I’m a bargain hunter and I bagged a £3k designer watch for just 20p, here’s where you need to hunt to find your own
A THRIFTY shopper has managed to bag a “£3000” watch for just 20p.
Francesca discovered the “designer” buy whilst she was rummaging through a box of “tatty jewellery” whilst out shopping at a charity shop.
She believes it is a watch by the posh designer called TAG Heuer – where prices start at around £1k.
Francesca, who prides herself in finding designer goods for cheap in charity shops, is taking to TikTok to ask her followers if the watch is genuine.
The savvy buyer, who goes by the name of ‘Francesca Charity Shop,’ works full time as a EOL – end of life – nurse but spends her free time hunting for bargain buys.
In the video, which has gone viral gaining over 41.9k views, Francesca says: “I found this is a box full of tatty jewellery for 20p.
“I don’t know enough about the brand to say if it is 100 per cent legit.”
She then inserted a clip to show the box of jewellery that she managed to find the watch in.
The box was filled to the brim with all types of bracelets and necklaces.
Francesca is now “hoping” it’s a real one.
The video managed to gather lots of attention with many rushing to the comments section to share their thoughts.
One wrote: “I once got a nine carat gold necklace and matching bracelet for 20p each.”
Another added: “Get it checked and let us know I’m so invested in this now to know.”
A third said: “I think it’s genuine you know! It’s identical…go get it checked girl!”
This isn’t the first time Francesca has managed to be savvy with her shopping.
She previously found “filthy” Adidas trainers for £1 in a charity shop, and then revealed how she could’ve earned £24 profit from them.
Francesca explained that if she has a “spare pound” then she will head to a charity shop and “scour them for bargains.”
That time she managed to find two pairs of trainers for £1.
I found this is a box full of tatty jewellery for 20p
Francesca
The first being a pair of Nike M2K Tekno trainers which retail at £75 brand new, and the second pair was Adida X 18.3 football boots which retail for £30.
After purchasing the shoes, which were grubby and discoloured at the time she purchased them, Francesca then gave them a good scrub with stain remover.
It took her ten minutes to get them clean before putting them in the washing machine.
Francesca said: “Now these sell for £60, I could resell them for £25 if I wanted to.”
She didn’t sell them in the end, as Francesca bought them for her son but explained that it could’ve been an easy way to earn some extra cash.
Where can I sell my used items?
Whether your kids have outgrown their clothes, or you’ve decided you are bored of your shoes – there are plenty of websites now available which allow you to tell your used items.
From eBay to Vinted, each website has their own niche way of helping you to earn some extra money.
Some websites are better suited to selling specific things than others so it’s best to look around before listing your products.
A popular website in the UK to sell or buy second hand items is Vinted which is mainly for selling and buying clothes and accessories.
As covered, Vinted connects 21 million users worldwide, operating in 15 countries.
According to Forbes, the “best” websites to sell your belongings in 2024 are: eBay, Facebook Marketplace and Etsy.
'Vinted tax' explained
If you are planning to start selling second-hand items online to earn some extra cash, you should be aware of the crackdown on tax.
Since January 2024, digital platforms such as eBay, Etsy, Vinted, amazon and Airbnb must share seller information with HMRC.
This includes people who sell 30 or more items in a year or earn over €2,000 (the equivalent of £1,700).
This is because anyone selling items online usually has to pay tax if they earn £1,000 or more.
It is part of a wider tax crackdown to help ensure that those who boost their income via side hustles pay up what they owe.
This isn’t a new tax. Those who earn over £1,000 have always had to declare income and fill in a self-assessment tax return, but it gives the taxman greater visibility over what you earn.
While your data won’t be shared with HMRC if you earn between £1,000 and £1,700, you’ll still need to pay tax as normal.
However, you’re unlikely to be affected if you only sell a handful of second-hand items online each year.
Ebay is best for selling the widest range of items from furniture, to clothes and electronics – the website allows for you to list up to 250 items per month for free.
Facebook Marketplace allows you to also sell a wide range of items, but it is mostly used for furniture and other large items.
Etsy, which charges you 20 per cent per listing, main focus is crafts, jewellery and art-related products with a 6.5 per cent transaction fee.
Depop, which has a user base of over 26 million, is another website which people can buy and sell their second hand clothes from.