I’ve looked into 7 of the best apps & websites for selling preloved clothing and accessories in the UK. We have more places to shop, it’s no longer just charity shops – we now have places to sell, not just donate our unwanted wardrobe treasures. There’s no denying the preloved (or second-hand clothing market) is booming. It’s an exciting time to be building a sustainable wardrobe and elevating our style!
In the 2019 annual fashion resale report by US secondhand clothing retailer Thredup, they reported that the market is booming, stating that the resale market has grown 21 times faster in the US than apparel retail. This presents a great sustainable opportunity for not just brands and shops, but for us, the consumers who care about keeping our clothes in circulation and lowering our carbon footprint. So, let me intro introduce you to 7 of the best ones in the UK right now.
Here are 7 of the best apps and websites for selling preloved clothes in the UK:
1. eBay
I don’t think eBay needs an introduction. It is, however, one of the oldest private seller platforms we’ve all come to know and love (and maybe hate due to all the fakes!) but – the bad bits aside, it’s simple and easy to use and it can help you make space in your wardrobe and earn a few extra pounds too.
I personally find eBay great for accessories: I like to set up alerts for things I am hunting for, vintage designer bags and belts, preloved cashmere jumpers, and the occasional vintage skirt (vintage is perfect for me as I have a small waist and vintage styles tend to fit my hourglass/bell body shape best).
Website: https://www.ebay.co.uk/
Demographic: Men and women, all ages, all styles, and price points.
Negatives: It’s very busy, so you have to be committed to relisting your items if they don’t sell and improving the copy and photos if they aren’t attracting the bids you want – there’s a lot of rubbish listed, it’s hard to stand out.
Positives: I have found really great vintage items for myself on eBay, so if I am on there looking around, others like me who value quality and are ready to bid are there. A few years ago I sold a fair bit of clothing on eBay, it was quite high-effort and dresses didn’t sell for what I hoped, but I did get a few hundred pounds, every penny counts right?
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2. Depop
This is a relatively new app for me, I have been ‘browsing’ but haven’t yet listed anything to sell. But I have set up an account which was very easy and it just takes a few clicks to list an item. I know a lot of bloggers who sell on the platform.
Download the app: www.depop.com
Demographic: Mostly women in their twenties, but a good selection for men in their twenties too. The look is quite urban and OTT – it’s not really suited to my style or taste, but it is a very popular platform. If you love an oversized dress and vegan DMs – you’ll probably love this site.
Negatives: It’s not really designed for those of us in the upper end of our thirties – to be fair, as a student I would have loved shopping on depop, it’s such a shame that this kind of thing didn’t exist for me when I was at university! For that reason, I don’t see it as a real money maker.
Positives: Depop always have special listing offers, like listing trainers for free on certain days, I know a few women (my age) who sell things on the platform that range from mid-range highstreet to designer and they seem to have had some success – so that smaller percentage of users who are older with more disposable income may well be browsing the site looking for a designer bargain!
3. Vestiaire Collective
I personally love this site, for buying and selling. In fact, when I first set up my business and wasn’t making any money at all – I had to sell off a lot of my designer items. I sold designer jewellery, shoes and bags and got a decent price for it all. Listing was super easy, they take care of the main images and crop them out and make them look better for the website. All you have to do is send the items in to be verified – so it’s best to keep your authenticity certificates when selling designer items.
Website: https://us.vestiairecollective.com/
Demographic: Women of all ages with disposable income that like labels
Negatives: The classic designers and popular sizes tend to sell best. Unusual or gimmicky items can sit on the site for a while before they get any interest. Unusual pieces may not sell. The commission starts to get heftier the higher the price of the piece.
Positives: The site is super easy to use and you’ll make more money selling through Vestiaire Collective than you will on eBay or Depop. Classic, timeless items like Chanel bags and Hermes belts hold their value and sell for a good price.
4. Hardly Ever Worn It
I haven’t yet used this app – but I am going to give it a test run.
I’ve heard good things about it. This one seems to be brimming with designer labels – so if you’re a bit of a label junkie, this site may be the best one for you. After checking it out, it sells a lot of current styles and like the name suggests, women who wear things once and then buy something new are most likely to use this site to sell on their things. I can only imagine this site has a lot of influencers, stylists and models (as we get often get paid in clothes, didn’t you know?) selling on their wares to earn some money.
Website: www.hewilondon.com
Demographic? Not known at this point as I haven’t used it yet!
Negatives: The only thing I can say about this one is that it kind of sounds like it promotes the bare minimum use of something and gives you permission to just buy it, barely wear it and then sell it on…
Positives: It seems like this website will attract a buyer that is ready to spend, a good thing if you’re looking to make money from clothes you barely wear.
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5. Regain
I haven’t personally used this app, but I have heard good things about the rewards. I am, however, in two minds about the affiliations the app has.
There are some amazing incentives rewarding shoppers with discounts to brands I consider to be doing the right things – and then rewards for shopping with brands don’t consider to be ethical or sustainable – or accepting clothing from fast fashion brands and rewarding those that are shopping with the very brands that perpetuate fast fashion… Either way, it’s an app that helps divert clothing from landfill and remodels the way we value old clothing. Perhaps as I haven’t used the app myself I can’t fully appreciate the value it adds.
Download the app: https://regain-app.com/
Demographic: A young crowd, mostly women in the teens and twenties
Negatives: It seems like it rewards people for shopping at places like Boohoo…
Positives: It’s helping people see the value of their clothes after they’ve worn them and keeping the commodity value alive (rather than them being totally disposable). Getting some discounts to be able to use on your next investment, is better than nothing, which is what you’ll get by dumping your cheap clothes in the trash.
Vinted
I can’t believe I forgot to add this app when I wrote this blog orginally. Vinted is a really great platform for selling your clothes if you don’t want to pay fees. The catch is that they charge you to ‘bump’ your listing. I often find things more suited to my taste on Vinted than I do on Depop, although it’s not that fast if you’re looking to make money fast.
Download the app: https://www.vinted.co.uk/
Demographic: A mostly young crowd, but a good mix of items listed which indicates that there are thirty-somethings and forty-somethings selling (and buying) on the platform too.
Negatives: It can take forever to make a sale unless you pay for a wardrobe spotlight
Positives: It’s got a big supportive community attached to the platform. It’s also free to list and sell things, unlike all the other platforms this one offers you a great way to get started and test out the water. If you’re new to selling you don’t want to get hit with all the fees whilst you’re learning the tricks of the clothing reseller trade. Best for low- medium-priced items from the highstreet.
And last but by no means least…. My Wardrobe HQ
I’ve started working with My Wardrobe HQ in 2020 and it has been pretty easy. If you go for the VIP service, they will collect everything via courier, but you must organise all the pieces yourself first, create your own inventory and take photos for them to be able to review the pieces they want. For the collection, you must use cardboard boxes and know the size and weight (which can be a bit of a pain, hence why I am noting it here).
An account manager will onboard you and take the inventory of your items, inspect all the pieces, photograph them, and list them. Then they send you the for sale price (and rental too if that’s an option for you).
Visit the website: https://www.mywardrobehq.com/
Demographic: A more mature and affluent crowd, due to the price-points of items being sold. It’s definitely targeted at those that know their labels.
Negatives: It can be a bit of a faff to get started, it’s not the fasted VIP service I have ever used. The fees are high too so you’ll be kissing goodbye to almost 50% of what you make.
Positives: It’s a well-known platform in the UK and it has beautiful designer pieces, if you’ve got high-end labels then this is the place for you. The added benefit of MWHQ is that you can list your items for rent and for sale – you get the best of both worlds. Win-Win.
They also do pop-ups around London in some really lovely locations and they now have a base in a small but lovely boutique in Victoria (London) where you can shop for clothes the old-fashioned way (in person!).
Additional Positives: I will soon be offering in-house VIP sessions for MYHQ shoppers, so watch out for announcements on the MWHQ website!
Let me know if I have missed any websites or apps for selling your clothes. Have you used them? Have a different opinion to me? Let me know in the comments if you found this resource useful 🙂
*Blog updated 14 June 2020 – added 2 additional platforms (making it 7 of the Best Apps & Websites for Selling Preloved Clothes in the UK).
5 thoughts on “7 of the Best Apps & Websites for Selling Preloved Clothes in the UK”
Loved this post, Roberta! I’ve tried a few of these apps and websites before, but I still found a few new ones to check out. I’ve already started sorting through my wardrobe and preparing a few items to sell – thanks for the motivation!
Ah, great post! I completely agree that Depop is an amazing platform for selling preloved clothes. I’ve made so many great finds on there, and it’s so easy to use. Definitely recommending it to all my friends!
Love this list! I’ve been using Depop for ages to sell my preloved clothes and it’s been a game changer. So easy to use and the community is amazing. Definitely worth checking out for anyone looking to declutter and make some cash ????????️
This article was super helpful!
I’m currently trying out Vinted.
I’m finding it to be a super helpful, and simple process so far!
That’s great news, I love Vinted and I refer all my clients to the app. It’s easy to use and a great way to enjoy fashion sustainably. What is your user ID, I might check out what’s on your profile 🙂