Andy Pojaysk, a 54-year-old Aldi store manager from Bolton, has generated over £230,000 in sales through his online side hustle, Andy's Attic, and now aims to retire at 55 instead of 58.
The dad-of-two started his business after seeing an advert on social media while scrolling through his feed. The advert encouraged him to download the Tilt app, an online selling platform where users buy and sell fashion, streetwear, trainers, and other collectables through live video auctions and chat.
“I think it said something like, 'You can get yourself a pair of trainers possibly for like 20 quid or something',” said Andy. “I clicked on it, and it told me to download the Tilt app, which I did. There were obviously a few sellers on, so I scrolled through, and I actually ended up buying a hoodie or something.”
From Wardrobe Clear-Out to First Stream
Andy said he used to buy “far too many clothes,” leaving his wardrobes “bulging.” After registering as a seller, he sold everything on his rail during his first stream. Encouraged by the earnings, he continued selling, even after running out of his own clothing, and began buying items from charity shops.
“I thought, 'Oh, maybe go to a few charity shops, buy a few bits, see if I could do another stream',” said Andy. “So I did another one, made a little bit more money, and it just sort of, domino effect from there, really.”
Naming himself Andy's Attic on the app, Andy sells in the evenings after his shifts at Aldi, where he has worked for 20 years. He focuses exclusively on clothing, though other sellers offer perfume, trainers, rugs, and towels.
Average Stream Earnings
Andy sources stock by trawling charity shops and ordering new and pre-loved clothing packages wholesale. He sells individual items to the highest bidder during live streams.
“My first stream I did, I think I did something like just over 200 pounds in the hour,” said Andy. “My average stream now is about between £1,100 and £1,300 an hour. That's sales volume. So that's the income I get from it, and obviously from that I'd have to then take off my costs.”
Costs include buying stock, washing items, paying taxes, app fees, and paying his youngest son to package and address items for posting. Andy drops the parcels at a shop two minutes from his home.
Seasonal Stock and Holiday Benefits
Andy tailors his stock around trends and seasons, buying t-shirts cheaply after summer and stocking up on winter items like scarves, jackets, and coats. In two years of selling on Tilt, he has made just short of a quarter of a million pounds in sales, with 60% of that coming in the last 12 months, and he has hired an accountant.
Despite reducing his hours at his day job, Andy says he has no free time, but the extra money has funded five or six holidays a year, including more long-haul trips. “It'll probably bring my retirement forward a few years anyway. I was thinking sort of 58, but 55 is round the corner now, so that's my aim!”
For aspiring sellers, Andy advises having selling ability and interacting with customers on the chat feed. “You've got to have that sort of selling ability, like selling off the back of the van, car boot sale type thing, I think. But there are also some really good sellers on there who are more like straight down the line and don't have the gift of the gab; they'll just sell without selling the product.”
He added: “You build up good relationships with people online through just selling, really.”
