Our parents’ and kids’ guide to online reselling

Did Covid-19 kill off the car boot sale? Maybe. Our most recent Pocket Money Index revealed that, for RoosterMoney customers, the use of online resale platforms such as eBay and DePop rose by 67%, when compared with 2020.

Of course, kids often work out how to use new tech faster than their parents, yet they still might not know how best to deal with the adult world of consumer disputes, postage costs and legal requirements. In this guide we run through some basics for parents and children reselling online, and offer a kid-friendly overview of some of the most popular services. First, a few general tips.

It’s good to have a realistic idea of how much money you can expect to get in return for your sales. Old clothes might go for pennies, while a rare video game could fetch £50, and a nice old bike or violin may achieve a much higher price. Check sold prices on a popular site such as eBay (you can filter for sold listings via the site’s advanced search settings); this will give you a clearer picture of eventual sales.

Once you’ve decided on your products, choose the place where you want to sell it. Gumtree is good for getting rid of big, bulky items which buyers will most likely have to collect, as it encourages buyers to search locally; eBay is better for reaching a wide, specialist audience; Depop is pretty much made for clothes-mad teens; and if you’ve got a bunch of books to get rid of, and you’re not too worried about the price, Ziffit could be the place for you. Remember, a lot of platforms have age restrictions, so you may want to check these out before you list (we’ve detailed these below). If none of these work, there’s always Freecycle.

Many online resale platforms encourage well-written, detailed descriptions. Gumtree actually has a 12-word minimum for its listings; eBay encourages users to write in full sentences, with correct spelling, listing an item’s key points, as well as exactly what’s included in the sale. Other services, such as Depop, place less emphasis on words and more on pictures. If your kids are old enough to compose full sentences, why not encourage them to type out this bit? You can always correct them before you make it live.

The images you post are just as important. Sites such as eBay recommend sharp photographs, showing the front of the product you’re listing, on a white background, without any hands, feet or faces in the shot. Gumtree asks for lots of photos of your item from a number of angles and with close-ups of any details or flaws. You can also include video in your listing, which might really help items such as a piano or a remote-controlled car. Shooting good pictures shouldn’t be too hard for most school kids; work with them to create good pictures for your sale.

Getting the postage and packing right is pretty important for most online sellers. Some platforms, such as eBay, offer to handle shipping, though may still need to weigh, measure and pack your item up effectively. Other shipping services, such as the Evri or DPD, may offer competitive rates, but again you’ll need to get the size and weight of your item right, otherwise the couriers may charge you a penalty fee. Also, remember that some items, such as a guitar or a piece of jewelry, may be a lot more delicate than an old video game, so packing them properly makes a big difference. You also may want to check the kind of insurance and compensation a shipping firm might offer, if something ends up broken or missing. This varies from service to service; if you’d prefer to avoid shipping all together, try platforms such as Ziffit (which collects boxes of books from your doorstep) or Gumtree (many sellers encourage buyers to collect items directly).

It doesn’t matter if you’re selling a second-hand car or a tatty old teddy: there are still laws in place, requiring sellers to describe their items accurately. If a buyer feels they’ve been misled, they may well have a right to a refund or redress. When your child is writing a listing, make sure they don’t exaggerate, or misrepresent the thing they’re selling. If the sale goes well, make sure you give the buyer good feedback; and if it goes badly, maybe apologise, and offer some kind of redress – especially if you’re new to a platform and are building up a reputation.
Finally, if you make a lot of sales, check to see if you need to pay tax on the money you’ve received. There are plenty of allowances for small sales, and it’s wiser to pay a fair share early on, rather than be hit with a penalty much later.

Is it for kids? Sort of. This simple, resale platform allows users aged 13 and up to sell items (mainly clothes and accessories). However, Depop states that under 18s will need a parent or guardian’s permission to buy and sell on Depop. Its protected payment system is usually linked to a Paypal account; Paypal requires its users to be aged 18 or over.
What is it best for? Older children selling off trendy clothes, shoes and accessories.
Commission: 10% flat rate.

Is it for kids? This simple, localised reselling platform (a bit like a digital version of a free-ads newspaper) asks any users under the age of 16 to have parental or guardian supervision.
What is it best for? Bulky items you’re unlikely to post, such as a bike, or a bunk bed.
Commission: free (though it does charge for premium listings).

Is it for kids? The biggest, original, and in some ways the best online reselling platform insists account holders are aged 18 and over. Those under that age can use an adult’s account, with the permission of that account holder; the account holder is responsible for everything done with that account.
What is it best for? Reaching a huge audience and achieving good prices for more valuable items, such as rare video games or sought-after toys.
Commission: Usually 12.8%.

Is it for kids? Facebook insists users are 18 before they sell via Marketplace; if children are very keen to use this service, they’ll need adult supervision.
What is it best for? Clothes, furniture and toys are all popular here.
Commission: 5%.

Is it for kids? This scan-and-cosign book resale app is for 18-year-olds and over; under 18s are allowed to use the service, so long as they’ve their parent’s or guardian’s consent to sell your items.
What it is best for: Clearing out a load of old books. Download the app, scan the barcodes and it will offer you an amount for the book (usually only a few pennies); you need to get together quite a few books to make £10.
Commission: there’s no discrete commission, but Ziffit works with a large second-hand book service, wob.com, offering to buy books from users for less than their resale price on wob.com; don’t expect to make a fortune.

Is it for kids? There are no age restrictions for this platform, which allows users to pass on unwanted goods free-of-charge, but the service advises that, when picking something up, it’s best for a child to be accompanied by an adult.
What’s it best for: clearing out unwanted items (but not making any money).
Commission: zero, because the items are offered for free.