How to start reselling vintage clothing: Vinted, Depop and eBay
By The Vintage Wholesaler ·
Short answer: buy branded vintage by the bundle, photograph each piece well, list it on Vinted, Depop or eBay at sold-listing prices, and put the profit back into the next bundle. You can start with 100 pieces. The rest of this guide is the detail.
1. Pick where you'll sell
- Vinted: the easiest start in the UK. Huge buyer numbers and simple listing. Good for everyday branded pieces.
- Depop: a younger crowd that pays more for style: streetwear, Y2K, 90s sportswear.
- eBay: best for searchable brands and outerwear, and for buyers outside the UK.
- TikTok Shop and Whatnot: live selling. Fast volume once you have an audience.
Most resellers end up on two or three. Start on one, learn what sells, then add another.
2. Buy stock you can see
Your first buy decides your first month. Buy from a wholesaler that shows you the pieces, the grade and the price a piece before you pay, so you know what you're getting. Our buyer's checklist covers what to ask.
A mixed bundle is the safest first buy: you learn which types and brands move fastest in your shop. After that, buy more of what sold.
3. Do the sums per piece
Work out what each piece costs you landed, against what it typically sells for. With our prices and the eBay UK medians we collected:
| T-shirt | Hoodie | |
|---|---|---|
| Bundle price a piece | £2.20 | £2.60 |
| Air shipping a piece (about) | £1.50 | £1.50 |
| Landed cost | £3.70 | £4.10 |
| Typical eBay UK sold price | £10.80 | £14.00 |
Before platform fees, packaging and your time. Prices a piece drop on bigger orders, and sea shipping is much cheaper a piece from 1,000 pieces. Current prices are on our stock page; the sold prices are from our eBay UK price study.
4. Photograph every piece the same way
- Same plain background, same light, every time. Daylight from a window works.
- Front, back, the label, and any flaw up close. Showing flaws stops returns.
- Lay flat or on a hanger, straightened and de-fluffed.
Short on time? We can photograph your pieces before they ship (60p a piece), so they're ready to list the day they arrive.
5. List it so buyers find it
- Title: brand, item, size, colour and era. For example "Nike 90s embroidered hoodie, large, grey".
- Measurements: pit to pit and length. Vintage sizes run differently from today's.
- Price from sold listings, never from what others are asking.
6. Reinvest and repeat
Track what sells and how fast. Put the profit into more of your fastest sellers. Most resellers find a few types and brands that fly in their shop, and that becomes what they buy.
Common questions
How much money do I need to start?
Enough for one bundle and shipping. At our prices a 100-piece mixed bundle starts at a few hundred pounds landed.
Do I need to register as a business?
If you buy stock to resell for profit, you're trading, and HMRC expects you to register as self-employed once your trading income passes the £1,000 trading allowance. Check gov.uk for your own situation.
Is there import duty on vintage from outside the UK?
Not on used clothing coming into the UK.