Most of us have a wardrobe that is fuller than it needs to be: the coat that never quite worked, the jeans bought for a different season of life, the dress worn once to a wedding. Selling them online is one of the easiest ways to turn clutter into money, and it keeps good clothes in use for longer. If you have never sold anything before, this guide walks you through it from start to finish.
Step 1: choose what to sell
Start with pieces in good condition that someone else would be pleased to receive. Clean, unstained, with working zips and buttons, and no strong smells. Small flaws are fine as long as you say so, but a piece you would be embarrassed to post is not worth listing.
As a rough rule, these tend to do well second-hand:
- outerwear: coats, jackets and good knitwear, especially going into autumn and winter
- denim that has kept its shape
- recognisable high-street and premium brands
- occasion wear that has barely been worn
- children's clothes, which are outgrown long before they are worn out
Basics with obvious wear, such as faded T-shirts or bobbled leggings, are much harder to sell. They are often better donated or recycled.
Step 2: take clear photos
Photos do most of the selling. You do not need a professional set-up, just daylight and a plain background.
- Shoot near a window during the day and turn the flash off.
- Lay the piece flat on a bed or the floor, or hang it on a door.
- Start with the whole garment from the front, then the back.
- Add close-ups of the label, the fabric and any flaws.
That last point matters. A buyer who sees a small mark in the photos and buys anyway is a happy buyer. A buyer who finds it in the parcel is not.
Step 3: write an honest description
Keep it simple and specific. A good description answers the questions a buyer would ask if they could pick the piece up:
- what it is, the brand and the size on the label
- the colour and the fabric, if you know it
- the condition, in plain words
- any flaws, however small
- how it fits, if you have worn it
Measurements help more than anything else. Sizes vary between brands and between decades, so a size 12 from one shop can be a size 10 from another. On Rewear, measurements are optional, but sellers can add them in centimetres, and buyers who have saved their own measurements can see how a measured piece compares. Our guide on how to measure clothes shows which numbers to take for each kind of garment.
Step 4: price it fairly
Pricing second-hand clothes is part research, part honesty. Look at what similar pieces in similar condition are listed for, and be realistic: most second-hand clothing sells for a fraction of its original price. As a starting point:
- New with tags: often around half of the original price, sometimes more for sought-after pieces.
- Very good condition: roughly a third of the original price.
- Good, with signs of wear: lower again, especially for high-street brands.
If something has not sold after a couple of weeks, lowering the price a little usually does more than rewriting the listing.
Step 5: list it
On Rewear, listing is free and there is no selling fee. The price you agree is the price you are paid. Buyers pay a buyer protection fee of 30p + 3% on the item price, which is shown before they pay and funds refunds when an order goes wrong.
Step 6: post it promptly
When a piece sells, the buyer pays for delivery at checkout and you print a prepaid label from the app, so you never buy your own postage. On Rewear you have five days to post. Fold the piece neatly, use a bag or box that will survive the journey, and keep your proof of posting until the buyer has confirmed it arrived.
If something comes up and you cannot post in time, cancel the order in the app so the buyer is refunded straight away rather than left waiting.
Step 7: get paid
Payment is held while the parcel is on its way. Once the buyer confirms the piece has arrived as described, the money is paid to your own UK bank account through Stripe. Holding the payment until then is what lets a buyer be refunded if they were sent something different, and it is a big part of why buyers trust a marketplace.
A few habits of good sellers
- Reply quickly. A buyer with a question is a buyer who is interested.
- Be upfront. Mention flaws in the description and show them in the photos.
- Pack with care. A clean, neatly folded parcel makes a good first impression.
- Keep it on the platform. Paying or being paid outside the marketplace removes the buyer protection and leaves both of you on your own if something goes wrong.
Is it worth it?
For most people, selling a few pieces they no longer wear is a simple way to make some money back and free up space. If you are selling your own unwanted clothes, it is not usually treated as trading. If you start buying things specifically to resell, the rules can be different, and GOV.UK explains what counts as trading.
Rewear is new and small, so be patient with your first few listings. The fundamentals are the same wherever you sell: good light, honest words, a fair price and a well-packed parcel.