The cash-grabbing craze bankrupt Katie Price & millionaire Molly Mae use to ‘look more relateable’ & why it’s backfired
WITH the cost of living going through the roof, many of us have turned online to flog our pre-loved clothes for cash.
But it’s not just everyday people among Vinted‘s 16 million UK users – famous celebs, such as Katie Price and even millionaire Molly-Mae Hague, are also selling their old gear.
Most recently fans also saw Towie’s Billie Faeirs, worth an astronomical £4million, join the cash-grabbing craze on the platform, selling baby buys for a whopping £75.
Since clearing out her wardrobe, the mum-of-three has also publicly promoted her Vinted page to her 3 million followers on Instagram, showcasing just some of the items she’s managed to rake in from.
These included sexy forest green heeled boots for a little over £21, a knitted Topshop set in a UK size 8 for almost £40, as well as a gorgeous sparkly Karen Millen dress.
There was also a goodies like EGO boots for £20 – despite them usually retailing for anywhere between £50 and £80.
The efforts have indeed paid off, as the TV star had made more than a whopping £150 in just 24 hours.
But although Billie, 34, has insisted that all of the proceeds of her Vinted will go towards a charity, not everyone has such pure intentions – and in some cases, their cash-grabbing craze could backfire… big time.
”Celebrities selling their old clothes on platforms like Vinted definitely sparks some interesting discussions,” reckons PR expert Edward Hopkins.
”There’s often a mix of motivations at play,” the whizz said in an exclusive chat with Fabulous.
According to the celebrity guru, some may assume that the famous faces are using this as a clever tactics to ”appear more relateable”.
”By engaging in the same activities as their fans, like selling clothes on second-hand platforms, they can seem more down-to-earth and connected to everyday life.
”Plus, it’s a way for fans to own a piece of their favourite celebrity’s wardrobe, which can create a sense of closeness.”
What’s more, just because most of the celebs are already ”indeed wealthy”, ”it doesn’t mean they wouldn’t want to make some extra cash”.
”And why shouldn’t they?
”Selling their old clothes is an easy way to do that, especially if they have a large following willing to buy.”
However, Edward also explained how raking in by their pre-loved gear could lead to criticism amongst the public, especially as there’s been an increase amongst Brits turning to food banks, according to data by Statista.
”That said, there’s potential for backlash,” he added.
“Critics might argue that since these celebrities are already financially comfortable, they should donate their old clothes to charity instead of profiting from them.
”This criticism often comes from the perception that celebrities should use their wealth and influence to give back to their communities rather than just accumulating more money.
”A lot of celebrities do tend to do this privately, as well as publicly.”
New Vinted rules to be aware of
IF you fancy clearing out your wardrobe and getting rid of your old stuff on Vinted, you’ll need to consider the new rules that recently came into play.
If people are selling personal items for less than they paid new (which is generally the case for second-hand sales), there is no impact on tax.
However, since January 1, digital platforms, including eBay, Airbnb, Etsy, Amazon and Vinted, must share seller information with HMRC as part of a crackdown.
You’re unlikely to be affected if you only sell a handful of second-hand items online each year – generally, only business sellers trading for profit might need to pay tax.
A tax-free allowance of £1,000 has been in place since 2017 for business sellers trading for profit – the only time that an individual personal item might be taxable is if it sells for more than £6,000 and there is a profit from the sale.
However, firms now have to pass on your data to HMRC if you sell 30 or more items a year or earn over £1,700.
It is part of a wider tax crackdown to help ensure that those who boost their income via side hustles pay up what they owe.
While your data won’t be shared with HMRC if you earn between £1,000 and £1,700, you’ll still need to pay tax as normal.
Molly Mae’s designer gear
She may be worth a staggering £6million and regularly flaunt her wealth, whether that’s jetting off to France for a skiing holiday or posing in a £20k outfit.
But that doesn’t mean Molly Mae-Hague, 24, will say ”no” to making some extra cash on the side, despite living in a £3.5million mansion and earning an eye-watering £10k per sponsored social media post.
Earlier in 2023, the Love Island star appeared to be de-cluttering her wardrobe of pieces she no longer was wearing and putting them up on Depop.
The mum-of-one, who recently ditched her engagement ring again, was offering fashionistas Gucci loafers for £40, Louis Vuitton trainers for £180, as well as the on-trend Nike Jordans that usually go for more than £430.
The star said to her Instagram following: “Guys I’ve just been sat in the car, for like an hour doing a huge upload session on Depop, it’s that time again, but this time I’ve done it a little different.
“I’m actually selling a lot of my old luxury pieces that I want to give to a new home.”
She continued: “You guys know I’ve had a huge, huge wardrobe clear out, and I’ve basically restarted, so I had so many things to get rid of.
“I’ve also uploaded more high street things on there too, some sports bits, there’s a whole array of things, I’ll leave the link to my Depop on the screen.
“As you guys know this stuff sells out so quickly, but I’m really excited to be doing a bit of a different upload this time so I hope you guys enjoy it. Happy shopping.”
The mum-of-one, who’s won an impressive five-star rating on her page, has previously claimed that all profits are donated to charity.
Paying high Price
Most of us could do with a little bit of extra cash right now – especially bankrupt Katie Price who’s facing eviction from her Mucky Mansion.
The former glamour model has been on second-hand sites for a few years now, flogging creased PJs with her name for a tenner on Depop, worn socks for £50, as well as old bras for £200.
Even some of her former boyfriend’s, Carl Woods‘, garments are thought to be on the platform, as fans spotted a used Burberry men’s shirt for £50.
According to the description online, the worn shirt is in good condition, however it has two buttons missing on the main front section and also on the cuff.
In a desperate bid to rid herself of the item for good, the mum-of-five is not offering any refunds or returns for the garments – and reportedly made a staggering £2.5k in just five days.
Olivia Buckland – high street gems
Another Love Islander taking to Depop to sell her cast-offs is Olivia Bowen, 30, who is worth an estimated £4.3million with her hubby Alex Bowen.
As of 2021, the reality TV star had managed to get rid of 1,391 items of unwanted gems, managing to generate an astronomical £41k in the process.
Her Depop page boasted trendy high street buys, including cult favourite New Look, Missguided and Coast, some of which were going for under a fiver.
Gemma Collins – £100k
The telly star has been flogging her old size 24 clothes which no longer fit thanks to her incredible three stone weight loss, earning a whopping £100k.
A source said: “Gemma is so savvy and flogging the clothes that don’t fit her anymore has made her a mint.
“All in all she’s made around £100,000 through selling her stuff on Depop.
“She has sold 4,750 items on the website and sells her stuff for around £21 per item.
“Gemma is clever with her cash and won’t miss up on an opportunity to raise some funds.”