Whether youâre decluttering your childrenâs wardrobes, clearing out the attic, or simply looking to give your own wardrobe a refresh, platforms like Vinted, eBay, and Facebook Marketplace are fantastic ways to make some extra cash from your old clothes, toys, housewares, and more.
All these platforms make it super-easy for you to get started selling online. But, given how popular they are, you might be wondering how you can make your items stand out to sell them quickly, and for the most money.
So, here are seven of my top tips to help you maximise your profit regardless of which platform you choose, and make your selling experience as smooth as possible.
1. Add luxury through your photographs
Weâve all heard the saying âa picture is worth a thousand wordsâ, and when it comes to selling online, this is a motto not to be missed. You donât need to go all âDavid Baileyâ, but you do need to take a bit of care to make sure your items are showcased in the best possible light (literally). Hereâs how to do it:
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Make use of natural light: Take your photos in a well-lit area, preferably with natural light. This not only makes your items look more appealing but also ensures youâre capturing true-to-life colours to avoid unhappy customers. You want your item to be lit from the front, not the back, so position your items opposite your window or light source, and stand in the middle for soft, even lighting.
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Iron and hang your clothes: If youâre selling clothing, give everything a quick iron (or at least hang dry) to avoid too many wrinkles, and ensure the item is sitting in its correct shape. Hang items up neatly on a plain background, avoiding cluttered or busy backdrops.
- Multiple Angles: Snap pictures from different angles, showing all sides of the item. Include close-ups of any details, labels, or flaws. The more comprehensive your photos, the more confident buyers will feel.Â
2. Reduce the chances of refund requests
Inspect your items thoroughly before listing them. If your photo shows a pristine white t-shirt, but the buyer notices a hidden stain, youâll have to waste time and potentially lose money sorting a refund later down the line. No one needs that stress!
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Check for rips, marks, and damage: Check toys, clothes, and decorations for any rips, stains, or damage. Be honest in your descriptions and photos. Even small issues, if not disclosed upfront, can result in unhappy customers leaving you negative feedback, which will affect all of your future sales. Youâll get plenty of people happy to buy your item anyway to repair themselves, or simply to bag a bargain, and youâll have covered yourself from any negative feedback.
- Put items to one side: If youâve put quite a few things up for sale, it can be hard to remember what you have and havenât listed. If your childrenâs old toys are in the mix and they see your sales pile in view, they might change their mind about getting rid of them – which can cause issues if your item then sells later that day. Store all of your items in a clean, lidded box until theyâve sold to keep your sales pile clean and organised, and help you keep track of where everything is.
3. Choose the right (and best) categories
Selecting the correct category is crucial to get items sold, but you can also use this in your favour to increase visibility. Hereâs how to make sure your items get seen:
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Do your research: Take a moment to browse similar items that have sold and see which categories theyâre listed under, if youâre unsure. This can give you an idea of where your items should go, but also which categories are the most popular.
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Choose specific categories: You may think that listing your girlsâ dress bundle under âkids clothesâ would maxmise your visibility, because itâs a wider category. But not choosing a specific category can work against you, as itâll be far more heavily populated, meaning your items have less chance of being seen. If you think about it from a customerâs point of view, theyâll be much more likely to search eBay for âgirls dress age 4-5â than just âkids clothesâ, for example. So, choose specific categories covering age, gender, and type of clothing to give your item the best visibility.
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Use keywords in your descriptions: Now that youâve set your category,
Use specific keywords in your titles and descriptions. Instead of âKids Clothesâ, try âGirls Summer Dress Age 4-5â. The more detailed you are, the better your chances of appearing in relevant searches.
4. Use keywords to improve visiblity
Now that youâve pinned down your category⌠repeat everything in the header and description of your listing. That may seem a bit overkill – after all, if youâve just set your category to be girls dresses for ages 4-5, why do you need to repeat yourself in the title? Well, for two reasons.
Firstly, having the keywords in the title will help bump your listing up the results list, because your item will be seen as being more relevant to customersâ searches (which, as mentioned, are likely going to be more specific and include some of those keywords).
Secondly, itâs all about capturing the buyersâ attention. If they can visually see what youâre selling both in your five-star photos and in your title, youâve covered all bases, and itâll be harder for them to accidentally scroll past your listing.
On top of this, make sure you:
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Are honest and detailed: Mention the condition, size, brand, and any flaws. The more information you provide, the less likely you are to deal with disputes later.
- Highlight key features: If something is unique or particularly valuable, make sure to point it out. Use bullet points for easy reading and keep the tone friendly and approachable.
5. Set competitive prices (but play the second-hand toys market)
Pricing your items right is essential for attracting buyers, and not cheating yourself out of potentially hundreds of pounds in secretly rare finds.
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Check similar listings: Look at what others have charged for similar items. The key here is to check successful, sold listings, as thatâll show what buyers really paid. Simply checking whatâs currently listed but yet unsold wonât give you any indication of sold prices. This will give you a benchmark and help you set a competitive price without undercharging yourself.
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Check for potential goldmines: Did you know some of your childrenâs toys could be worth a fortune?! Never sell your toys without checking its sold price first, as you could uncover itâs worth more than the fiver you were about to list it for. Thereâs a particular Toy Story Rex dinosaur toy that originally cost around ÂŁ35 new in 2009, and is now worth around ÂŁ600 if you still have the box, and still a whopping ÂŁ200/ÂŁ300 without. I once paid just ÂŁ5 on Facebook Marketplace for a Muppet soft toy that sells for between ÂŁ75-ÂŁ100 on eBay (I didnât sell it on, before you ask – I wanted it for myself!). You might find your particular bundle isnât worth anything this time around, but youâll be kicking yourself if someone else makes a whopping profit reselling your toys that you paid for in the first place, so always take the extra ten minutes to check.
- Consider bundle deals (or not): If you have multiple items that go well together, such as a bundle of similar-style clothing at the same size, consider offering them as a bundle at a discounted price if youâre after a quicker sale. On the other hand, if youâre finding your bundles arenât selling, consider listing them separately – you may find someone is only interested in one or two items in your bundle, and someone else wants another item. Itâll be more trips to the post office, but youâll likely end up with a bigger overall profit if youâre happy to wait a little longer for them to sell.
6. Try the holiday mode trick
Did you know thereâs a secret trick to help bump your listings on certain sites? This isnât guaranteed to work, and the platforms could pull it at any time, but if your items have sat unsold for a while, itâs always worth a try.
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Holiday mode on Vinted: On Vinted, you can temporarily set your profile to âholiday modeâ, which temporarily delists your items from the main search page, and prevents anyone from buying your items. When you turn it back on, your listings get a temporary boost in visibility. I recommend setting your profile to holiday mode for a few days, and turn it back off to give your items a second wind without delisting them.
- Unlist and relist: Sadly, the holiday mode trick doesnât seem to work on eBay. If youâre selling on eBay or Facebook Marketplace, consider unlisting and then relisting your items. This will push them back up to the top of the search results, giving them fresh exposure. Just make sure to do this periodically to avoid any penalties from the platforms.
7. Engage with potential buyers
Good communication can make or break a sale. There have been several occasion where I messaged a buyer to enquire about materials or dimensions, and theyâve never got back to me – ultimately leading me to buy elsewhere. Keep things running smoothly byâŚ
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Responding promptly: Respond to messages and enquiries as quickly as possible – certainly on the same day. The faster you reply, the more likely you are to secure the sale.
- Being friendly and helpful: A friendly tone and helpful attitude can go a long way. If buyers feel respected and valued, theyâre more likely to complete the purchase and leave positive feedback.
Selling on Vinted, eBay, and Facebook Marketplace doesnât have to be a daunting task. With these tips, youâll be well on your way to turning clutter into cash with minimal hassle. Hereâs to making some extra money while doing a little bit of good for the planet too!
