Online Sellers: What to Do About Clearance Stickers on Clothing

Posted by Big Brand Wholesale.com on 28th Sep 2020

It’s time to discuss “The Great Clearance Sticker Debate”! What do you do about those ugly little stickers that say $9.99 when you plan to resell the item for $18? Here’s your options:

OPTION #1: The AMAZING Scotty Label Peeler! Read our full review about this 5-star Clearance Sticker Remover or just watch the video below to see us test it out:

OPTION #2: JUST LEAVE ‘EM ...Pros and Cons to This Method

If the price you are selling the item for is LESS than the clearance sticker, this isn’t a problem. But if you sold it for $10 and the stupid sticker says $1, the buyer may feel like you screwed them over... Which is just silly, because the buyer obviously was happy to pay $10 for it AND every buyer should expect the business isn’t a charity; yes, we actually work for profit and pay! Even us online sellers have to markup our inventory! Regardless, you don’t want to lose a buyer because they feel like you “price gouged”. Sigh!

OPTION #3: CUT OFF THE PART OF THE TAG WITH THE STICKER

Just like your auntie used to do when she would buy you that sweater for Christmas. Keep the tag attached to the garment, but cut off the part with the sticker.

OPTION #4: PEEL IT OFF

Yeah, you can do this but man, this is a LOT of time. If you do want to peel it off, Clorox Brand (MUST BE CLOROX BRAND!) wipes remove the sticker residue.

I know, you’re like “Why does it have to be Clorox? Can’t I just use the cheap ones from Family Dollar?” - No! Because we have tested TONS of different products so we can tell you the cheapest option. Here’s the issues with other brands:

Leaves SOAP residue!
Destroys the paper store tag because you have to keep scrubbing and scrubbing and you end up with a janky looking tag that looks like it went through the washing machine!
Turns the tag into a wet, flimsy mess
Leaves a layer of film on the tag - GROSS!
Some even DYE the tag!
It just doesn’t work at all. Other brands might be great for wiping your kitchen counter but not for this type of task
They don’t contain the level of ALCOHOL needed to bang out the residue.

Trust me, it MUST be Clorox. NO! BABY WIPES DO NOT WORK! No, Dish Soap doesn't work! Just buy the Clorox wipes for Petes Sake. Note: I see that Clorox came out with a new PACKAGING style that is even cheaper than the style shown above!:

On Amazon, the "pull-a-pack" style is a great deal! - 3 packs for under $12:

If you don’t want to buy Clorox Wipes (personally, I think you’re making a mistake because Clorox Wipes are the best way to go) you can use other products that contain alcohol and no dye. Such as:

Acne Wipes:

Hand Sanitizer that is High in Alcohol - MUST BE DYE FREE!!!!

Rubbing Alcohol

Actual Alcohol can work too. You want to use a clear vodka, gin or similar. Never use a colored alcohol. Obviously this is the most expensive option so if you only need to remove a tiny bit of residue, go ahead and grab the Stoli from your cabinet but if you plan to do this for a living get the Clorox Wipes.

OPTION #5: USE A SHARPIE MARKER

Do the same thing that your mom taught you was polite when giving gifts: Black Out the Price(s):

Is there still a clearance sticker? Yes. Can the buyer see what the amount is? No. Just make sure you use a good quality permanent marker.

NOTE: I suggest AVOIDING paint markers. Although they offer good coverage they don't instantly dry. You risk getting paint on your garment or, even worse, getting it on your hand then transferring it all over the friggin place (your photo area, your garment, your table... EEK!).

OPTION #6: REMOVE THE WHOLE TAG

Back in 2008 any garment that didn’t have a paper store tag attached to it was deemed to be “Used” because the entire purpose of the paper store tag was so the cashier can scan the barcode when a customer wants to buy the item. Fast forward to 2020; almost every designer now sells merchandise on their website. This merchandise is usually stored in a warehouse. Because the merchandise is not being sold on a sales floor, there is no longer the need for the designer to pay for “paper store tags” Instead, the item is usually inside of a clear plastic bag and there is a sticker barcode applied to the outside of the bag. When the warehouse staff pulls the item they scan the barcode on the bag then ship it to you. With that being said, paper store tags are no longer as big of a deal as they used to be. Of course there’s still people out there (mostly ages 40+) that believe a tag means it’s new.

TIP: If you need to really spend time working a sticker off a tag, it is MUCH EASIER to remove the tag from the garment by cutting the cheap plastic fastener. When you are done, simply re-apply with a cheap tagging gun like this one: