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Maisie McKins of Northern English City of Hull has begun selling second-hand clothes online to save money on home deposits. She started by listing old items from her wardrobe, but now she spends several hours each week browsing local charity shops and is being resold on the online marketplace VINTED, which has sold over 6,000 items since 2019.
McInnes is part of the global market for second-hand clothing worth an estimated $256 billion, according to the online Thrift Store Thredup. That market is expected to continue to grow as more people discover value by purchasing and wearing second-hand items.
For many, buying and selling products online, from clothing to gadgets to memorabilia, has become a full-time job. For others, it’s a convenient way to make extra money while studying or working.
McKins says he really enjoys selling his and others’ old clothes. “I really love buying bargains at charity shops, and this has given me a way to help others become more sustainable.
However, selling products online requires preparation and practice.
Navigate the digital world
“At the end of the day it’s all about marketing,” says McKins. “How you shoot it and describe it makes all the difference.” She always shoots her clothes against a clean, bright background, and tries to iron the creases beforehand. “If someone is not caring for me in the photo, can I trust them to take care of the product?”
McInnes’ descriptions usually include a detailed summary of items with defects and suggestions when appropriate. She also often includes ideas on how to style the item.
London-based Chi-Chi Nwuba makes money to sell clothes online, but generally writes an explanation that includes keywords that buyers expect to use in their searches in the VINTED and DEPOP apps.
“People may enter something like “a little black dress,” so put it in your description,” she says. She also tries to game the algorithms of reselling sites by posting new items regularly throughout the day, and stay up to date with other buyers and sellers on Tiktok to hear the latest tips.
Top Tips for Buying and Selling Online
✅ Do it
Have a good idea ahead of how much your item should be worth
Make sure you have good photos
Think about the keywords that the buyer or seller may use to describe the item
Please check if your website or app has an age limit
Don’t obey
Click on the suspicious link in your ad or message
Move the conversation to an external messaging service
Lies about the condition and quality of the item
Before checking sizing and reliability, we’ll start buying
However, online traders need to be aware of the potential for fraud, from fake lists to fraudulent links. Action Fraud, the UK’s national fraud reporting service, received roughly 45,000 reports of online shopping and auction-related fraud in the 12 months leading up to June 2025, totaling losses exceeding £46 million.
McInnes says he dodged several scams in his time at reselling sites such as Vinted and Depop. The most common include messages from people who claim to be future buyers who ask them to click on a link to an external website.
People who send messages usually say these links allow her to receive payments, but McInnes suspects they are designed to share personal details such as passwords and bank credentials.
She also notes that while scammers often want to move conversations to external messaging services that can’t flag suspicious comments, users do not need to leave official resale websites or apps to complete the transaction.
Nwuba has witnessed multiple scams on sites such as Vinted and Depop, both as a buyer and a seller. To avoid them, she can turn to typical prices and find something too unusual.
“I’m sorry, but that’s probably not justified because looking at something really cheap and the price is not true, but that’s probably not right,” says Nuva.
Vinted and Depop say they respond to reports of suspicious activity and are actively warning buyers and sellers to maintain all interactions within the app. Both companies say they will offer refunds for items that have not arrived, arrived, damaged or purchased directly through an app that is significantly different from the way they are described.
In particular, Nwuba also looks at “a strange username or username that doesn’t really make sense.” She adds that users without reviews are also “red flags,” but she says it’s harder to attract buyers when she first started selling her items. “You need to sell the first one at a small discount before you get your first review and look reliable.”
Both Nwuba and McInnes say online reselling is basically a customer service industry where your reputation matters. “The most important thing is to be honest about quality,” says Nuuva. “If it’s worn slightly, say that because people are grateful for the truth.”
Sean Grain Carter, an associate professor at the Institute of Fashion Technology in New York, says the online retail site has made second-hand shopping more accessible.
Carter says young people are “leading the accusations because they are often very focused,” but he also adds that Gen Z “inspires the older generation.”
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