I’m a Vinted newbie who tried to bring in hundreds – ‘the body’ trick sold my old gym gear 30 in minutes
VINTED – one of the fastest-growing platforms where cash-strapped Brits can rake in some extra money flogging their pre-loved goods.
Whether it’s items from their massive wardrobe clear-outs or a pair of shoes they no longer wear, or even tech, it seems that almost everyone I known is selling on Vinted.
Since its launch in 2008 by two Lithuanians, the platform has grown massively – in the UK alone, it has an astronomical 16 million users – nearly one-quarter of the population, as reported by The Guardian.
With the sellers enjoying the benefit of listing without commission and the buyer dealing with the service fee of the postage, it’s easy to see why the tech start-up has become such a major hit all over the world.
Plus, unlike rival eBay, there are no categories to fill in before you can list an item.
As there’s a strict ban on photos from brands’ websites of the garments being modelled, shoppers also feel like what they’re buying is more authentic.
Pretty much all of my friends are using the app on a religious basis – so, instead of taking my bag of old gym gear and other bits to the local charity shop, I decided to see what the fuss is all about.
Here’s my view on which of the viral tricks work, and the ones that were a waste of time.
On the hanger VS on the body
Chucking your old T-shirt on the bed, or taking a snap of it on the hanger, is probably the easiest option when creating a listing.
But although this will certainly save you time, I very quickly realised that customers are more likely to click ‘Buy’ when they can see what the garment looks like on a person.
I hadn’t been on Vinted for even 30 minutes when I had sold my first-ever gym set – a pair of lilac Gymshark leggings and the same style bra – thanks to this.
The best part? If you’re feeling lazy and don’t want to pose in front of the mirror showing the outfit off, using previous snaps works too.
In fact, every single listing I have on my profile consists of photos I’d taken before setting up my Vinted account.
Get creative – and bag a free ‘Boost’
It’s not just our Instagram snaps that need a strong caption game.
Vinted shoppers, too, will appreciate – and will be more likely to purchase the goods – if the description is well thought through.
As explained by one Vinted super fan, Bekah, who’d made a whopping £700, you should add as much detail into the title of the item and description box – to make sure it keeps coming up in the search engine.
Rather than simply uploading a snap of me wearing a mesh skirt and adding the sizing, I went wild, describing the fit, where I’d wear it, how I’d styled it and so on.
According to fellow Vinted enthusiast, Amy Jayne, description is key for another reason – if you change it every day (and it could be as little as adding a full stop), ”Vinted then thinks that you have edited your item and will boost it back to the top”.
This ‘Bump’ feature has been a major hit amongst some – and the platform sometimes gifts it for you for free – however, after trying it out once, I didn’t find much success.
Copy & Paste
Another hack I’d heard from my friends was dropping a message to those users who’ve added an item to their favourites.
Not only can you then offer them a better deal, but also let them know you’re available to drop the parcel off at the Post Office the same or the following day – which means keen fashionistas will be able to get their hands on the pre-loved goodies sooner.
“I guarantee you if you have five or six people who have liked the item, someone will buy it,” explained savvy mum Nicole.
“It means that you only have to do one post run with all of your stuff, you get a few extra parcels sold and it just saves time.”
Bonus tip: Don’t fancy walking from one drop-off location to the other, spending an hour on the journey?
Go on Vinted settings on your account and choose the delivery options that suit you, whether that’s Yodel, EVRi, DPD or Royal Mail.
Customers love a good bargain
You’ve spent a fortune on a dress that no longer fits you and want to make a decent money from it – but, as a customer yourself, you’ll know that shoppers want to bag a good deal.
As explained by one Vinted newbie, @mrsinkeduk, the biggest tip is to ”not overprice yourself”, with the seller offering Tommy Hilfiger or Ralph Lauren gear for as little as £15.
Indeed, all clothes deserve a second chance to be loved – and you’re still making some money by flogging them on Vinted rather than dropping the goods off at a charity shop.
My top tips for selling on Vinted as a newbie
I may have not earned thousands from my old Gymshark gear – but I made an extra £100 in less than a week.
Here’s what I learnt in the past few days:
- Stay consistent. By posting pretty much every day, with the odd exception here and there, I made sure my page stayed close to the top.
- Don’t overprice the item. As as a customer yourself, you’ll know that shoppers want to bag a good deal. Don’t flog something for £40, even if you’ve paid a fortune for it.
- Copy & Paste rule. Drop a message to those who’ve given your goods a ‘like’ and let them knew you’re heading to the post office the same day or the following day. They’re more likely to purchase the item, especially when offered a slightly better deal.
- On the body VS hanger. I very quickly realised that customers are more likely to click ‘Buy’ when they can see what the garment looks like on a person.
- Get creative – and get a free ‘Boost’. Add as much detail into the title of the item and description box to make sure it keeps coming up in the search engine.
With this in mind, I checked what similar items were going for on the platform, to ensure the prices were as fair as possible.
Yes, I had imagined I’d rake in around £30 for a Gymshark set that cost me an eye-watering £80 – but in the end, I put it up for £15 and sold it within minutes.
Be consistent
As cash-strapped Brits are on the lookout for ways to make extra cash where possible, one woman who’d made a whopping £1.4k in just one month on Vinted advised to stay consistent.
Although it may sound tiring, if you’re keen to earn some money these past few days have made me realise you should treat flogging your old clothes like your second job.
By posting pretty much every day, with the odd exception here and there, I made sure my page stayed close to the top.
This, in turn, means more exposure – and more potential buyers looking to purchase my gym gear.
After my first week on Vinted, I made £100, which won’t pay my rent but is nice to have in your pocket.
I can certainly see the appeal, but you need to be smart with how you use it.
New Vinted rules to be aware of
IF you fancy clearing out your wardrobe and getting rid of your old stuff on Vinted, you’ll need to consider the new rules that recently came into play.
If people are selling personal items for less than they paid new (which is generally the case for second-hand sales), there is no impact on tax.
However, since January 1, digital platforms, including eBay, Airbnb, Etsy, Amazon and Vinted, must share seller information with HMRC as part of a crackdown.
You’re unlikely to be affected if you only sell a handful of second-hand items online each year – generally, only business sellers trading for profit might need to pay tax.
A tax-free allowance of £1,000 has been in place since 2017 for business sellers trading for profit – the only time that an individual personal item might be taxable is if it sells for more than £6,000 and there is a profit from the sale.
However, firms now have to pass on your data to HMRC if you sell 30 or more items a year or earn over £1,700.
It is part of a wider tax crackdown to help ensure that those who boost their income via side hustles pay up what they owe.
While your data won’t be shared with HMRC if you earn between £1,000 and £1,700, you’ll still need to pay tax as normal.