A WOMAN who’s made £6,000 flogging her unwanted clutter on Vinted has shared the secret trick she swears by.
Polly Arrowsmit, 58, joined the second-hand fashion app after realising she had mountains of beauty products, toiletries and homeware that she’d never use.
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And now, just 12 months in, she’s already managed to shift hundreds of items – while racking up more than 500 five-star reviews in the process and making thousands.
The savvy seller, who previously ran a project donating thousands of Christmas gifts to vulnerable people, turned to Vinted after downsizing from a three-bed house to a smaller flat.
But while most sellers struggle to shift items when they first sign up, Polly found a way to build trust and boost her sales, and is now sharing her golden rules for finding success on the platform.
Firstly, she always uses neat packaging, like metallic padded envelopes and often slips in a small treat such as sweets or product samples to make parcels feel special.
Her biggest tip is to ask every buyer for a review as this builds trust and helps boost future sales.
Speed is also key – she posts items quickly, responds to messages fast and accepts or declines offers without delay.
On top of that, she posts regularly to keep up with Vinted’s algorithm, recommending two or three new listings a day instead of uploading everything at once.
And it’s worked – in less than a year she’s been recognised as a pro-seller by the platform, shifting everything from bargain books to high-end candles and body oils.
“I realised very quickly that it’s quite difficult to make sales with zero feedback so I priced items competitively and listed books for £1 each,” Polly, from London, told What’s The Jam.
“I also answered questions quickly and in detail, proving items were real and not fake.
“I wrote handwritten notes to anyone I’d sold to asking if they would write a review.
“I would also chase people up in the inbox if they didn’t give me a review, saying it would be really helpful.
As for her best selling items, Polly said she’s had the most success with luxury brands like Neom.
“The candles, diffusers and body lotions sell within minutes of being listed,” she smiled.
“I’ve also had huge success with REN body oils.
“Since the company stopped trading they’ve become really sought-after – I sell them for around £20 each after picking up a box of 40 for just £9 a piece.”
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.
But it hasn’t all been smooth sailing.
Polly admits she’s clashed with Vinted’s strict rules, with entire batches of her listings deleted when the site decided she was selling too many toiletries and cosmetics.
After repeated setbacks she branched out onto eBay, using cross-listing software to post items more easily.
And she now makes hundreds of pounds a month on there, on top of her Vinted earnings.
Polly says the money she’s made through her side hustle is going straight towards her upcoming move.
After downsizing once already, she’s now planning to relocate to another flat in the same Islington area, and the extra cash from selling her clutter is helping to cover the costs and make the transition smoother.
Polly, who sells under the username @hattie.2011, added: “What started as a way to clear out my cupboards has turned into a proper money-maker – and it’s all helping me move into a fresh new home.
“I never imagined selling my old clutter would make such a difference – but it’s proved that with the right tricks, anyone can turn it into cash.”
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