Old Clothes: Sell or Donate?

With the rise of Vinted and the cost of living only going one way, the lure of making a few pennies selling old clothes is very attractive. Yet often, the intention and the reality tend to be quite different.

Having used Vinted a lot for my own purposes, as well as having experimented selling other people’s clothes under A Life Less Complicated, here’s my take.

Creating listings takes more time than you might think.

Even if you’re quick you need to allow at least 10 minutes per listing to take photos, upload, add the categories etc and a description.

When they sell (wahoo!) you then need to package them and take them to a drop-off point. So let’s say another 10 minutes on average for all that.

In real terms: if you’ve got 20 items to sell, that’s 6.5–8 hours’ work.

Now I know you’re already squeezed for time (which is how you found your way to my site!), so it’s worth weighing up if you can realistically carve out that time. AND, if it’s worth it for the money…

You might not make as much money as you think.

How well something sells comes down to 2 things in my experience: condition and brand.

I was surprised to learn (the hard way) that so many decent quality items only go for £1–2. High street brands, even those in good condition, just don’t make much money.

BNWT items pretty much always do well, as do higher-end branded items.

If I can pass on one learning from all of this about selling on Vinted: be selective about what you list.

Money is subjective, so what I think is a decent profit might not align with what you think, but here is what I do in case it helps:

I count 10 minutes per item, and decided I’d want to make at least £4 per item to give me a £24 per hour wage.

Use your chosen hourly wage to guide what you choose to sell and what you choose to donate.

Remember: it’s not an all or nothing situation. You can sell some things and donate others.

If something hasn’t sold by then, delete the listing and donate instead.

The longer they’re hanging around, the more mental load they’re taking up. They’re a constant reminder of a job to be done, and they’re making your home feel cluttered. The sooner they’re out the door, the better!

Finding 10 minutes here or there is a lot easier than finding 4 hours in one go.

With one exception…

If the clouds part (a rare sight here in England!), grab your camera and take as many pictures as you can. Good pictures make for better sales.

There isn’t a right answer.

Selling can absolutely be worth it - if the item is right, the timing is right, and you actually have the time and energy to see it through.

But sometimes the quickest way to lighten the load isn’t squeezing every last £ out of something. It’s getting it out of your house and off your mind.

A lighter mental load has value too.

Be selective, be honest about your time and remember it’s not all or nothing.

Sell what’s worth selling and donate the rest.

Enjoy the physical and mental space that creates.