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Best second-hand sites to flog unworn clothes after fee shake-up as sellers make £1,000s online – from Vinted to eBay
Watch stylist Lindsay Edward's top tips to make cash from bargains found in charity shops
SAVVY households flogging their second-hand clothes can now pocket more cash as reselling sites axe fees.
Most recently, eBay scrapped charges on April 8 for sellers of pre-owned fashion.
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This includes items you have worn once, old favourites and new ones still with tags.
Rival Depop also axed its 10% selling fee for new UK listings on March 20.
Instead, it’s introducing a marketplace fee for buyers from April 15.
This will charge shoppers up to 5% of an item’s purchase price, plus a fixed amount of up to £1, excluding taxes and postage costs.
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Meanwhile, Vinted hasn’t charged seller fees in eight years.
The shake-up comes as the average person buys 28 new items of clothes every year, according to the Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP).
Meanwhile, it said 31 clothing pieces remain unworn in wardrobes for at least a year.
Catherine David, its director of behaviour change and business programmes, said: “The scrapping of selling fees is a great way to promote second-hand sales for a more circular fashion industry.”
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But which site is best to get the most cash for your stuff? We take a look at how they compare.
eBay
Online marketplace eBay hasn’t confirmed how much the average buyer or seller makes, but it boasts millions of UK users each month.
Its huge user base means your items for sale may reach more people.
The auction format - allowing several buyers to bid on the same item - could lead to higher selling prices too.
Buying designer and more expensive items can also be done with more confidence, thanks to eBay’s authentication service, says personal stylist James Hutchison.
The authenticity guarantee means experts will inspect luxury goods before they are shipped to ensure they are genuine.
However, the cost of postage and packaging isn’t regulated by eBay, Mr Hutchison added, meaning costs can rack up for buyers.
This is because sellers can set their own charges and arrange their own postage.
In comparison, Vinted's shipping fees are typically set by the platform, while Depop sellers can do a mix of both.
FEES: None for sellers of second-hand clothes.
Sellers of non-fashion such as shoes, watches, handbags and jewellery typically pay a final value fee of 12.8% on the total sale price, which includes postage costs, plus a fixed 30p charge per item sold.
There’s also a regulatory operating fee of 0.42%, as of April 8.
Buyers can list 1,000 items each month for free, after which it costs 35p per listing.
Do you need to pay tax on earnings?
SECOND-HAND selling can help boost your bank balance, but you may need to declare it and pay tax if you earn more than £1,000 a year in profit.
If you are selling personal items for less than you paid for them new, there is likely no impact on tax.
Platforms including eBay and Vinted must now share seller information with HMRC.
If you make more than the limit, fill out a self-assessment tax return which will calculate how much you owe.
You can contact HMRC with queries online or by calling 0300 200 3300.
Vinted
Vinted says it saves the average buyer £87 a month by providing easier access to second-hand clothes.
The most popular brands are Adidas, Converse, Nike and Sézane, with women’s fashion most in demand followed by kids.
Setting up a Vinted account only takes a few minutes and is pretty foolproof, as is listing.
It has a huge range of items in almost every category and size, plus handy features like favouriting and combined postage, says Mr Hutchison.
You can offer a discount on a bundle of items to flog more of your stuff in one go.
Payment is not sent to the seller until the item is received and accepted by the buyer to reduce fraud risks.
However, while Vinted offers a “bump” feature to get more visibility on listings for three or seven days, the fee is non-refundable whether the item sells or not.
The charge varies depending on the chosen duration and the item price.
FEES: None for sellers. Buyers typically pay a fee of 3-7% plus 30p-80p per order.
Depop
The average Depop seller makes £350 a year, according to the site.
The most popular brands include everything from Nike and Adidas to Zara, as well as pricier brands such as Ralph Lauren and Vivienne Westwood.
Meanwhile, its most in-demand categories are "vintage", "streetwear" and "Y2K".
Depop is aimed towards a much younger and hipper market with the brands being more likely to be sportswear and alternative brands, says Mr Hutchison.
In other words, if you're after more general ranges, Vinted may be a better bet.
However, the quality of photos and descriptions is better on Depop, James added.
Plus, items also tend to be more of a preloved retail store quality rather than taken from a wardrobe and photographed.
FEES: None for sellers. As noted above, buyers also pay a marketplace fee of up to 5% of the item purchase price, plus a fixed amount of up to £1.
Buyers also pay a payment processing fee at 2.9% of the total transaction amount, plus 30p.
'We make £1,000s from second-hand sites'
THREE savvy sellers share how they make money from unworn clothes.
"I’ve made £1,500 in 12 weeks from charity shop bargains"
Stylist Lindsay Edward, 39, made £1,500 in 12 weeks by selling charity shop finds on eBay, Vinted and high-end online marketplace Vestiaire Collective.
She also sells items from her own wardrobe, including those that no longer fit or that she’s fallen out of love with.
Her biggest success came from a Tiffany necklace she discovered in a thrift shop in Harpenden, near her home in Biggleswade, Bedfordshire.
Lindsay paid just £35 for the piece and sold it for £400.
H&M and Topshop clothes she’s picked up while charity shopping have also netted Lindsay some hefty profits.
A £9 dress from Kate Moss’s Topshop range sold for £249.
Lindsay says: “Lots of people can’t be bothered selling clothes online because they assume it’ll be too much of a faff, but it really is a very simple process.”
Before listing an item online, she advises to consider whether it’s in season and to hold off if not.
She added: “I’d always suggest uploading your items when most people are browsing.
“Around 7pm is ideal as that’s when most people have finished work and begun scrolling on their phones.
“It’s also worth uploading items in the few days following payday as that’s when people have the most desire to spend.”
If you’re unsure how much you can sell your item for online, using Google Lens can be a quick way to check the pricing of similar items selling online across multiple platforms.
"I’ve made up to £700 selling my son’s clothes on Vinted"
Savvy mum Rosie Beech (pictured), 31, has been using Vinted ever since she got pregnant in 2021 - and quickly grew astounded at the bargains.
The self-employed marketing and social media manager, based in Windsor, predominantly bought bargains for her baby Jack, now two, to try and cut costs.
Once born, she started to sell items he’d grown out of, even relisting items she’d previously bought on Vinted for him.
Over the first year, she made £700 in total selling the toddler’s clothes, including bundles of PJs, vests and sleepsuits, as well as swimming costumes and seasonal items.
Rosie said: “I got into it out of pure curiosity when pregnant. I quickly became addicted and told all of my friends and family about the bargains to be had.
“I made quite a lot of money while on maternity leave and it helped me put money away for our first holiday.”
Rosie recommends anyone keen to do the same to experiment with styles you like and be more direct in your searches.
She added: “My biggest tip for selling is to be on the app and have your notifications on: if someone favourites an item you're selling, send them a friendly message letting them know you can send the item quickly.
“I'd also recommend having the option to send bundles on - people love a big bundle bargain.”
"I make extra cash on Vinted at the age of 11"
Lily-Rai Govier, 11, makes extra cash selling clothes online to boost her pocket money.
She flogged a bridesmaid’s dress worn for her uncle’s wedding on Vinted for £10.
Living in Mudeford in Dorset, she also sold eight pieces over Easter making her an extra £26.
Examples of other items - sold for between £2 and £3 - are holiday outfits bought in the sales from H&M, New Look and River Island.
Lily-Rai said: “My mum helps me choose prices and upload photos onto Vinted, but I package and send them myself - the local newsagents know me pretty well now.
“The help from my parents is great, but they have always told me about the value of money and how important it is to work hard myself and also save what I earn from Vinted.”
She saves the money in her GoHenry account.
GoHenry provides debit cards for children aged between six and 18.
She added: "The best part is that it gives me my own money to spend, rather than relying on pocket money from my mum and dad.
“I want to pay for things like skincare on my own, so I am always trying to find new ways to make a few extra pounds.”
How to sell your clothes
To get a sense of what you can charge, check what similar items are going for online before listing yours.
Then, simply take a few good pictures of your items and upload them with a detailed description.
List all relevant details when describing the item, including brand name, measurements, sizing, condition and materials.
Once you’ve agreed on a price with a buyer, box your item, print your shipping label and pop off to the drop-off point.
All three selling sites have more information on best practices on their websites.
You can also target local buyers by using selling free sites such as Facebook Marketplace and Gumtree.
Anyone interested will message you and, if you accept their offer, can collect the goods from your home and pay in cash.
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Be wary of buyers who want to pay through other means, such as bank transfer or PayPal, as this can be a sign of scammers.
Other online resale options include , and .
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