I’m only 19 and I’ve made over £5,000 on Vinted – I used the money to pay for a trip to New York, here’s my top tips
ELLA COOMBS may only be 19, but she clearly has a bright future ahead of her, thanks to the £5,000 she made in one year just from selling clothes on Vinted.
At just 15 years old, Ella started her own business, and began selling her old clothes online.
“I’d been collecting vintage for years, and just decided to have a clear out one day,” she told Fabulous.
“The items were selling so fast, I couldn’t keep up.”
After a few months, Ella ran out of clothes to sell, and put her business on hold for three years whilst she finished school.
However, once her studies were complete, she decided to rebrand her business, and start all over again.
“I’ve been selling vintage for the past year now as a side hustle, alongside my full time job of managing two charity shops”, she said.
“I would absolutely love to do this as a full time job.”
Ella, from Rugby, currently sells clothes on Vinted and eBay and sources her items using vintage wholesaler Fleek.
She promotes her business using social media sites such as Instagram and TikTok and is also planning on launching her own website, but is waiting to make sure everything is absolutely perfect first.
In just a year, Ella has made over £5,000 just from Vinted, and she’s made plenty of sales on eBay and in person too.
She has sold over 1000 items, and sometimes posts up to 15 items a time on her daily visits to the Post Office.
Ella has so far used her earnings to pay for a bucket list trip to New York, as well as decorating her very own studio, which she will use for shooting and stocking items.
“I would love to save up for a van and travel the country, selling at as many pop-ups as possible, she said.
She added that her ultimate goal is to travel around Europe with her boyfriend in the van, and sell clothes in different countries.
Ella has even been approached by a local shop owner, who is keen to stock her hand-picked vintage clothing in their store: “It’s a dream come true,” she said.
Do you need to pay tax on items sold on Vinted?
QUICK facts on tax from the team at Vinted...
- The only time that an item might be taxable is if it sells for more than £6,000 and there is profit (sells for more than you paid for it). Even then, you can use your capital gains tax-free allowance of £3,000 to offset it.
- Generally, only business sellers trading for profit (buying goods with the purpose of selling for more than they paid for them) might need to pay tax. Business sellers who trade for profit can use a tax-free allowance of £1,000, which has been in place since 2017.
- More information here: vinted.co.uk/no-changes-to-taxes
When she is sourcing her clothes, Ella looks for classic, timeless pieces from high quality brands.
“This year, I am particularly drawn to funky jackets, classic style handbags, and individual style tracksuits that can be dressed up”, she said.
She added that she only sells clothes that she would personally wear herself.
Ella revealed that Vinted is the easiest site to use for anyone thinking of beginning reselling clothes.
She said: “It’s simple and has very clear guidance for selling so its super easy to navigate.
“It’s also extremely easy to ship an item, all information is provided if you’ve never used a certain courier before.”
Sharing advice to anyone thinking of starting a business similar to hers, Ella said: “My advice to anyone starting out on this adventure would be to prioritise sourcing stock that you would wear yourself.
“I feel like a lot of people make the mistake of buying things just because other businesses are selling them. You will not succeed if you’re not passionate about what you’re selling.
“If I don’t absolutely love an item, it does not go on my storefront.”
She added: “Building strong relationships with your customers is key to being successful.
“Try reply to messages fast, update social media regularly, package sales in a unique way – sometimes freebies.
“It all goes hand in hand to create repeating customers and grow your business.
“My last piece of advice is not to compare yourself to other companies, we are all on our own journey! Embrace being different.”