How to sell pre-loved clothes online

Thinking of selling your old clothes to make a little extra cash? Great idea - second-hand clothing is in. With the pressures of the cost-of-living crisis, shoppers are opting more and more for cheaper pre-loved garments. In fact, second-hand clothing sales are on track to make up a tenth of all fashion sales next year.

But there are so many websites where you can sell your stuff that it can be hard to figure out which one is right for you. We’ve gathered all the info you need about four of the top second-hand clothing sites to help you decide which one is right for you.

eBay

As the OG online marketplace, eBay is one of the largest websites in the world. Selling your stuff here gives you access to a market of 138 million users globally.

It’s a great time to start selling on eBay because, as of April, you can now sell second-hand clothing on the site for free. Before, the same rules applied as for other items: up to 1,000 free listings per month but with a 12.8% on each sale. Keep in mind that this change only applies to clothing, not other items like trainers, accessories or handbags. You’ll still be charged a fee for any items in those categories.

There are two ways to sell things on eBay. With fixed-price listings, you say how much you want for your item and buyers purchase it for that exact amount. A fixed-price item remains on the site until it sells or you remove the listing.

Or you can set up an auction listing, which lets users bid on your item for a set time. When the auction ends, the item is sold to the highest bidder. You can also add a ‘buy it now’ option to your auction listing, which give users the option to buy it right away. The ‘buy it now’ button usually disappears after the first bid is placed.

Buyers pay for postage on eBay, which you then use to buy the label.

Tips for selling clothes on eBay

• Make a profile with a photo and a blurb about yourself so buyers know you’re reliable.
• eBay is busiest on Sundays between 7pm and 9pm. Time your listings to be up during that window, so they don’t get overlooked.
• Include as much information as you can about the size, brand and material.
• Phrases about a garment’s era will improve your item’s chance of being seen e.g. ‘eighties jacket’ or ‘sixties cocktail dress’.
• Look up frequent searches with free tools like Goodbid’s eBay Pulse Tool and include popular keywords in your descriptions. You can click ‘Use AI’ to get a full description written for you.
• Use eBay’s suggested titles, pricing and postage fees to optimise your listing. You can click on ‘see how other sellers priced it’ to find out how similar recently sold items were listed.
• Set up an account with a person-to-person payment site like PayPal to get paid safely.

Vinted

You don’t need me to tell you about Vinted. It seems like everyone’s been raving about it since lockdown as the go-to place for cheap second-hand stuff.

The great thing about Vinted is that sellers don’t pay any fees. Instead, postage fees are added to buyers’ purchases.

Vinted lets buyers’ make an offer on items they like, and likewise sellers can make an offer to a buyer if they see the buyer has ‘liked’ one of their items.

Although stuff tends to sell for more on eBay, many sellers find Vinted easier to use so, despite lower selling prices, there’s the benefit of a quick turnover and straightforward communication between buyer and seller.

Tips for selling clothes on Vinted

• Pick a catchy name and upload a profile picture.
• Your profile will show when you’re active, so try to open the app regularly to show people that you’re available to respond to any questions or offers in a timely manner.
• Vinted users are most active on Sunday evenings - what better way to cure the Sunday blues than with a bit of online shopping! To get the most visibility, upload your items on weekends ready for the Sunday evening boom.
• The platform is busiest in the autumn, so save your scarves and ankle boots for October.
• Vinted lets you upload up to 20 pictures for each item. Use good-quality photos with a nice background, and natural light. Include a photo of someone wearing the item to show how it fits, and make sure any defects are visible in at least one picture.
• Give as many details as you can in the description and use relevant keywords to get the most exposure.
• While hashtags aren’t necessary, it’s a good idea to use them to boost your listing’s visibility.
• Vinted has its own payment system, so you don’t have to set up a separate payment account to use it.

Depop

With 35 million registered users, Depop is one of the most popular platforms for those looking to buy and sell clothes. The platform has a younger style-conscious audience, and there’s a big focus on vintage clothing.

The shop has a social-media-style format, which lets you follow sellers you like and see their new uploads on your homepage.

Buyers are responsible for paying the cost of shipping, but Depop takes a 10% cut on sales, plus an extra 2.9% on payment transactions.

Tips for selling clothes on Depop

• Include a photo on your account and make sure your blurb says a little about you.
• Because of the social-media style, using the right photos is key on Depop. Show any striking trimmings, details and labels, and don’t hesitate to model with the clothes yourself so buyers can get an idea of the fit.
• Attract the right buyers using keywords and hashtags, especially vintage-related ones like #1970sfashion.
• Be ready to haggle. Buyers might ask if you’re prepared to drop the price, so always have in mind the lowest price you’re willing to sell for.  
• To get secure payments, set up an account with a person-to-person payment site like PayPal.

Facebook Marketplace

If you already have a Facebook account, you can start selling on Facebook Marketplace at any time.

Unless you’ve set up a professional shop, you don’t have to pay any fees to sell your stuff on Marketplace. Since you make a listing through your Facebook account, you don’t need to set up a separate profile either.

But you do need to be willing to meet buyers in person – the platform shows buyers listings within travelling distance of their location. Shipping is not yet available in the UK, so you can only sell locally.

Tips for selling clothes on Facebook Marketplace

• The product tags on listings help buyers search for specific items, so make sure you fill those out accurately so users can find your stuff.
• Like on other sites, don’t forget to add hashtags describing the product and include any brand names.
• On Marketplace, you have to arrange payment with potential buyers yourself. It’s best to ask for cash and ideally meet buyers in a busy public place, just to be safe. If you’ve agreed for a buyer to collect from your home, choose a time when someone else is in and have the item ready by the front door so they don’t have to come in.

Will I get taxed on my sales?

In January, new rules were announced requiring firms like eBay, Vinted, Depop and Facebook Marketplace to share some sellers’ data with HMRC. But this only applies to sellers who make more than 30 transactions a year or make more than £1,735 a year from selling on these platforms.

And if you’re just selling to declutter your home and make some extra cash, you won’t need to pay tax on the money you make regardless of how much stuff you shift. It’s only if you’re specifically buying to sell on or selling items that you’ve made that you’ll need to report your earnings.

Either way, it’s good practice to keep a record of anything you sell, so you can provide information to HMRC should they request it. Get more information on the tax rules for selling second-hand clothes online.