I helped organize Chloë Sevigny’s legendary closet sale. Here’s how to host one yourself

When considering whether to host a physical or online sale, take stock of how many items you have. Online sales or selling via IG stories are great options if you don’t mind schlepping to the post office, while an in-person sale is good for someone—or a few friends—who are doing a major wardrobe overhaul. If you decide to host an in-person sale, there’s obviously the question of finding a venue. Some like to do it guerrilla-style on their street by setting up a rack or table. Other people might team up with a local vintage shop who would be happy to host.

These are practical tips, but when I’m asked about clothing sales, I always say that the biggest appeal is storytelling, whether it’s the history of the clothing or the seller’s personal connection to their clothing. People want to see where the clothing has been, how it was worn. The details of the clothing.

If you’re a civilian whose clothes haven’t been photographed by the paparazzi and you want to host a clothing sale, you need to tell more stories. The most challenging sale I’ve ever had to help with was for Max, a former professional online poker player from Chicago who had amassed a leaning tower of Ssense. Of course, I knew he had amazing pieces and an interesting personal story, but nobody knew Max! What could be the impetus to buy something from this man that’s available on the internet? My job was to sell clothes, but also to introduce Max.

On a whim, I decided to document his closet cleanout. During the four days we spent together in Chicago, I learned more about Max; he had loved carrots since he was a kid and had collected a ton of bizarre carrot merch over the years. Through the sleazy-chic merch he had collected, I also learned about his poker career and why he was drawn to brands like Doublet or Bless because they felt unique. My readers fell in love with Max and started referring to him as the “carrot guy.” My inbox became a bombardment of carrots, carrot merch, and news about carrots.