Over the past four months or so, I’ve been doubling down on building an income stream from selling pre-loved and vintage clothing on eBay. The premise is pretty simple… You buy items from places like charity shops and boot sales, and you sell them on for a higher price, pocketing the profit.
Like every legitimate way of making money online, it’s not a ticket to overnight millions, and it absolutely DOES require some good old fashioned hard work. Sourcing decent stock takes time. So does photographing, and listing, and packaging. And – quick disclaimer – right now, it’s definitely not my most lucrative source of income. I’m taking on average just a few hundred quid as profit, and the rest of the cash I’m generating is getting invested straight back into building my inventory.
That said though, reselling clothes on eBay has quickly become one of my favourite ways to make money online. Here’s why…
IT FORCES ME OUT OF THE HOUSE, AND THAT PROTECTS MY SANITY
I’ll be honest here… I’m really not much of a ‘people person’. The fact that being self-employed means that I don’t have to deal with office politics – or really have that much to do with other human beings in general, for the most part – is a benefit that I don’t take for granted. But no matter how much you enjoy your own company, working from home for the longer term, if you’re not really careful, can have a serious impact on your mental health.
Before you know it, you’re spending the full day in your pyjamas. The only conversation you’ve had in three days has been with your dog. Even if you don’t particularly feel ‘lonely’, you’re on your own way more often than not. This is a lifestyle that I’ve actively chosen, and it’s one that I’m very happy with. But even so, it can be a bit ‘too much’ at times.
Reselling clothes on eBay gives me that daily dose of human contact that makes me feel a bit more sane. And a bit happier, actually. Having a chat with the lady behind the counter in the charity shop. Passing the time of day with the Post Office staff on my daily visit. It’s the little things, you know? They make a difference. They remind you that there’s a world outside your computer.
I’VE REASSESSED MY SPENDING HABITS, AND HOW I CAN BE MORE SAVVY WITH MY MONEY
When you’re running a business online, there’s so much talk about increasing your income. About making more sales, getting more clients, hitting 6-figure years. And to a certain extent, rightly so. If you’re not bring in money, you’re up shit creek without a paddle. We’ve all got bills to pay. But there’s very little talk of being more sensible with your money, or making it go further, and taking a step back to think about whether what you’re spending is really necessary. Being frugal might not sound as sexy as splashing the cash, but there’s a balance.
My favourite ‘going out dress’ is now a beautiful designer silk midi that would have been well over a hundred quid new – I paid £6 for it, hardly worn, from a charity shop. I picked up a designer vintage winter coat for a fiver. Knowing that you found little gems like these amongst all the tat is part of the excitement, and it makes you think twice about high street spending. I now laugh in the face of Topshop and their £80 price tags. (Only joking – I still love Topshop – but I’ll definitely be shopping there less often).
THE RESELLING COMMUNITY OFFERS A WEALTH OF KNOWLEDGE AND SUPPORT
Like I’ve mentioned, self employment can be a lonely old game. And whichever way you make your money online, there’ll be the naysayers. From ‘but when are you going to get a proper job?’ to ‘but isn’t that stealing from charity shops?’, I’ve heard it all. So being part of a community where people just ‘get it’ can make a huge difference.
There’s an active reseller community on Instagram with tons of people sharing their wins and their losses and their lessons learned, and the UK Reselling Group and Tat Chat over on Facebook are both full of wisdom and advice. If you’ve got a question, or you just want to vent about something that’s gone to pot, you’re don’t have to muddle along completely on your own.
There’s also something quite comforting about knowing that you’re not the only one with hundreds of second-hand dresses stuffed into your spare room, or five pairs of filthy Converse soaking in your kitchen sink.
As I say, reselling clothes on eBay isn’t without its challenges. For a start, my house looks like there’s been an explosion in a clothing factory at least 50% of the time. But for all these reasons and a few more, reselling clothes on eBay is absolutely one of my favourite ways to create an online income stream.
Want to read more about reselling on eBay? Check out these posts:
- Your Complete Guide To Buying Wholesale Vintage To Sell On eBay
- Four Reasons Why Your Stuff Isn’t Selling On eBay
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