Whether you’re using Vinted as a side-hustle or it’s something your business depends on, it’s important to get the basics right.
It can be a valuable source of cash for selling things you no longer need, but unless you know what you’re doing it can turn into more hassle than it’s worth.
We spoke to Sammie Ellard-King, 36, a finance influencer with 237,000 followers on Instagram, who shares his top tips…
Focus on getting a quality photo
Even the smallest tweaks to your photos can make all the difference, says Ellard-King, the founder of Gains App, a financial advice app.
“With Vinted, 90% of the legwork is down to a decent photo and an honest description of what the actual product is,” he says.
“You build up a profile and people buy more from people who sell more, so it’s important to have a photo of the product up against a decent light. Contrasting photos shot on an iPhone, decently lit, make a massive, massive difference to the sale.”
Kids’ clothing is a valuable area of cost efficiency
As parents will know, a sudden growth spurt can leave your children’s clothes unwearable. That’s where Vinted can be effective: each time kids grow out of clothes, the funds generated by sales can be used to buy the next age up.
“Kids’ clothes are massive on Vinted,” Ellard-King says, “and you can make quite a lot of money as your child grows.”
He explains: “The amount of clothes being worn by kids is actually relatively low, because they are going to have a wardrobe they cycle through.
“By the time they have worn them a few times, they’ve outgrown it, but it’s holding its value really well… You can then use that money to supplement buying a new wardrobe as they are growing into older age ranges.”
Branded clothes sell faster
If you’re buying products in the hope you may one day be able to sell them second-hand, brands have the best chance of selling faster, Ellard-King, who also hosts the Up the Gains podcast, says.
“The brands do very well: Nike, New Balance, The North Face, Barbour etc. They are going to hold value well on Vinted. When I say hold value, they are still extremely cheap. But if you buy that coat for £100, you can get £20 to £30 back out of it.”
Avoid fast fashion
Wearing trends may earn you compliments, but fast-fashion is unlikely to hold resale value on Vinted.
“Anything that’s trend-driven could fall out of fashion really fast,” Ellard-King says.
“Flare jeans came back recently and they sold like hot fruit cakes. But then they went out of fashion again. So it depends, but the likelihood is a lot of trends will fall out of fashion.”
Timeless pieces will do a lot better, he says.
Be honest about the damage
Being honest about damage should be a basic duty, but it’s important to ensure you don’t get a reputation for failing to describe the product correctly.
Ellard-King says: “Be honest about these things: if it’s got a hole in the side of it, you need to say that. If not, buyers are going to send it back and not be happy with it.”
He adds: “For example, I sold a lot of my Carhartt stuff. Fortunately for me, I have lost a lot of weight, so it was stuff that didn’t fit me. There was a coat where I had to say there was a little mark on the shoulder. You just say that, and you put that in the photo.”
Do your homework on repair costs for hidden gems
Watches worth more than £100 have been sold on Vinted for as little as £10 because they need a new battery. But getting a new one can cost very little, not to mention be done swiftly.
When selling, it really helps if you can provide clear guidance, and even a quote, on the repair costs of goods you’re looking to offload.
Ellard-King says: “You could pre-empt the repair costs by saying, for example, I have spoken to a dry cleaner who says it costs £14 to get that stain out.
“Or I’ve spoken to a couple of watch providers who say it’s a simple 10-minute job, but I just don’t have the time right now.
“It’s about pre-empting: yes it has a stain, but I have looked at it, and here is the way to get it out.”
He adds: “Personal touches within the descriptions make a massive, massive difference.”
You could become a Vinted millionaire (but you’re better off keeping it simple)
With enough time, resources and sheer luck, Ellard-King says you could do so well on Vinted you could even earn millionaire status.
But that’s unlikely to be possible for the vast majority of people, who he advises should think long and hard about how much time and resources they can realistically dedicate towards the site.
“You have to factor these things in: time versus profits, but it can be done. Some people are absolutely killing it, you just have to look on YouTube, where there are also some fantastic tutorials about how to do this,” he says.
“If you’re running a business on Vinted, then making sure you have suppliers who can then provide you the product you can sell for a profit is your number one aspect there.
“Becoming a Vinted millionaire would be really difficult, but you can run a solid business from it. You are going to need a lot of stock. You are going to be down the post office an enormous amount of times.”
