Written by SWOP | May 23, 2023 4:00:00 AM
Our clothing exchange model offers 30% cash or 50% store credit on accepted second-hand items – and we are so lucky to have hundreds of beautiful garments being brought to our exchange booths every day. Read on to get the best cash return possible from your SWOP visit.
Keep in mind - our bible is a strict and regularly updated buying guide, working in harmony with a pricing system that grades items by brand and condition.
There are other contributing factors to what our buyers accept on any given day. This could be what’s already in store, size diversity, seasonality and local demand for particular brands/styles.
Scope us out in store or online
Taking the time to visit one of our three bricks-and-mortar stores is a fabulous way to get a feel for what SWOP is all about, including our diverse community of customers, plus the types and prices of clothing we stock. If you don’t have time to undertake on-ground research (fair), take a scroll on our Instagram or online at the SWOP Warehouse – another great way to see labels we’re loving and some of our favourite pieces that have come through our buying booths recently.
Our team is always happy to answer any specific questions you have about our process in person or via email.
Get to know our criteria
A great starting place is understanding our general criteria: no fast fashion, underwear, formal wear and no business wear.
It’s important to us that we don’t resell items from brands that don’t meet our ethical standards i.e. they don’t reflect ethical manufacturing practices in their pricing, or their garments are designed to be worn once and then thrown away.
In terms of the other categories (underwear, formal wear, business wear) – these types of items simply don’t sell in store – so we have blanket-ruled them. If you have an extra special item in your possession that you’d like to ask us about, please ask.
Make friends with Our Quotation and Booking Tool
Our online tool is designed to help streamline and demystify the SWOP selling and trading process.
It allows you to check your items against our list of accepted brands. You can also input the type of clothing and its condition to see how much cash or credit you might receive for any particular item. You can do this by searching for brands, selecting the category (e.g. jeans, dress etc.) and selecting the condition (fair, great, excellent etc.)
You can upload images to the selling tool and our team might be able to indicate whether we will accept it from there.
You can also use the tool to book an appointment or send your items to us.
Seasons are important
Stock turnover at SWOP is quick, and everything that we buy from our community goes directly on to the shop floor. This means we need to be selective in what we purchase from our community, and so the climate local to our stores will reflect what we buy.
More plainly, if it’s the middle of summer in Meanjin/Brisbane – we probably won’t buy your floor-length leather jacket. In Naarm/Melbourne on the other hand, jackets are a necessary garment pretty much year-round.
Asses the damage
This one’s important! Garments with stuck zippers, missing buttons, stains and holes are guaranteed to be rejected or severely undervalued. We take our time in carefully inspecting each item that comes through the exchange booth to make sure that it’s in good enough condition to go straight out onto the floor, and into the arms of its next lucky owner.
The most common stains that are missed by our would-be sellers are around the armpits and neck line, along with small holes in the seams around the crotch area of pants.
The good news is: most of the clothing damage we see is easily fixable – so before you pack your SWOP bag check for missing buttons, loose threads (especially knitwear), pilling, ripped seams, dropped hems and faulty zips.
Freshen up
Our Presentation is everything. We won’t accept anything less than freshly washed laundry – and we can tell when a garment has been pulled out of wardrobe purgatory.
Bicarb soda, Napisan, fabric freshener, sunlight and fresh air work wonders on items that need a new lease on life.
Don’t forget to give your shoes and accessories a wipe down too, so they’re looking their best when they come in.
Now you should feel equipped to make some cash (or credit) off of the clothes you no longer want. Visit us in store or online to rotate your wardrobe responsibly.