I’m only 19 and have made over $5,000 from Vinted
ELLA COOMBS may only be 19 but she clearly has a bright future ahead of her, thanks to the £5,000 she made in one year selling clothes on Vinted.
When she was just 15 years old, Ella started her own business and started selling her old clothes online.
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“I had been collecting vintage for years and one day decided to clear out,” she told Fabulous.
“The items were selling so fast I couldn’t keep up.”
After a few months, Ella ran out of clothes to sell and shut down her business for three years while she finished school.
However, once her studies were finished, she decided to rename her company and start from scratch.
“For the past year I have been selling vintage as a side income, alongside my full-time job as manager of two charity shops,” she said.
“I would absolutely love to do this full-time.”
Ella, from Rugby, currently sells clothes on Vinted and eBay and buys her items from a vintage wholesaler Fleck.
She promotes her business through social media sites like Instagram and TikTok and also plans to launch her own website, but wait until everything is perfect first.
In just one year Ella has made over £5,000 from Vinted alone, and she has also sold extensively on eBay and in person.
She has sold more than 1,000 items and sometimes posts as many as 15 items at a time during her daily visits to the post office.
Ella has used her earnings so far to pay for a bucket list trip to New York, and to set up her own studio, which she will use for photography and stocking up on supplies.
“I would love to save up for a van and travel around the country selling at as many pop-ups as possible,” she said.
She added that her ultimate goal is to travel around Europe with her boyfriend in the van and sell clothes in different countries.
Ella has even been approached by a local shop owner, who is keen to stock her hand-picked vintage clothes in their store: “It’s a dream come true,” she said.
Do you have to pay taxes on items sold on Vinted?
QUICK tax facts from the team at Vinted…
- The only time an item can be taxable is if it sells for more than £6,000 and there is a profit (sells for more than you paid for it). Even then, you can use your £3,000 tax-free allowance to offset this.
- In general, only business sellers who trade for profit (buying goods with the intention of selling more than they paid for them) are required to pay taxes. Business sellers trading for profit can take advantage of a £1,000 tax-free allowance, which has been in place since 2017.
- More information here: vinted.co.uk/no-changes-to-taxes
When shopping for her clothes, Ella looks for classic, timeless pieces from high-quality brands.
“This year I’m particularly drawn to funky coats, classic style handbags and individual style tracksuits that you can dress up,” she said.
She added that she only sells clothes that she would wear herself.
Ella revealed that Vinted is the easiest site to use for anyone thinking about starting to sell clothes.
She said: “It’s simple and has very clear sales guidelines, so it’s super easy to navigate.
“It’s also incredibly easy to ship an item, all information is provided if you’ve never used a particular courier before.”
Ella shared advice for anyone considering starting a business similar to hers: “My advice to anyone embarking on this adventure is to prioritize buying back shares that you would own.
“I feel like a lot of people make the mistake of buying things just because other companies are selling them. You won’t succeed if you’re not passionate about what you’re selling.
“If I don’t absolutely love an item, it won’t end up in my store.”
She added: “Building strong relationships with your customers is the key to success.
“Try to respond to messages quickly, update social media regularly, package sales in a unique way – sometimes with freebies.
“It all goes hand in hand to create repeat customers and grow your business.
“My final piece of advice is don’t compare yourself to other companies, we are all on our own journey! Embrace being different.”
