PUTTING THE WIND IN YOUR RESALES
IT’S NEVER BEEN COOLER TO GO FOR A SECOND-HAND LOOK. FASHION EXPERT ANTONIA KRASKOWSKI REVEALS THE BEST PLACES TO BUY AND SELL YOUR STUFF ONLINE
WHETHER you’re looking to make more sustainable fashion choices or declutter your shoe collection, buying and selling second-hand clothing has never been more en vogue.
If you’re new to the resale revolution and wondering where’s best to grab a bargain or sell on old favourites, we’re here to help.
While buying and selling used clothing and accessories online is hardly a new pursuit, the practice made headlines recently when it was announced reselling platforms are now obligated to report members’ earnings to HMRC.
But every seller has a personal earning allowance of £1,000, so you can make that much from your wardrobe tax-free.
Here we share the best places to buy and sell your stuff online.
BEST FOR… A BARGAIN
Vinted has become many a fashion insider’s preferred place to hunt out a bargain. Rather than an auction countdown, sellers upload items with a fixed price, although potential buyers can negotiate using the offer function.
With more than 16 million members, women account for over half of Vinted’s sales – the most popular search terms include brands such as Adidas, Converse and Sezane. With designer buys, shoppers can opt into item authentication on eligible pieces for a fee of £10 where a trained team checks it is legitimate.
Last year, the platform helped shoppers save an average of £87 per month with their second-hand purchases and the company’s first Climate Change Impact Report found that shopping on the app saved an average of 1.8kg CO2 in comparison to buying new.
Further adding to the cyclical second-hand movement, earnings are accrued in your account and can be spent as credit for shopping on Vinted or withdrawn to a preferred bank account.
■ FEES: No seller fees. Buyers pay a protection fee, ensuring fuss-free refunds should anything happen to goods in transit.
■ See vinted.com
BEST FOR… TRENDS
With almost 30 million registered users, Depop is the perfect place to source hard to find and “hype” trend items from brands such as Supreme. Combined with user filters, a dedicated curation team ensures the most sought after and on-trend items are featured on the explore page.
The app is popular with buyers and sellers – 75% of sellers also regularly purchase items – further enhancing the app’s goal to promote a circular fashion model.
Unique to Depop is the app’s Repop tool – if you’ve bought something that doesn’t fit or you have changed your mind, you can simply head to your receipts section to relist the item in a flash.
■ FEES: Sellers are charged a flat fee of 10% of the item’s sale price.
■ See depop.com
BEST FOR… DESIGNER FINDS
Every seller has a personal earning allowance of £1,000
With 20 million registered users in the UK alone, eBay has a renewed focus on its fashion offering, thanks to a partnership with ITV’s Love Island.
It’s long been a favourite of collectors and fashion folk looking for designer bargains, and the site was the first to offer an Authenticity Guarantee service for specific items such as watches, luxury handbags and accessories. Upon sale, sellers send their wares to an eBay hub where they are inspected by experts before being shipped to their new home.
■ FEES: Final value fees vary, depending on the type of item and in some cases, prices. Clothes, shoes and accessories carry a 11.9% charge, while women’s handbag fees are 12.9% up to £800, with an additional 7% on totals above this limit.
■ See ebay.co.uk