10 ways to turn unwanted clothes into cash
Many are looking for ways to put more cash in their coffers at the moment, and one option could be to flog unwanted clobber. Clearing out your wardrobe is a great jumping-off point for a spring declutter – and it's likely you've £100s of untapped reserves hanging up forgotten on your wardrobe rails.
The default option used to be 'just bung it on eBay'. Yet other specialist sites are now becoming increasingly popular, especially if you're selling vintage or designer clothing, while others prefer to sell locally instead.
Knowing how and where to sell can substantially boost your takings, so to help we've compiled the top 10 ways to offer up your cast-offs. Though of course, many prefer to recycle, give old clothes to friends and family or donate to charity instead.
Have we missed your favourite way to sell? We'd love to hear which sites or apps you rate, and why. Please pop your thoughts in the comments below or post in the Clothes Selling forum thread.
The 'before you sell' clobber-flogging checklist
Before we get on to the best ways to sell your clothes, here are a few general tips:
Fallen out of love with something? List it for sale as soon as possible, especially if it's a trend or brand that might become less popular. With the exception of rare or popular vintage items, the value of clothes usually goes down with time, not up.
Prioritise items depending on the time of year. For example, right now is a great time to shift lighter sweaters, spring dresses and t-shirts. Though you can always try listing items at any time – right now, someone in Florida might want your summer dress (if you're selling internationally via eBay, for example).
Wash and iron garments before photographing them for sale (or taking them to a boot sale etc). Tackling stains can boost items' value.
When photographing, find a spot with abundant natural light and use your poshest coat hanger – you're selling the dream here. It's worth including pics of the sizing and brand labels too. When it comes to photos, it's very much 'more is more'.
If you're listing online, include the size, dimensions and fabric details from the label. Study clothes for flaws and include these in the description, so you don't get an email from your annoyed buyer later. You never know when a moth might have sneaked in.
eBay and Vinted now usually provide you with a postage label. If not, to slash Royal Mail postage costs, buy envelopes that fit within its 'large-letter size' (35cm x 25cm x 2.5cm). While jeans and jumpers often won't squash into this size, it's perfect for tops and thin dresses.
To show the saving, a 240g top costs £2.70 to send by Tracked 48 service if it's large-letter size. If the same package is even 1cm over, it'll cost £3.39 to send as a 'small parcel'. Paying extra in postage can really eat into your profits.
Keep your closet in good order and items will be worth more later. For example, stow clothes away when not using them. Also store sweaters folded, as hangers stretch the shoulders. Consider cedar balls or hangers to ward off moths – dust attracts the pesky insects, so you could even vacuum the inside of your wardrobe every so often.
Listing items on multiple platforms – eg, Vinted and Vestiaire Collective – can help you sell quickly by maximising exposure. However, the danger is the same item sells on two sites simultaneously, so keep a close eye and delete goods from other sites as soon as you sell to avoid bad feedback.
Don't sit on things – get 'em sold
Sell seasonally, eg, light jackets in spring
Showcase your wares
Write a sparkling description
Posting items? 1cm can cost you ££s
Care for clothes to keep their value
Remember, you can advertise items on more than one site
10 ways to sell your clothes
Now without further ado (and in no particular order), here are our top nine ways to shift your clobber:
1) Vinted – great for decluttering used clothes at speed
With more than 16 million users in the UK, Vinted has taken the preloved clothing world by storm. It's quick to upload, and you can tempt buyers by offering discounts for buying multiple items. Anecdotally clothes tend to sell faster on Vinted than on eBay, though this could be because people tend to price them slightly lower.
For a crash course, including algorithm tricks and how DMs can boost sales, see my Vinted Tips blog. This can be lucrative, as Roanna told us on Facebook:
I've made nearly £1,500 in 18 months on Vinted. Happy with it. My tips are good photos, good language, full post on each item, sensible prices.
What are the fees? Selling is free. Vinted makes money by charging buyers: fees vary from 30p to 80p, plus 3% to 8% of the purchase price. For orders of £500 or more, it charges a flat 3%.
Anything to watch out for? While it has a huge fanbase of MoneySavers, some people didn't receive the level of assistance they'd expected when they had issues, according to a BBC Watchdog report. Also see its customer service feedback on reviews website TrustPilot. Think carefully before selling designer items worth £100s on here.
2) eBay – great for popular brands, especially items with international appeal
With more than 135 million users worldwide, the megalith-marketplace's mass audience is its main selling point, as you've access to buyers across the UK and across the globe. It's a doddle to use and great for selling mainstream fashion brands.
eBay's known for its auctions, but it also lets you sell for a fixed price (with an option to receive best offers). So if you're flogging a popular this-season item, for example, consider going in with a confident buy-it-now price and ticking 'accept offers', so people can send offers. If something's old and you just want it to sell, stick it on at auction for 99p. For heaps more tips, see our eBay Tricks guide.
What are the fees? eBay has permanently scrapped fees for private sellers on everything except motors. However, buyers now pay up to 4% and 75p/item when buying from private sellers, so this may affect how much they are willing to pay for your item.
Anything to watch out for? As with selling anything by post, always keep proof of postage. eBay often sides with buyers in disputes, especially if an item's not received and you can't provide proof of sending. I once lost my post office receipt and had to refund £40 on a top I'd posted – I've snapped photos of receipts ever since.
3) Vestiaire Collective – best for designer clothes, especially those worth £70ish to £130
Specialising in pre-owned designer pieces, Vestiaire Collective is a French-owned resale site. Anecdotally clothes sometimes fetch more than on eBay (Vestiaire authenticates items, so people feel more confident buying designer goods). Just factor the steeper fees (in some cases) and price items higher than you would on eBay to cover them. It's free to list, so if they don't sell, nothing's lost.
Garments must be from one of the 12,000 labels on its list, which include Nadine Merabi and Victoria Beckham, but also some more upmarket high street brands, such as Reiss and Whistles.
Its app is slick and easy to list on. You list items for a set price, which must be at least £14. Buyers can also make offers, though you're not obliged to accept.
Vestiaire Collective provides a prepaid shipping label. Rather than post items to the buyer directly, you usually send your items to Vestiaire, which authenticates them, then forwards them on.
Here's one of my wins:
I listed a Ganni dress on eBay (buy-it-now) and Vestiaire Collective at the same time. A few months later it sold for £85 on Vestiaire – the highest offer I'd had on eBay was £55.
What are the fees? There are no selling fees on 4,000 selected brands, including Burberry, Chanel, Dior, Victoria Beckham and Rat & Boa. See a full list of included brands. Otherwise its fee structure is a flat £10 for all items up to £100. After that it's 10% of the sale price. You'll also pay a 3% transaction fee (or a flat £3 for items under £100). Buyers also pay a 13% to 25% fee.
While you can sell items for as low as £14, paying £10 on a £14 transaction doesn't make much sense. So as a rule of thumb, we reckon Vestiaire's best for items worth £70ish up - unless they are included in the list of fees-free brands. That said, you can always just factor in the higher fees and list items for higher prices on Vestiaire.
Anything to watch out for? One downside is you're not paid immediately. Once a buyer has paid, you post the item to Vestiaire. It then confirms the item is genuine and ships it to the buyer. Your payment should arrive two to six days after that.
Also try... Hardly Ever Worn It is another option for shifting designer gear. Fees are a steep 21.6% (eg, if you sell an item for £100, you'll pay a total of £21.60). We've little feedback though – please let us know if you've tried it.
4) Depop – great for turning a profit on vintage clothes
Vintage clothes are popular right now and pre-loved fashion marketplace Depop is a great place to sell them. While it doesn't deal exclusively in vintage clothes, there's a brisk trade in items from the 1990s or early 2000s. It's also popular with streetwear fans for brands such as Nike and Supreme.
A cross between eBay and Instagram, Depop often features people modelling their own wares to attract buyers (though it's not compulsory). If you're clever you might be able to spot boot sale goodies and flip them for profit. Clothes sell faster if you 'tag' listings with keywords – popular terms include Y2K, streetwear, rave and festival.
We've seen vintage Carhartt dungerees with asking prices of £120, 1990s Stüssy shell-suit jackets listed at £60 and 2000s Victoria's Secret hoodies for £25. We've no proof they will sell for this, but having looked at eBay's sold prices, it's definitely possible.
Emmaaar22 posted in this site's forum:
I have great success on Depop. I have at least two sales a week most weeks – it contributes towards my hols. However, it's not for everyone. It caters more for the younger demographic. Lots of handmade and vintage items get sold on it. Posting a listing is really easy, and their newest feature is you can post a video too.
Selling by bundle is popular. Sellers often offer free shipping to encourage a buyer to purchase two or more items from them.
What are the fees? Depop's now free to sell on apart from a payment processing fee of 2.9% + 30p per transaction. Instead, buyers pay a 5% plus a fixed £1 fee. You then post items directly to buyers.
Anything to watch out for? Some sellers get frustrated by how many Depop buyers try to haggle. But, of course, there's no need to accept a lowball offer if you don't want to.
Also try... most of the marketplaces in this list accept vintage clothes, and Etsy's another option.
5) Facebook – also good for flogging collection-only items for free
Local Facebook selling groups and Facebook Marketplace are a great way to earn cash flogging unwanted stuff in your area.
The idea's simple: as with Shpock (and old-school free classified sites), sellers post ads for unwanted goods, and buyers collect, paying cash in hand.
As most Facebook sales are local, you won't have access to the wider audience you get with a site such as eBay. Our research has found baby and kids' items are often a hit, but it's possible to shift anything from tents to running trainers. See our Facebook Selling crash course for full details.
Forumite Chocolatelover93 says it helps her declutter:
House was overflowing with kids' clothes – managed to sell a whole bundle on FB for £25. Such a positive experience.
What are the fees? There are NO fees for the seller or buyer, so the profit's all yours.
Anything to watch out for? We don't recommend posting items to strangers from Facebook – get paid cash in hand to avoid disputes. But again, be wary of letting people collect expensive designer clothing from your home – consider meeting outside a police station.
6) Shpock – good for selling popular items locally, NO fees
Short for Shop In Your Pocket, the free Shpock app and website lets you sell fee-free. Similar to Facebook Marketplace (see more on this below), it's focused on local selling – you post ads for unwanted goods, and buyers usually pop round and pay cash in hand. Unlike Facebook, buyers don't see your personal Facebook profile, which some prefer.
The app's great for selling the types of items that people will pick up locally – think kids' coats, wellies or bundles of baby clothes. However, more specific items (eg, little-known brand trainers in a size 6.5) can take longer to sell – here, eBay's huge audience is likely to be an advantage.
To start selling, snap a photo of your item and enter a few details such as a title, price and category. MoneySavers report you get a lot of hagglers. While there is an option to accept PayPal and post items, this is not as popular as cash in hand. (Shpock does not get involved in transactions, so you may feel more comfortable keeping it for simple, cash-in-hand transactions.)
Forumite Soolin is a fan:
I use Shpock a lot and have several sales a month. The free version doesn't cost anything to use. You can pay for extra photos etc, but so far I haven't bothered.
What are the fees? It's free, though there's a monthly 99p per month fee if you don't want to see adds. You can pay extra for upgrades such as your listing appearing at the top of search results, but most MoneySavers don't use these.
Anything to watch out for? As with Facebook and any other kind of local selling, some buyers may not turn up or may cheekily ask you to deliver small items. Be wary of letting people collect expensive designer clothing from your home - consider meeting outside a police station.
7) Sell clothes by the kilo – great for togs that have seen better days
If you've clothes in good condition you'll get a better price flogging separately on the sites above, yet if they've some wear, 'cash for clothes' companies will still pay decent sums to take them away.
Usually these firms only accept garments in reasonably good nick (ie, not bobbled or stained). It varies by company, but they usually ask for items to be in "clean, wearable condition". Forumites tell us they typically pay about 40p a kilo but we've heard of 60p a kilo paid. To find a company, use a search engine to find 'cash for clothes' in your area. They can be found in most towns and cities, eg, we found Bob's Cash for Clothes in London which pays up to 50p a kilo. The amount you're paid and items accepted will vary though.
Forumite PoppyOscar netted a decent wad:
We got a total of £64 for the clothes we took... they gave us 60p per kilo and took most of the stuff.
What are the fees? The sites above or either free or have an initial listing fee.
Anything to watch out for? There have been reports of dodgy companies that ask you to post clothing to them for 'inspection' – don't. Some Forumites say they've had quality clothing rejected and were even asked to pay £20 for items to be returned. We don't recommend you send off clothing before receiving payment – it's better to visit the company yourself or use one that collects and pays at your door.
8) Flog your wedding dress – it can fetch £500+ via specialist sites
If you've an old bridal gown boxed up in the loft, dig it out and turn it into cash. You could get £500+ for a sought-after dress by a well-known designer.
A host of wedding dress selling sites promise help. Here, you upload a description and some photos. The buyer usually comes round in person to try it on.
As you set the price, first find your frock's true worth. Check eBay to see how much similar dresses have sold for – search for dresses like yours, then tick 'completed listings' under 'Show only' in the grey bar on the left.
A few sites will let you sell for free. MoneySavers rate classifieds site Preloved* for selling wedding frocks. Also worth checking out is Sell My Wedding Dress (£10 for six months' advertising). There's also StillWhite (£17, but your ad stays up till it sells). While we've little feedback from MoneySavers who've sold via these, we hear good things from buyers.
This can be big money, as Forumite fran-o found:
I put my dress on Preloved and had interest from someone who had tried it on in a bridal shop. She came to try on and bought it for £550. Very happy!
What are the fees? The sites above are free (some charge for listing upgrades, which you don't need to take).
9) Car boot sales – best for speedy clear-outs
Car boot sales are a good way to clear out your closet quickly and raise a bit of extra cash. You're unlikely to get top dollar compared with, say, eBay, as your audience is far smaller and folk will be looking for a bargain. However, it's your best bet for clearing out a ton of less-valuable items in one morning.
Now's the perfect time to gather up your wares in preparation for what should be a busy summer. If you fancy making some dough at a car boot, MSE Jenny H has tips on when to go, what to take, how to haggle and more in Car Boot Sale Tricks.
Forumite clumsycupcake made a tidy profit:
I did my first car boot – was selling good high street clothing for 50p/£1 which sold really, really well. If I was a regular car-booter, I would have priced some items slightly higher, but as I wanted rid quickly I was happy. I made £130 for six hours' work.
What are the fees? Typically £5-£15, so make sure you have enough wares to sell that you can make a profit.
Anything to watch out for? Often people start rifling through your boot for bargains before you've had chance to set up. Make sure you get there as early as possible, so you have time to organise everything.
10) Local dress agencies – a faff-free way to sell clothes in good nick
It's old school, but another option is a local dress agency if there's one near you. These shops flog items on behalf of customers, taking a commission from each item they sell. They often specialise in different types of attire, for example, formal frocks or kids' clothing.
You'll never get top dollar this way, but it's a speedy way to declutter without dealing with buyers yourself. Clothes are usually carefully vetted and must be pristine.
Forumite Sambamama says:
I got £32 from a local second-hand dress agency (clothes weren't designer) – not bad for stuff that would have gone to the charity shop. I don't really like eBaying normal used clothes, too much hassle. It gets the toot out of the house.
What are the fees? You'll receive payment when the item sells. The agency takes commission, which is usually high – typically 50%.
Anything to watch out for? Agencies often only take clothes when they're in season. It's worth confirming a shop's rules before handing clothes over, eg, what happens to unsold items.
And finally... consider donating to charity shops too
It's not all about selling. Donating your clobber to charity shops is a fab way to declutter – and helps good causes at the same time. Clothing is often number one on charity shops' donation wish lists, from jackets to shoes. It's best to call first, to see what they will and won't accept right now.
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15 April 2025
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