Secondhand clothes selling becomes a full-time gig for many with Vinted the most popular platform
Selling secondhand clothes is no longer just a way to make a bit of extra cash. New research from AI powered resale marketplace Fleek finds that 28% of resellers now do it full-time, with a further third actively working to turn their side hustle into a career.
Its report, compiled from millions of its platform’s real-time search and sales signals alongside responses from 339 resellers in 22 countries, found that the longer people remain in this space, the more likely they are to turn it into a full-time job, with just 14% of those selling for less than six months working full-time, compared with 53% of those who have been doing it for more than five years. It also found that almost two-thirds of full-timers say resale now accounts for the majority of their income.
Across generations, Millennial resellers are 81% more likely than average to cite flexibility or childcare as a reason for reselling, while Gen X sellers are more likely to view resale as a way to replace a job.
Resellers find it beneficial to spread sales across multiple platforms. Vinted is the most popular, with 65% claiming it earns them more money than any other platform.
However, reselling as a primary income source comes with risks. Account suspensions, bans, restrictions, and counterfeit accusations can hurt profits.
Live selling is emerging as a key feature of professional reselling, with almost half of full-time resellers now selling through live platforms. eBay is increasingly attracting people back with its new live selling feature, alongside live first platforms such as Whatnot and TikTok Shop. This is particularly significant because a third of resellers say that photographing and listing individual items is the most difficult part of the job, making live selling an appealing alternative that can significantly reduce the time spent on this process.
In terms of what they are stocking and selling, Fleek’s research shows Ralph Lauren holding firm as the most in-demand brand on the platform, with a Heat score of 100. This is the highest possible score based on sales, searches and product views. Under Armour demand is up 410% year on year, Coach 158%, Columbia 138% and Adidas 133%, while established resale favourites Carhartt and Burberry are cooling, with demand falling 43% and 46% respectively.
Across brands, sweaters are the most in-demand product category for A/W 2026, up 50% year on year, but going-out clothes and denim are seeing some of the sharpest rises. Bootcut jeans in particular are up 238%, with printed blouses up 146% in the same period. This is also fuelling a move away from loungewear, a staple since the pandemic, with hoodies down 50%, crewneck sweatshirts down 41% and track jackets falling a third.
The Y2K revival remains strong, with searches for American Eagle up 1,588% year on year, followed by Hollister (1,172%), Aéropostale (1,150%), Bebe (1,106%) and Abercrombie (899%). Nearly half (49%) of resellers now specialise in Y2K and early-2000s fashion, rising to 60% among 18-to-25-year-olds.
Abhi Arora, Co-founder and CEO at Fleek, says: “The strongest signal from our report is that reselling has grown up. What started for many as a way to make extra cash is now a serious business, and that changes what sellers need. If you’re selling across multiple platforms, going live regularly and paying your bills with resale, you can’t rely on finding the right stock in a charity shop at the weekend.”
“You need reliable access to inventory and better information about what people actually want. As the marketplace sitting between both sides of this global supply chain, we have a unique view of these challenges and opportunities, and we only see them growing as resale becomes a bigger part of retail.”
