Ginnie Chadwyck-Healey, retail expert and founder of VCH Style, advises that anyone looking to sell old clothes online should be prepared to make far less than what you personally may have deemed the items to be worth.
“From my experience, the reality is that when reselling on the likes of Vinted or eBay you have to expect a far far lower return on your original financial (and likely, emotional) investment,” she says. “You have to be happy to settle at a much lower price than you might have expected, even on a well-known brand. I would never say “‘buy the bigger, known brands to ensure you make your money back long term.’” It’s a false security.”
& Other Stories and COS scored highly as brands that offer a better return on what was paid – while both are owned by the H&M Group, they are slightly less prolific names and sell more limited editions of their designs making them more covetable. Mango and Zara, too, performed well – certain dress styles from each have been known to go viral, meaning demand continues at re-sale from customers who missed out, especially if the item has only been worn a couple of times.
Exclusivity, supply and demand play a part in what price resale customers are willing to pay – the vast quantity of clothes available to browse from some brands on Vinted undoubtedly contributes to some of the lower selling prices seen.
There are exceptions to the rule – outlier items that defy the general performance of a brand. Five years after Zara’s famous monochrome spotted dress first hit the shops, the £39.99 frock can still fetch between £10 and £28.50 on Vinted and eBay.
Pieces from limited edition designer and celebrity collaborations are often sought after long after the original ‘drop’ has sold out. Pieces from JW Anderson’s Uniqlo collections – of which there have been many – often sell for prices that are almost as high as their original retail prices. Knits from the more limited Anya Hindmarch x Uniqlo collaboration this year are currently fetching almost double their £34.90 retail prices.