Shedd – Declutter your wardrobe and earn cash whilst at it

It’s always delightful when you meet a kindred soul who completes your sentences, knows when you’re having a good day and can sense when you’re having a crisis – suffice to say, angel in disguise. My gorgeous girl, Melody happens to be one such angel. I must admit due to our busy schedules we don’t get as much time to be with each other, as we would like to – but when we did meet up at Tea Club – our go to place for a rendezvous over fine tea and exchange of ideas – there was magic in the air.

Predictably, I had a crisis off late. Having recently married and moving into a new apartment with my dotting hubby, I have literally taken over the entire closet (and apartment), and even had an additional closet built specifically for me. Off-lately, the poor guy just looks at me and smiles nervously when he finds a floral top in his little corner of the closet. Bless him – for the sake of our marriage, he has cut down on his already little wardrobe. Not sure whether it’s the Dubai lifestyle or being a fashion obsessed female who can’t say no to the plethora of sales around – the fact remains that I have way more clothes, shoes, hand-bags and accessories than I care to admit.

Now, Melody who is quite the tech guru, in her non-chalant calm manner suggested I try out Shedd – an app that allows you to convert your wardrobe into cash. Snap and sell in a jiffy, without having to attend flea market events – now that’s something that appeals to me, given my very busy time schedule. And that extra cash earned could go into getting hubby a nice gift – she says. Brilliant, I thought to myself.

Intrigued, I quickly downloaded it from the App store, and quite immediately, was impressed at the intuitiveness of the layout; and the simplicity of use. To get started, all you need is either your Facebook account to login, or alternatively an email address to register and pronto you’re in business – it’s as easy as that. No need for lengthy registration forms inundated with unnecessary questions that make you raise your eyebrows. So far so good eh?

Now think of all the reasons you like Instagram – top notch quality photos, hashtag driven searches and the ability to contact anyone, anywhere. Well, Shedd incorporates all these much loved features and gives you buying and selling mobility at the tip of your fingertips – how cool is that?

There are even filters that allow you to search for items based on how close a seller is to you, or whether they are in your neighbourhood, somewhere far away or quite simply anywhere.

Another feature that I quite like is the Pay & Ship – enabling this means, having item pick-up and delivery handled directly by Shedd. There is no need to meet the buyer/seller in person, and payment is processed directly to your bank account within 15 days. It does come with a nominal fee of AED 10 or 7% of your item’s final selling price – I reckon this is a small fee for peace of mind, and ensuring you don’t miss a delivery meet-up schedule.

 

So if you’re like me, who has a plethora of outfits worn only once for various reasons, handful of shoes in the same colour or design, and handbags occupying valuable space in your closet – it’s time to take control and Shedd.

Here’s a quick summary of some salient features I’ve put together:

As a buyer:

• You can browse items to buy via hashtags,
• ‘Heart’ (Like) your favourite items for later (just in case, you’re in the middle of a meeting and come across an enticing item),
• Use distance filters to look up items that could be close to you, in the neighbourhood, far away, or simply anywhere,
• Or, simply message the seller with any number of questions to inquire about an item, prior to purchasing.

As a seller:

• Simply snap a picture from your phone,
• Describe your item, and add relevant hashtags (brand, size, colour, etc),
• Set your price and you’re done.

Tips:

• Make sure your photos of items appear as is, without the use of any filters. Always take them under natural light to depict accurate colour tones.
• If you have a set price in mind, and do not wish to budge – ensure you mention this in the item description. This will save valuable time.
• If there are any wear and tear marks or defects, do make it a point to mention this as well. At the end of the day, honesty is the best policy. And a well-informed buyer would bring about repeat business.
• Enable Pay & Ship, and have Shedd directly handle the pick-up and delivery of item at a nominal fee.

If you have used Shedd, I would love to know your tips and tricks on how you’ve managed to de-clutter your wardrobe. To those who are curious, head over to the APP Store or Google Play and download this beauty.