Original or sorted used clothes: which one to buy wholesale
When you buy used clothes wholesale, the first choice is between original goods and sorted goods. The price, the work and the risk are different.
What original goods are
Original goods (German: Originalware) are textiles as they come out of the collection containers. Nobody opened the bags. Inside are clothes, shoes and bags. The quality goes from almost new pieces to rags.
What sorted goods are
A sorting plant opens the bags and splits the items by type, season and quality. Common grades are cream, first, second and third sort. According to the FairWertung network, on average only about 55 % of collected clothes can be worn again.
The cream usually stays in shops in Western Europe. Lower grades go to Eastern Europe, Africa and the Middle East.
Original goods: advantages and disadvantages
- Lower price per kilo than sorted goods.
- The best pieces are still inside, because nobody took them out.
- You sort yourself and sell each grade where it brings the most money.
- You need space, staff and time for sorting.
- Part of the volume cannot be worn, and you pay for its disposal.
Who should buy original goods
Original goods suit sorting businesses, wholesalers with their own staff, and shops with a back room and a few workers. If you sell straight from the bag to the customer, sorted goods are simpler.
How to check a lot before you buy
- Ask for photos and a video of the actual lot, not of a sample.
- Ask where the containers stand: in towns or in villages.
- Ask how long and where the goods were stored. Wet bags lose value fast.
Guides for buyers
- Used clothes price per kilo: what it depends onWhat sets the price of unsorted used clothes per kilo: season, region, storage, shoes, volume and transport.
- Used clothes from Germany to Eastern Europe: transport and documentsHow to bring unsorted used clothes from Bavaria to Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Serbia or Moldova: routes, documents, customs.