I’m Vinted’s founder – my team’s 8 tips will help you flog your clothes quicker & a one-second trick makes photos ‘pop’
MILLIONS of people are making some extra cash thanks to selling items they no longer need on Vinted.
The online marketplace launched in the UK in 2014 and to celebrate 10 years of selling, the team behind the brand has revealed their top tips to making the most money.
Here, eight bright minds at Vinted have shared their secrets to helping ‘Vinties’ (the name given to devoted members) sell faster and make more cash, hassle-free…
Milda Mitkute, Vinted co-founder
Use more keywords than you think is necessary
This significantly boosts your item’s discoverability.
People search using different terms, so the more relevant terms you can use in the listing or item description, the more likely you are to be found.
For example, instead of “black T-shirt”, try “plain black, short-sleeve T-shirt with V-neck”.
See the difference? Your Vinted account balance will, too!
If it has been a few weeks since you’ve listed an item and it hasn’t sold, rewrite the item title and double-check that you have selected all the relevant item filters.
This helps to ensure that your item appears in multiple search results.
Cecile Wickmann, Senior Director of Luxury
Sell in-season
Listing items when they’re really “in-season” is more likely to result in a quicker sale (and less haggling, so more money) vs listing out-of-season items.
People are simply more likely to be shopping for summer clothing in the summer, and winter items in the winter.
Things can also sell really quickly when you can react to events, e.g. winter boots and raincoats when the rainy season starts or dresses and sunglasses during a heatwave.
Emma Sullivan, Creative Director
Make it photo-perfect
The first photo is the most important as it determines whether someone taps on your listing in the first instance to find out more, or not.
It’s best to choose a photo that clearly shows the entire item from the front.
Also, taking photos of your items in natural light can make all the difference as to whether an item sells or not.
Harsh indoor lighting might make do, however, the same item takes a completely different picture under natural light conditions.
Photos are best taken against a plain, white or neutral background as it makes your items ‘pop’.
With lighter-coloured items, use a darker background to create contrast.
Either way, capture multiple angles to provide a multi-dimensional view and take close-ups of details – even the flaws, so buyers know what to expect.
The more photos you take (you can upload up to 20), the better informed a buyer will be about choosing your item, and the quicker you’ll be able to sell it.
If the amount of money you make from your items is less than the amount you paid for them, there is no tax to pay.
Do you need to pay tax on items sold on Vinted?
QUICK facts on tax from the team at Vinted...
- The only time that an item might be taxable is if it sells for more than £6,000 and there is profit (sells for more than you paid for it). Even then, you can use your capital gains tax-free allowance of £3,000 to offset it.
- Generally, only business sellers trading for profit (buying goods with the purpose of selling for more than they paid for them) might need to pay tax. Business sellers who trade for profit can use a tax-free allowance of £1,000, which has been in place since 2017.
- More information here: vinted.co.uk/no-changes-to-taxes
Johanna Eggers, Senior Director of Offline Authentication
Make sure the price is right
Your pricing strategy can significantly influence how quickly and successfully you sell your items.
We all have high hopes, but it’s also important to be realistic about what second-hand items can sell for.
If you’re not sure where to start, here’s a good rule of thumb: for items that are “New with tags” or “New without tags”, a good suggested price is 80-60 oer cent of the retail price, for “Very good” condition, try a suggested price of 60-40 per cent of the retail price, and for “Good” or “Satisfactory” condition, around 40-20 per cent of the retail price.
Photos are best taken against a plain, white or neutral background as it makes your items ‘pop’
Emma Sullivan
Bjoern Holzhauer, Senior Verification Expert
Add a bit extra so you don’t lose out
People like a good haggle on Vinted but take this into account by adding an extra small but random amount to the listing price, for example £20.89 instead of £20.
This means when you get an offer, it won’t hurt you to reduce it.
Being open to offers is definitely one way you can sell more of your items quickly.
In all cases, it’s better to price slightly higher as you can always reduce the price later, but you can’t increase it once someone is interested.
Natacha Blanchard, Consumer Lead
Countdown to the weekend
Get into a routine where you can list your items on a weekly basis, particularly in time for the weekend, to maximise your chances of a sale.
The weekend is the most popular time for browsing and shopping on the app and I have personally found that is when most people tend to ‘favourite’ items and complete their purchases.
The weekend windfall is real! Bank Holidays are another great time to list if you tend to sell in waves rather than regularly.
Vinted fact
Sellers are most busy listing on Saturday afternoons, and shopping happens most frequently on Sunday evenings, so prepare your listings accordingly.
Vinted fact: Sellers are most busy listing on Saturday afternoons, and shopping happens most frequently on Sunday evenings, so prepare your listings accordingly.
Marianne Gybels, Sustainability Director of Sustainability
Include “fit” as well as sizing
If your items are officially classed as “tall”, “petite”, “maternity”, “wide-fit”, or similar, make sure you mention it in the listing title and description to make your items easier to find.
These are not only important keywords, but they also give the buyer an important heads-up about “fit” since sizes don’t necessarily tell the full story.
It also helps if you list your own height or clothing size in the listing so shoppers have more confidence knowing that your items won’t come up short!
May Berthelot, Anti-Counterfeit Director
Verify your account
Don’t underestimate the power of having a profile picture and verifying your Vinted account to show that you are an active and trustworthy member.
Buyers appreciate knowing who they’re buying from.
Your Vinted profile page displays where you have verified your info, so ensure you have verified at least one of the following: email address, Facebook, Apple or Google account.
And upload a profile picture if you feel comfortable, alternatively, look online for a website that allows you to create a free avatar, which you can then use as your profile picture instead.