I made £1,350 in a year from selling old clothes and gadgets – here’s how you can too

THOSE old boxes of trainers, clothes and gadgets sitting in the loft could be a gold mine, as seller Millie Wright found out.

Marketing executive Millie Wright has managed to make £1,350 in a year with the help of a re-selling app called Twig.

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

But instead of selling your items onto a random buyer, Twig will buy it 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 furlough 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 that she had barely used in seven years.

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

She also bagged £120 for a water-damaged Apple Macbook she originally paid £1,000 for, and £120 for an old £600 iPhone 8 that had been “gathering dust” in a drawer.

Selling a variety of clothing items from high street retailers has also helped Millie to bag £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 cash quickly – it literally takes just seconds to take the picture and get the valuation.”

Millie had previously used other selling apps but after a bad experience, she decided to stop using it.

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

She said: “With reselling online, you always have to second guess who you are buying from or who you are selling to.

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

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

“I was then put off and a bit panicked, so using Twig makes me feel a lot more at ease.”

The savvy seller put the cash she made from her old possessions to go travelling across Europe, Croatia and Turkey last summer.

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

“I can definitely make a healthy amount of money from Twig which I can put towards experiences.

“I typically use my wage for more serious things such as saving for moving out and a deposit for an apartment.

“So I am so happy to have found twig as now I can afford luxuries that perhaps I would have to put on the back burner in my 20s but are all things I really want to do.”

How to use the app

The free app allows you to upload a picture of the item you want to sell along with a short description of its condition.

It can be downloaded from the Apple or Google Play store, depending on your device.

You are then given a free valuation and a holding deposit is then put into your Twig account.

Twig provides a valuation 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 through the app.

Once your item is received, and has passed Twig’s quality control, you can then choose to have the money sent to your bank account instantly.

It means there’s no haggling or bidding, like with other apps and websites like eBay, Depop and Vinted.

You then have to share a few personal details and link the app to your bank account before you can start selling.

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

We checked to see how much some of the items Millie sold on Twig have been resold for on eBay.

Of course, bare in mind that the prices will vary depending on factors, like the condition of the items and demand at the time.

Millie sold her iPod on Twig for £60.

A pre-owned Apple iPod Touch sold for £25 on the eBay on March 2 on February 28.

Meanwhile, we also checked to see how much water damaged Macbooks have sold for on eBay.

Millie sold hers to Twig for £120.

One eBay, we found one that had sold for £80 on Feb 26.

Overall, Millie managed to make up to £75 extra by using Twig.

Unwanted gadgets can also be sold through retailers like CEX.

Depending on the model if iPod Touch you are selling, you could get up to £70.

What other second-hand apps are there?

There are lots of other second-hand apps that can help you to make extra cash.

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

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

“Retail sites can have very strict rules about postage and packaging.

“And check out the buyer seller dispute policy so you know your rights if things go wrong.”

Below, are several apps that work in a similar way to Twig.

Vinted

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

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

Depop

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

It tailors listings shoppers see according to the brands and styles they have previously liked and searched for.

There are no fees to list an item but you pay ten per cent commission on anything you sell.

Preloved

Preloved lets you post online adverts that are targeted at people in your area.

This means you can arrange for buyers to pick items up and pay you by cash or PayPal on collection so you can save on postage.

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

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 high price, but it’s fairly hassle-free and you don’t pay commission or listing fees.

eBay

You can list up to 1,000 items a month for free.

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

The sum on which commission is calculated includes postage, tax and other fees, which can bump it up.

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 on how you can make hundreds of pounds selling old clothes online.

Plus, a charity shop expert has revealed the first place you should always look in shops for the best bargains.

Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing money-sm@news.co.uk