I Made £1,350 In One Year Selling Old Clothes And Gadgets – Here’s How You Can Too

THOSE old boxes of sneakers, clothes, and gadgets sitting in the attic could be a gold mine, as saleswoman Millie Wright found out.

Marketing director Millie Wright has managed to make £1,350 in a year with the help of a resale app called Twig.

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The app works by users uploading a picture and description of the item they want to sell.

But instead of selling your items to a random buyer, Twig buys them from you instead.

Millie, 24, who lives in London, started using the app in 2021 when the country went back into lockdown.

She was on vacation at the time and said that while she wasn’t struggling for cash, she thought it was a good time to start building up her savings.

The first item she sold was an iPod Touch, which she had barely used in seven years.

Millie said she was “shocked” when Twig told her it would cost £60 for the device, which originally cost around £200.

She also pocketed £120 for a water-damaged Apple Macbook, which she originally paid £1,000 for, and £120 for an old £600 iPhone 8 that was “dusting” in a drawer.

Selling a variety of clothes from high street retailers has also helped Millie pocket £350.

She told The Sun: “I’m so happy with the service because it’s so quick.

“It’s a really easy way to make money fast – it literally takes seconds to snap a picture and get the rating.”

Millie had used other sales apps before, but after a bad experience, she decided to stop using them.

She said she finds Twig safer because you know exactly who you’re selling to.

She said: “When reselling online, you always have to consider who you’re buying from or who you’re selling to.

“It’s so easy to scam people and I was scammed trying to sell my camera on Depop.

“My camera was sold for £300 but the seller never sent the money and then deleted their account.

“I was then put off and panicked a bit, so I’m a lot more comfortable using Twig.”

The savvy saleswoman funneled the money she made from her old possessions into a trip across Europe, Croatia and Turkey last summer.

She said: “I was able to go on holiday with the money I made from Twig and it funded about half of the trip.

“I can definitely make a healthy amount of money on Twig to put into experiences.

“I usually use my wages for more serious things like saving for moving out and depositing for an apartment.

“That’s why I’m so lucky to have found Twig, because now I can afford luxuries that I might have to put aside in my 20s, but those are all things I really want to do.”

How to use the app

The free app allows you to upload an image of the item you wish to sell along with a brief description of its condition.

Depending on the device, it can be downloaded from the Apple or Google Play Store.

You will then receive a free evaluation and a deposit will be credited to your Twig account.

Twig offers a rating based on the item’s brand and condition.

After that, you have 48 hours to send it to Twig – either by courier or free shipping via the app.

Once your item has been received and passed Twig’s quality control, you can have the money transferred to your bank account immediately.

This means there is no haggling or bidding like with other apps and websites like eBay, Depop and Vinted.

You then need to provide some personal information and link the app to your bank account before you can start selling.

And unlike some other similar apps, it doesn’t charge any fee or take commission from your sales.

We checked how much some of the items Millie sold on Twig were resold on eBay for.

Of course, keep in mind that prices will vary depending on factors such as the condition of the items and current demand.

Millie has sold her iPod at Twig for £60.

A used Apple iPod Touch was sold on eBay from March 2nd to February 28th for £25.

In the meantime, we also checked how many water-damaged Macbooks were selling on eBay.

Millie has sold hers to Twig for £120.

We found one on eBay that sold for £80 on February 26th.

Overall, Millie managed to earn up to an extra £75 from Twig.

Unwanted gadgets can also be sold through retailers like CEX.

Depending on the model, if you’re selling an iPod Touch you can get up to £70.

What other second-hand apps are there?

There are many other second hand apps that you can use to make extra money.

Most apps are free, but some may charge a fee or commission.

Consumer expert Martyn James said: “In these expensive times, selling your stuff is a handy way to make some money – but watch out for the catches.

“Retail locations can have very strict rules on postage and packaging.

“And see the Buyer-Seller Dispute Policy so you know your rights if something goes wrong.”

Below are some apps that work similar to Twig.

vinternal

Vinted is great for selling everything from athletic apparel to high street brands and designer gear.

Best of all, the seller pays nothing, but buyers pay a 3% to 8% plus 30 to 80p fee to cover refunds if their items don’t arrive or if they’re damaged in the post.

depop

Depop is popular with students because it looks like Instagram and is easy to use.

It tailors the listings shoppers see based on the brands and styles they previously liked and searched for.

There are no fees for listing an item, but you do pay a 10 percent commission on anything you sell.

preferred

Preloved allows you to run online ads targeted to people close to you.

This means you can let buyers pick up the items and you can pay cash or PayPal at collection to save on postage.

It’s free for basic membership or you can pay an annual fee of £5 to £15 for additional features to boost your offerings.

Facebook Marketplace

Another easy way to sell to local buyers using just your Facebook account.

Most users are looking for a bargain so you might not get a hefty price tag, but it’s pretty hassle free and you don’t pay any commission or listing fees.

eBay

You can list up to 1,000 articles per month for free.

You pay a 12.8 per cent commission on what you sell, plus a 30p fee.

The sum on which the commission is calculated includes postage, taxes and other charges that may increase.

You’ll also pay more if your item sells for over £2,500 or if you want to add a Buy It Now price.

Meanwhile, we spoke to a Depop expert about how you can make hundreds of pounds selling old clothes online.

Plus, a charity shop expert revealed where to shop first for the best bargains.

Do you have a money problem that needs clarification? Email money-sm@news.co.uk