Beth used Vinted to sell all her unwanted items – and thinks other UK households could also be sitting on thousands of pounds
A Brit woman sold her unwanted things to start a new life abroad. But while she loves it, she misses one unusual thing about British life in particular.
Beth Hackman made £3,000 selling her unwanted clothes on Vinted to fund her dream move to Australia. She sold more than 600 items, including unwanted clothes, shoes and accessories on the app.
The 25 year old used the funds to pay for a flight, visa and accommodation in Sydney in March this year. Now she has started a new life as a physiotherapist.
But despite loving her new life, she does miss one aspect of life on the UK high street you perhaps wouldn’t expect. She said: “I’m loving Australia because of the work-life balance. I’m working fewer hours here than in the UK and making the same salary equivalent. I miss my family so much because I’m so close with them but I message and call them every day. Other than that I miss a Tesco meal deal.”
She decided to sell most of her clothes after realising she had far too many things. Beth listed everything from gym wear and occasion dresses to her brother’s prom suit and even a pair of Alexander McQueen trainers, which sold for £200.
“I’d just accumulated too much and hated how much was generally fast fashion,” Beth, from Windsor, Berkshire, said. “Moving to Australia has been a dream for around three years.
“I actually got to the point just before I went travelling that I sold all of my shoes so I just had my gym and running trainers or a random pair of heels left. I’d say I’ve sold at least 600 items and that much was just sat in my wardrobe.”
She believes many households are sitting on hundreds, if not thousands, of pounds worth of unwanted possessions without realising it. Beth said: “I would 100% encourage people to declutter if they’re saving for a major life goal. People don’t realise how much they could make.
“I think we’re all over consumers. Some of my friends have obscene amounts of clothes. Also, I feel better buying things second hand and also recycling my own clothes on Vinted. I wear a dress once and then sell it rather than let it sit in my wardrobe.”
Beth believes many people miss out on making easy money simply because they don’t present their listings properly. She also believes detailed descriptions and quick postage make a huge difference, helping her build positive reviews that encouraged more buyers.
Beth said: “Taking good photos with a clean background is key. I also used a mannequin sometimes. Good descriptions are important. I had a postage locker on my way to work so always posted things quickly so got lots of good reviews.
“I think people initially put things up for way too much. People on Vinted want a bargain and won’t pay normal resell prices. I will always negotiate. I’d rather it be sold and out of my house and lose out on 50p than be set on prices. Although some people do take the p***.
“Photos and descriptions really matter to me as a buyer and I wouldn’t buy from someone who looks like they don’t put effort in so I make sure my posts looks better.” Beth first downloaded Vinted around five years ago, but not with the intention of making money.
Instead, she used the resale platform as a savvy shopping tool, searching for designer pieces to see how they looked on real people before buying them new. She said: “I started to use it as a platform to double check a product.
“If I wanted a dress from House of CB, I’d search it on Vinted to see how it looked on real bodies and to compare sizes. I like to think I’m clever for this. It’s basically picture reviews.”
