How to Shop Second Hand on Vinted

This past year I’ve discovered Vinted and have loved using it! Dare I say it can be quite addictive scrolling through listings. A friend mentioned it to me back at the beginning of my mat leave and I thought I’d give it a go as I had a bunch of clothes I wanted to clear out. I’ve also brought lots of bargain bundles for Rory. Little ones go through clothes so quickly and I’ve gotten some great stuff off Vinted! 

Why should you use Vinted?

The concept of Vinted is completely new to me as I’ve bought and sold bits on eBay in the past. Shopping second hand is good for the plant and second hand doesn’t mean second best! I’m always looking for ways where I can be more sustainable and this is definitely one way. I’ve used Vinted as a way to clear out lots of my old wardrobe (things that no longer fit or are my style) and then use the credit to either get myself something or clothes/ toys for Rory. Your littlest family member will outgrow over 1000 items of clothing before they are fully grown. Their need for new clothes from ages 0-12 (about every 3 months due to growth and changing seasons) means the average household in the UK will spend around £11,000 on clothing each child.  Ouch! When it comes to children’s clothing, it has the potential to be worn by up to 4 kids. Buying second hand for children could really help reduce its carbon and water footprint by up to 75%!

How does it work?

Vinted is an easy to use app and it’s really simple to either upload and sell items or search for and buy items.

There isn’t a sellers commission to pay and instead the buyer pays a buyer’s protection fee. The buyer’s protection fee covers refunds for items that may not arrive or are damaged etc., secure in-app payments and Vinted support.

You don’t have to bid like eBay and instead either pay what the seller is asking for, or you can contact the seller and offer something else. Most times I’ve found if you offer a reasonable and realistic amount, they’ll accept it.

If you’re selling something, you take your pictures, describe the item and fill in the boxes about the item. This is nice and quick! When you’re selecting a price, the app will show you similar items and what they have sold for which I find helpful.

Once someone has brought something from you, you package it up, attach the prepaid postage and drop it off.

Finding the good stuff:

I’ve brought lots of stuff from Vinted! I brought a gorgeous Monsoon shirt midi dress for myself and also lots for Rory from Splash About swimming wetsuits to puddle suits, Fisher Price Rollin’ Rovee to bundles of clothes. I’m always on the outlook for a bargain so will try to be as specific as I can.

Search for specific things:

When I was looking for a puddle suit for Rory, I searched for ‘puddle suit’ then was specific on the size and condition. When it comes to condition I’ll usually click on ‘new with tags’, ‘new without tags’ and ‘very good’. I’ll then search through what pops up and most of the time I’m able to find exactly what I’m looking for.

Search for a brand:

I’ll usually search for specific brands that I like. If I’m looking for a dress, I’ll go into Women’s, Dresses, the type of dress I want and then filter by the brand eg. Monsoon, Boden, & Other Stories, Joules, Whistles etc. I’ll then enter my size and see what comes up.

Search for bundles:

When it comes to Rory’s clothes I’ve found that if I want to get a bargain I can search for

Kids, Boy’s Clothes, Clothing Bundles. I’ll see what Rory needs or doesn’t have in say the next size of clothing up and see what I can get 2nd hand. I’ve gotten some amazing bits and only had to throw a couple stained vests from bundles. I’ve gotten Seven For All Mankind Jeans and Hoodies, Mickey Mouse Gillet, Waterproof Jackets, Hoodies, Trackies and much more in really good condition. I’ve even gotten some bits with labels still on! I will always search for things in ‘new with tags’, ‘new without tags’ and ‘very good’ categories so that Rory can still get some great wear out of the clothes.

Shop wardrobe bundles:

Another great thing to do, is see what else a seller is selling. If you want to buy something, have a quick look at their ‘wardrobe’. Lots of sellers will have ‘shop bundles’ switched on and offer discounts for the more items you buy. For example, 5% off if you buy 2 items, 10% off if you buy 3 items and so on. I’ve managed to get several bundles of children’s clothes for a great price. I paid £25 and got something like 45 items of clothes for Rory in ages 9-12 months! What a bargain!

If you want to give Vinted a go, check out my ‘wardrobe’ here and here is also my friend’s code if you fancy selling something yourself!

Have you used Vinted before? Do you shop second hand? Do you have any other tips?

Until next time,
Cathers xx

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