Former orthopaedic nurse Chloe Thompson, 32, from Torbay, Devon, has turned Vinted into her full-time job after quitting nursing, and now earns more than she did in her traditional career. She started with just £10 of charity goods and a few items from her own wardrobe listed for sale.
From nursing to reselling
Chloe first became interested in the site after helping with her partner’s antique dealer business. Speaking to creatorzine.com, she said: “I started without really knowing what I was doing. But I very quickly became completely hooked on it.”
She added: “One day, I realised I found my [partner’s] work more interesting than my own – and it got me thinking about whether I could do something similar myself. I’ve always been much more interested in clothes and bags. So I thought why not give reselling those a go? I actually went into it pretty much full force. I had never even used Vinted before deciding I wanted to try reselling.”
Profitable sales and quitting her job
Among her best sales, she made a big profit with a denim jacket bought for £12, which was sold for £70. It took her just four months to be in a position to quit her job.
“I got it into my head that I wanted to make it my full-time job. I really loved the flexibility that came with reselling and that was a huge motivation for me. I worked very hard in the beginning because I wanted to see if I could actually make it work,” Chloe said.
Income and business growth
Acknowledging that income fluctuates month-to-month, Chloe claims to be in a better financial position now than she was while in her traditional career. She explained: “Some months I make substantially more than I did when I was employed. But some months can be closer to what I was earning before. I think that’s one of the things people sometimes don’t realise about reselling – or running any business – your income isn’t necessarily consistent every month.”
She noted: “There are busier periods and quieter periods; so you have to be prepared for that. Overall, though, I feel I’m in a much better financial position now than I was when I was employed full-time. And I much prefer having control over what I’m building.”
Sourcing stock and future plans
A key part of the Vinted process is sourcing items, with Chloe mainly relying on shops and wholesalers to find her stock. With wholesalers, she’ll purchase a large bale or box of clothing and find out what’s inside when it arrives.
“It’s something I’ve become quite interested in, because, as a reseller, you’re essentially taking a gamble on your stock. [I] don’t know what brands I’ll get or whether I’ll be able to sell them,” she said.
Currently having around 500 active listings, with her also selling on eBay, Chloe sells, on average, 150 items per month. She makes sure that no product costs her more than £5, with her often selling them for between £15 and £30. Looking ahead, Chloe is considering getting an office or warehouse to allow more space.
“I find the start of a new season is always a really good period because people are updating their wardrobes. Rather than one individual sale, I’d say seeing the business consistently grow has been the biggest achievement for me. Going from never having even used Vinted to having enough stock to take over a room in my house has been quite surreal. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. There’s so much to learn when starting reselling, from knowing what to buy and how to price it, to taking photographs, writing listings and understanding which platforms work for different items,” she concluded.
