorithm prices your dress. You can check out the commission structure here.
ThredUp
ThredUp is often mentioned on the web as a place to consign a prom dress, but as it turned out in our email correspondence with the platform’s customer support, they don’t accept formalwear. Cocktail dresses are accepted, though. So, if you think your prom dress can be considered cocktail attire, ThredUp may be worth trying. Just consider adding Return Assurance for $10,99 to be able to get back your dress in case they don’t accept it, and mind the $14.99 fee they charge for their services if your item sells.
Learn more about consignment in the article Consignment Selling: How to Consign Your Items for Cash.
Where to Sell Prom Dresses?
If you prefer to handle everything yourself, you can sell your prom dress directly. It takes time and effort, but you get to keep all the proceeds. You’ll also get more control over the price and will be able to negotiate with buyers to facilitate the sale.
Tip: Cross-listing your prom dress on multiple platforms with Vendoo will maximize your chances of closing the most profitable deal. Sign up for free here!
You can choose to sell locally or online, depending on your preferences and the platforms you’re most comfortable with. Let’s explore some of the best options.
Selling a Prom Dress Locally
Facebook Marketplace
Up to 40% of Facebook’s monthly active users buy something on Marketplace, which makes it one of the best places to sell your prom dress for cash locally. FB Marketplace doesn’t charge any listing fees or service fees for offline sales, but if you find a buyer who asks for shipping, you’ll be charged 10% per order or a flat fee of $0.80 for orders of $8 or less.
Local FB groups
Aside from the Marketplace, Facebook has numerous local groups for buying and selling. You can type in the name of your city or neighborhood + the keywords “buy and sell” on the search bar to look up groups in your area. Some FB groups are dedicated specifically to prom dresses. They are typically nationwide, but if you live in a large city, you may be able to find a local buyer.
OfferUp
Although OfferUp allows sellers to sell and ship items across the US, it primarily focuses on connecting buyers and sellers locally. It can even help you locate a safe meet-up spot that will be a well-lit, busy public area under video surveillance. If you decide to ship your item, though, the service fee of $12.9% ($1.99 minimum) will be deducted from your earnings.
Thrift shops near you
An alternative to consignment, taking your prom dress to a thrift shop is a good idea if you need cash quickly and don’t mind a lower profit. You will get paid immediately without having to manage listings or wait for the bank to process the payment.
Keep in mind that item evaluation is done by the staff at the store and is usually far from being objective — some might love your prom dress, while others might turn it away. So, you may have to check a few places before you get a worthy deal.
Selling a Prom Dress Online
Poshmark
As a fashion-focused marketplace, Poshmark is one of the go-to places for those looking for pre-owned formalwear. It has a large user base, a dedicated category for prom dresses, and an easy-to-use app, so if you’re new to selling, it’s a good place for your first listing.
Fees: No payment processing fee, but a $2.95 selling fee applies for sales under $15 and 20% for sales of $15 and more.
Read more about selling on Poshmark in our guide How to Sell on Poshmark: A Step-by-Step Guide to Success.
eBay
Everyone knows eBay as one of the world’s largest marketplaces, where one can buy and sell almost anything, including pre-loved prom dresses. It may not be the best option if you have a high-end dress, but mid-range and budget gowns are very likely to find their new owners there. The listing process and fee structure might be overwhelming, but the wider reach might be well worth it.
Fees: 15% for sales of $2,000 or under and 9% for everything above $2,000 + a per-order fee of $0.3 for orders of $10 or less and $0.4 for orders over $10.
Queenly
A dedicated website for formal attire, Queenly attracts people who are looking specifically for evening gowns and dresses for formal events, including proms. It’s a newer platform, so the audience may not be as large as eBay or Poshmark, but it’s interested precisely in what you offer, so your chances of making a quick and successful sale there are pretty high.
Fees: 20% selling fee, no payment processing fee.
Depop
If your prom dress is trendy or vintage, DePop might be the best platform to sell it. It’s a relatively new global marketplace for fashion-conscious consumers. It may have a smaller audience than older, more established platforms, but its popularity is steadily growing with Gen Z users, who happen to be your target audience. Just make sure to pack your listing with hashtags for higher chances of discoverability.
Fees: No selling fee, but a payment processing fee of 3.3% + $0.45 applies to US-based sellers.
Mercari
Another user-friendly app for selling secondhand items, Mercari appeals to a younger audience, which makes it a perfect place to try selling your prom dress. The platform allows for easy listing and communication with potential buyers, and since 2021, they even offer a local delivery service powered by Uber, which could be a plus for some.
Fees: No selling fee, but a payment processing fee is $2 for direct deposits and $3 for instant payments.
You may also like: Mercari vs Depop: Which Marketplace is Best for Sellers?
Vestiaire Collective
Formerly known as Tradesy, Vestiaire Collective is a fashion marketplace focusing on luxury, designer, and vintage clothes and accessories. They don’t accept fast fashion brands, such as Zara or New Look, but if your dress is from one of the brands on this list and hasn’t been altered, you can try posting it on this platform.
Fees: No selling fee on eligible brands and 10% on all other items (min $10 and up to $2,000) + a payment processing fee of 3% (min $3).
Vinted
If you want to keep 100% of your profit, Vinted is the place to go, as it doesn’t charge sellers any fees. With intuitive design and easy navigation, listing your prom dress on Vinted will be a breeze. While this platform is more popular in Europe, its user base in the US keeps growing, so make sure your listing stands up to the competition — check out our Guide to Keywords and SEO to get more people to see your dress.
Fees: No selling or payment processing fees, everything’s on the buyer.
Tip: Bundle your prom dress with matching accessories like jewelry or a bag to make your listing more competitive.
Where to Donate Your Prom Dress
If you’re more interested in giving back to the community or don’t feel that selling or consigning your prom dress is worth it, donating it is a wonderful option. You won’t earn any money; in fact, in some cases, you might even need to invest (e.g., to pay for dry cleaning), but the emotional reward and potential tax deductions can be well worth it.
Here are a few charitable organizations that collect donations of formal dresses to help students who can’t afford it:
Tip: Check each charity’s requirements, as some of them won’t accept an altered gown, while others only accept dresses that are less than three years old.
Why You Should Crosslist with Vendoo
For those who end up deciding to try and turn their prom dress into some cash, here’s the good news:
With Vendoo, you don’t need to choose where to sell your prom dress — you can cross-list to 10+ marketplaces with just a few clicks. This will increase your chances of finding the right buyer and securing the best price.
Ready to streamline your selling experience? Try Vendoo for free!
