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 listing asks €25 and the median lace listing €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 listings worn for a week ask €50 or more, against €40 for those worn one day.
• Size. Among listings priced in euros, the median XS listing asks €30 and the median M listing €20. List the size on the label, not the one you'd like to sell.

For your own listing: price your standard listing at the typical level, and reach the top tenth with listings that offer more, such as a week of wear, each at its own price. 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 panties 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. What the listing includes: if you offer a longer wear time, make it its own listing with its own price, so every order is for one clear total.

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.
• One listing per offer. A week of wear is its own listing with its own price, not an add-on.
• Similar listings, similar prices. Keep one price for your standard listing and change it only where the item is different: a longer wear time, an unusual fabric, a set.
• Fill in "Worn for". Most listings don't say how long the panties were 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.

Your price is the order price

An order request for one of your listings is always for the listed price, plus postage. Order requests are free for buyers; reading and answering them needs Premium. To charge less or more, change the price on the listing.

You confirm the orders you want and ship with tracking; with Ships first you send proof of shipping before the buyer pays. When the parcel is on its way, tap Sold to him in the order; the buyer confirms with "Yes, received" and can then review you.

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 2,849 reviews of sellers in the last year. Once yours mention good packing and quick posting, raise the price on new listings first.
• Answer speed. 60% of first order requests get an answer within a day. Answering within the day keeps you in step with most sellers.
• Questions without orders. If buyers ask about a listing and don't order, 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.