A SAVVY mum has revealed how she makes £800 a month just by selling her family’s worn clothes on Vinted.
Stefanie Curran has been selling items on the online marketplace since October last year.
Stefanie CurranStefanie has been selling items on Vinted since October and makes £800 a month[/caption]
The single mum of two lists between five and 20 items every day, from pre-loved shoes to school uniform that no longer fits her boys – Brody, aged 11 and Romeo, aged six.
She told The Sun: “I joined Vinted last year to help clear out mine and my children’s things and to raise money for the charitable organisation I’m involved in.
“I’ve always had loads of clothes. I really wanted to cut back on that, and of course, my kids are forever growing out of clothes as kids do.”
The 40-year-old from Torquay donates any money she makes to local charity Punk Against Poverty, which she also runs full-time.
The charity helps those in the local area who are experiencing poverty and need a helping hand, through food pantries and free school uniform sales.
Stefanie largely lists women’s and kids clothes under her username “upliftingthrifiting97”, but she says that she has learned that “everything will eventually sell”.
She has even sold a wooden spoon from her kitchen on the site before.
Her best-selling items though, the ones that are snapped up pretty quickly, are surprisingly women’s bras and school uniforms.
Stefanie said: “Bras can be really expensive brand new so I find that if you list them for as little as a couple of pounds they get sold really fast – it really helps people out too.
“Any generic school uniform bits do well too, shorts, trousers, polo shirts – my boys grow out of stuff so quickly so it’s good for us that it doesn’t go to waste.”
Particular brands sell fast too, specifically she has had big success with “absolutely anything” from Zara.
“Zara can be pretty pricey and it’s really popular at the moment, I find anything from there sells really quickly,” Stefanie said.
Barely a day goes by when the savvy mum doesn’t list something on the site, or is bagging up clothes or shoes to post.
As someone who loves clothes she’ll also occasionally shop in charity shops for some bargain second-hand bits and then when she no longer needs them she’ll sell them on.
For Stefanie it isn’t about making a profit, she enjoys knowing that she’s recycling her and her boys’ things and avoiding waste.
She said: “It’s really a win-win, it clears my house out and also means that my organisation gets a nice cash boost to help others in need.”
It can be a bit hit and miss sometimes, she said she finds that some of her pieces will be listed for weeks before they’re eventually snapped up – but everything does go eventually.
Having tried other sites before, Stefanie says she’s definitely had more success with Vinted than the likes of eBay.
She explained: “I always used to list my stuff on eBay before but I found it was too specific and wanted too many details, like the type of fabric the item was made from.
“Vinted gives you much more freedom and as long as you have the right photos and give the main information it’s enough for buyers to pick your item.”
While profit isn’t Stefanie’s number one goal, she has managed to make some big cash boosts before.
The highest payment she’s had for an item was for a vintage Belgian designer red leather jacket for which she got £175 – a £125 profit on the £50 she originally paid for it.
Stefanie has shared her top tips for how to make the most cash on Vinted.
Stefanie’s top tips for making cash on Vinted
One of Stefanie’s favourite tricks is to wait is to build up a selection of items all in the same size so that she can sell them as a bundle.
Vinted allows you to package up multiple items and sell them all-together for a set price.
This helps buyers save on postage costs, and sellers get to sell more at once.
Stefanie said: “The boys are always growing out of clothes so I’ll often save them and put them aside until I have a selection, then I’ll list them as a bundle to clear them in one fell swoop.
“Prices vary depending on the items but I’ll do maybe five for £10 – the key though is to make sure they’re all the same size, otherwise it can put a buyer off.”
Good photos are the key to success on Vinted, which can be tricky in the winter months when it gets darker earlier she said.
You need “lots of light” for photos, all at different angles and make sure you snap labels too.
Taking specific photos of any flaws or issues with the product is also important so that buyers know exactly what they’re getting up front – “honesty is key” Stefanie urged.
This in turn means that shoppers are more likely to give you good ratings on the platform which will bring in more buyers.
Another top tip is to list items seasonally, Stefanie said: “At the moment everyone is getting ready for the cold months so I’ve been listing jumpers and knitwear.”
“I actually make sure to pay for Spotlight on the app too, it’s not completely necessary but I do find it means people can find your listings easier and you’re more likely to get a sale,” she added.
Wardrobe Spotlight is a paid feature that can boost your wardrobe’s visibility and help you with more chances to sell.
Once activated, Vinted will promote and match your listings to members who are more likely to buy them.
It costs around £7 a month and only works if you list five items a week, you can find full info on the feature on the Vinted website.
Stefanie also promotes her listings on Vinted Facebook groups too, which gives your items another chance to be spotted by a potential shopper.
Wrapping up everything in nice packaging is also important, Stefanie said.
She always makes sure to use “pretty” paper bags as well as a shipping bag, plus for items above £40 she’ll pop it in a box too.
Stefanie says she finds that she gets nice feedback because of this and feels it’s more likely to bring in repeat buyers.
“If an item doesn’t sell for a while but someone favourites it, I’ll actually go to them with an offer too,” Stefanie said.
She even said that around half of her sales are through going to shoppers directly with a discounted offer.
Of course, there’s no guarantee that you’ll sell an item, or get the price you want.
You may have to wait for the cash if the item doesn’t sell instantly.
There are also some things to consider when you choose to sell items online.
For example, some platforms charge sellers a fee or take a commission that can eat into profits.
On Vinted in particular, the seller pays nothing and instead, the buyer pays a fee of 3 to 8%.
Tax rules around earning extra income
It’s worth remembering that anything you earn with an extra income alongside your full-time job like this can be taxed.
You can earn up to £1,000 without paying tax thanks to the trading allowance.
The odd jobs you can claim tax-free include money made at car boot sales, online selling or auctions, according to HMRC.
It could also include money made from food delivery or by charging other people for using your equipment or tools.
Once you earn more than £1,000 a year, you need to complete a self-assessment tax return and start paying tax on your extra earnings.
How much that is will depend on how much you already earn.
Meanwhile, a reseller has revealed the best items to list on Vinted to make the most cash.
Plus, a shopping expert has revealed the five items to buy on the platform and those to avoid.
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