We have all, at some point, been standing in front of our own wardrobe full to the gills with clothes yet, mysteriously enough, with nothing to wear. Buying and selling second-hand is not only a great option to make some cold cash or renew your wardrobe, but it contributes to a more circular fashion system.
Perhaps it's time to stop letting your clothes collect dust and help them find new, loving homes. It's estimated that UK shoppers have £30 billion worth of clothing they never wear lying tucked away in the forgotten part of their wardrobe. Luckily, clothes don't come with an expiry date, they live on as long as we let them! With this article, we help you choose the online platform that is best suited to you, and re-home and re-love all those clothes that haven't seen the light of day in way too long!
1. Best for Hardcore High Street: Vinted
Price range: £
What to expect as a buyer: The High Street must-haves from brands like Mango or Zara do wonders here. So if you do like to be on-trend, but are one of the many who have vowed to never buy first hand the newest fast fashion pieces again, this is a goldmine!
How to use as a seller: Selling clothes on Vinted is completely free and easy as ABC. All you need to do is register, snap a shot of your unwanted garment, upload it and wait for someone who is ready to give it new life! Their tracking system while clothes are on the way or have been received by their new owner is very re-assuring and money doesn’t change hands until everything is in order!
2. Best for One-of-a-Kind Pieces: Depop
Price range: ££
What to expect as a buyer: The app mainly targets teenagers and twenty-somethings, but is really for anyone who seeks an Instagram-friendly fashion statement. If you are looking to spice your style up a bit or simply like to have some unique fashion pieces in your wardrobe, Depop is your destination!
How to use as a seller: Download the app, register and in Depop’s own words “start building your fashion empire from your bedroom”! You set up your own little online shop, where you brief your buyers about your style and what you are selling, link to your social media - to confirm that you are a real person - and finally, connect your PayPal and make it rain! If you sell an item, Depop will automatically charge you a 10% fee on the total transaction amount.
3. Best for Vintage Gems: Etsy
Price range: £
What to expect as a buyer: From toys and books to jewellery and costumes - Etsy has it all. If you are on the hunt for handcrafted or rare vintage pieces, you have come to the right place. You might even be able to sort out a genuine retro gem - the kind you can only find in a small alley vintage shop that has collected items since forever!
How to use as a seller: Here you also need to set up your own little marketplace but don’t worry, it's quite an easy process. Create an Etsy account, set your shop location and currency, choose a shop name, create a listing and set a payment and billing option. Once an item is sold, there is a 5% transaction fee on the sale price.
4. Best for Red Carpet Lovers: Hardly Ever Worn It
Price range: ££££
What to expect as a buyer: Most celebrities would never be seen in the same clothes twice. Ever wondered where the a-list outfits go after the red carpet? The HEWI team occasionally link up with celebrities whenever they have a wardrobe cleanse - so you may just find Victoria Beckham’s gala dress or Harry Styles' tuxedo. As you might have guessed, compared to the above-mentioned platforms, this might just hit your wallet a little bit more - but then again, it is only a fraction of the original price...
How to use as a seller: Not all of the thousands of garments they stock are pre-owned by celebrities, but they are, however, all luxury items. So if you have some high-end labels that have served their purpose and are ready for their next destination, HEWI is your selling site! All you need to do is create a profile, send in your garments for review and approval by their team and lastly, start selling.
5. Best for the Finest Designer Tags: Vestiaire Collective
Price range: ££££
What to expect as a buyer: This site is loaded from top to bottom with all the biggest French fashion houses: Céline, Chloé, Hermès, Chanel... Vestiaire Collective, with its elegant Parisian DNA, have managed to become global in just a few years and now, over 7 million members across the world have brought their luxury fashion pieces back into circulation!
How to use as a seller: Offer an item for sale using their online seller form, which their expert fashion curation team will value and review. They will also review and approve (or reject) the quality of your pictures to give you the best chance to make a sale. Once your item passes quality check you will receive the payment directly into your bank account whenever it has sold. Vestiaire Collective will send a pre-paid shipping label so you can send the item to their HQ free of charge.
6. Best for Those Short On Time: Ebay
Price range: £
What to expect as a buyer: Well, what can you not find on eBay? This is the platform to look for the common high street brands just as much as it is the platform to search for vintage dresses. Basically when you're looking for something in particular (and not just scrolling through) eBay usually has it.
How to use as a seller: The first step to selling is to note the brand, style, material, colour, size and type of item – this will help specify the product without using keywords in the title. You should also make a note of whether the item has been used and has any signs of wear, has been worn but is in good condition or whether the item is brand new. Take multiple photos from different angles, highlight any signs of wear and include photos of branded labels and swing tags.
7. Best for Our Friends Across the Atlantic: thredUP
Price range: £
What to expect as a buyer: This site is, for now, reserved for those living in the US or Canada, but is certainly worth mentioning as thredUP is known as the largest online thrift store. It offers over 35,000 brand names on their website and in addition to the usual sections, they have individual shopping departments for maternity, jewellery and plus size. ThredUP is on a mission to inspire all coming generations to always think secondhand first.
How to use as a seller: Request a Clean Out Bag and fill it with your unwanted items. A team member over at thredUP will go through your clothes, assess them, and either decide to sell, donate to charity or thoughtfully recycle. If you’re interested in knowing how much your clothes are worth before taking the time and going through the process, use the Payout Estimator, which will calculate a sum of your potential profits.
8. Best for the Fashion Entrepreneurs: ASOS Marketplace
Price range: ££
What to expect as a buyer: While high-waisted Levi’s 501, festival-inspired tops and oversized cardigans stand strong as their signature pieces, ASOS Marketplace is known as the all-inclusive for clothes. With a price structure that stretches from £2.50 to £500 and over, we can all agree that they have a high level of inclusivity.
How to use as a seller: If you have some extra time on your hands and have a wardrobe filled with once-worn clothing, apply to become an ASOS Boutique seller! It’s not the quickest site for listing your used clothes, but if you have a lot to sell or maybe want to start a side-business with a friend, this is the ideal platform. The rules are simple: pay a £20 monthly membership fee and follow this very basic photography guide.
Bonus for Parents!
One of the many challenges of a parent is to maintain your little ones’ wardrobes, as it at times feel like they, quite literally, grow like grass. With the constant size-switches, your five-year-old may even have more clothes than yourself at the blink of an eye. These online platforms will make sure that your children's clothing live on in the sustainable fashion loop:
9. Best for the Busy Parents: Loopster Ltd
Price range: £
What to expect as a buyer: A wide assortment of qualitative clothes from upper high street brands such as Gap, Petit Bateau and Mini Boden.
How to use as a seller: Very simple to use, Loopster is a true gem for all the parents with minute-by-minute schedules. You simply create an account, order a Loopy Clear-Out Bag, fill it with clothes your children grew out of and send it off for valuation - easy peasy!
10. Best for Children’s Designer Labels: Little Raine
Price range: £
What to expect as a buyer: Lots of lovely little independent brands, think Tobias & the Bear, Fred and Noah, Mini Rodini, Claude & Co, etc. but also some sweet garments from the high street.
How to use as a seller: If your path ever takes you over to Leicestershire, you can arrange an appointment directly with them or simply arrange a collection for your items or deliver them yourself.
