SORTING AND QUALITY
How to Sort Second-Hand Clothes Efficiently
Sorting turns a mixed delivery into stock you can price and sell. A clear system makes it faster, more consistent and easier to hand over to someone else.
The key is to make decisions in stages rather than trying to do everything with each item at once.
WORKSPACE
Set up before you open a bale.
A good layout saves walking and handling.
- A large clean table or surface at a comfortable height.
- Labelled bins or bags for each sorting stage.
- Good light for checking colour and condition.
- A rail for items that need hanging.
- A place to record counts as you go.
SORTING STAGES
Sort in passes.
Pass 1: category
Split by type: tops, bottoms, outerwear, dresses, children’s, accessories.
Pass 2: condition
Grade each item using the inspection checklist.
Pass 3: destination
Decide where each item goes: shop, online, bundle, repair, upcycle or donate.
Pass 4: prepare
Clean, steam, tag and record items ready for sale.
DESTINATIONS
Where each item goes.
Sell individually
Good condition and good demand; worth listing or displaying on its own.
Bundle
Lower-value items that sell better in groups.
Repair or upcycle
Fixable or reworkable items; see the upcycling workflow.
Pass on
Items you cannot sell: donate or recycle responsibly.
RECORDS
Count as you sort.
Counts feed every other number.
- Record items by category and destination for cost per garment.
- Note anything unexpected for supplier feedback.
- Time how long each bale takes to plan future workload.
NEXT STEP
Planning your sorting capacity?
Knowing how long sorting takes helps you choose an order size. Share your quantity and categories when you enquire.
General guidance for planning purposes. Examples are illustrative; outcomes depend on your own market, stock, prices and costs.