What to charge for used panties

What doesn't move the typical price

It's tempting to assume that lace is worth more than cotton and that every extra day of wear adds to the price. The live listings say otherwise. The Drawer Report shows the working: public listings from sellers active in the last twelve months, with each currency counted on its own and never converted.

Fabric. Among listings priced in euros, the median cotton pair asks €25 and the median lace pair €25. There's no lace surcharge to build in.

Wear time. Among listings priced in euros, those stating the shortest wear time have a median of €25, and those stating 7 days a median of €20. Buyers often ask about wear time first, but on its own it doesn't lift a listing into a higher price band.

Cut. Thong, tanga, Brazilian or classic brief: the cut barely moves the middle of the range either.

Asking price by days worn, in euros

Again, these are asking prices on live listings, not sales or income. The practical lesson: don't build a price list by fabric or by the day.

Where the numbers do move

The middle of the range is flat; the edges aren't.

• The top tenth. One listing in ten asks $40 or more.
• Long wear, at the top end only. Among listings priced in euros, the top tenth of week-long pairs ask €50 or more, against €40 for one-day pairs.
• Size. Among listings priced in euros, the median XS pair asks €30 and the median M pair €20. List the size on the label, not the one you'd like to sell.

For your own listing: price your standard pair at the typical level, and reach the top tenth with extras that buyers ask for in the chat. The English edition leads with US dollars; if most of your buyers pay in another currency, price in that one, because the report only ever compares a currency with itself.

Build your price

Four parts, in this order:

1. The base: the typical asking price above, for a pair worn as your listing says.
2. Packing: a zip-seal or other resealable inner bag and a plain padded envelope or small box. Work out what they cost you per parcel.
3. Postage: look up your actual rate before you set the price, once for home and once for abroad: in the UK with the Royal Mail price finder, in the US with the USPS Postage Price Calculator. Both are in the sources below; we don't print their rates because they change.
4. Extras agreed in the chat: extra days of wear, a handwritten note, special packaging, a second pair in the same parcel. Each has its own price, named before the order.

Postage included, or on top?

Either works, as long as the listing says which, in one line: "Price includes UK postage; abroad on request." Buyers in another country also have to think about import charges: the US no longer waives duties on low-value parcels, so a clear total helps them decide. More in the shipping guide.

Put the price where buyers see it

A clear price saves a round of questions.

• The first line of the description says what the price covers: the wear time, the packing, and whether postage is included, and to where.
• About me can list your extras with their prices, one per line: extra days, a note, a second pair. The chat can then start with the pair, not the price list.
• Similar pairs, similar prices. Keep one price for your standard pair and change it only where the pair is different: a longer wear agreed in advance, an unusual fabric, a set.
• Fill in "Worn for". Most listings don't say how long a pair was worn; when yours does, the price reads as the price of something specific.

The guide to photos and your profile covers the rest of the listing.

When a buyer asks for a lower price

An order from a listing with a price is always for that price. Ordering costs the buyer nothing; accepting orders needs Premium.

A different price is agreed in the chat. If the ask is close, say what your price covers ("it includes tracked postage"); if it's far off, decline politely. If you do agree on a new price or a bundle, send it with Make offer: pick the listing, enter the price, and when the buyer accepts, the order arrives in the chat. Sending an offer is free, but you can send each buyer only one, so settle the details first. Payment is still agreed in the chat and the buyer pays you directly: panty.com takes no commission and never holds the money.

When to raise or lower your price

You can change a listing's price at any time, so experiment. Three signals tell you which way to go.

• Reviews. Buyers wrote 2,962 reviews of sellers in the last year. Once yours mention good packing and quick posting, raise the price on new listings first.
• Reply speed. 59% of first messages get an answer within a day. Replying within the day keeps you in step with most sellers.
• Conversations that stop. If buyers ask about a pair and go quiet once they hear the total, check that the listing says what's included before you cut the price.

Change one thing at a time and give it a couple of weeks.