It sounds surreal, as you say.
As someone who works in retail, I can tell you it's standard that if a store takes returns under these circumstances, it's generally at the last price the garment sold for. (Except for the usual returns soon after the sale.) I can tell you it's happened, too, that someone came into a department store with a closet full of clothes Grandma bought and never wore. The cashier dutifully researched and found the last sale price of each item.
I don't know how much his clothes are worth, but often it depends on how far out of style they've become. We recently marked out of stock a bunch of things that didn't sell, and donated them to an organization that provides clothing to men getting out of prison. You could also see if a consignment shop might take them. Then you might get something, but be spared the task of selling stuff.