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WishThrift

How to Sell a Used Tie

A used tie typically sells for £4 to £25, and on WishThrift it costs you nothing to list — no fee, no commission, so you keep the whole amount you agree. Ties are worth very little individually unless they carry a name, so the honest approach is to bundle them — and to check the lining and tip before you do.

The short version

  • Typical range: £4 – £25 — see the full tie value guide
  • What decides your price: condition, and how well you evidence it in photographs
  • Cost to sell here: nothing, at any price
  • Category: Clothing

Before you photograph it

Ten minutes here is worth more than anything else you will do. Buyers are deciding between your listing and someone else’s, and preparation is what visibly separates the two.

  • Check the tip for fraying and the keeper loop on the back, which frequently detaches.
  • Look for pulls in the silk and for staining near the knot area.
  • Measure the length and the width at the widest point, since fashion in tie width changes.

The photographs that sell a tie

Four photographs do almost all the work. Shoot in daylight, near a window, with the item against something plain — and do not use the flash, which flattens texture and hides exactly what buyers are trying to see.

  1. The tie laid out straight, full length
  2. The blade and tip, showing condition
  3. The reverse, showing the keeper loop and label
  4. Any pull, stain, fray or loose stitching

Photograph the flaws too. It feels counterproductive, but a listing that shows the worst of an item gets fewer questions, fewer withdrawn offers and fewer arguments at handover. Buyers who can see the damage stop imagining something worse.

Writing the title and description

Brand, material and width: “Silk Tie, 8cm Width, [Brand]” or “Bundle of 5 Silk Ties, Mixed Patterns”. Width is a genuine search because slim and classic widths suit different lapels. Brand is essentially the entire value on a single tie.

Then state these in the description, because a buyer who has to ask is a buyer who might not bother:

  • Length and width at the widest point
  • Fabric composition
  • Whether it is hand rolled or machine finished, if you can tell
  • Condition of the tip, keeper loop and lining

What buyers will actually ask

You will receive the same three messages about a tie. Answering them in the listing itself removes the back-and-forth, and answering them well when they do arrive is what turns an enquiry into a sale.

“Is it silk?”

Check the label and photograph it. Silk, polyester and wool ties look similar in photographs and are worth quite different amounts.

“How wide is it?”

Measure at the widest point. Tie width is a real style consideration and buyers matching a suit will ask.

“Are there any pulls?”

Hold it to the light and look along the blade. Silk snags easily and a pull is far more visible in person than in a listing photograph.

Pricing it so it actually sells

Start from the honest condition grade rather than the price you hope for. WishThrift listings use five grades — New with Tags, Like New, Good, Fair and For Parts — and what each grade means is worth reading before you choose, because grading up is the most expensive mistake sellers make. It does not raise the price; it produces a buyer who arrives expecting something else.

The tie value guide prices all five grades for this item. Pick your grade, take the figure, and if you sit between two grades price toward the lower one. Items priced honestly sell faster than items priced hopefully, and on a free platform there is no fee eating the difference anyway.

What you keep, compared

On a £14 sale — roughly the middle of the range for a tie — here is what the commission-charging platforms would take, and what you would keep on each:

Where you sell itFeeYou keep
WishThrift£0£14
Poshmark−£3£11
eBay−£2£12
Mercari−£1£13
Etsy−£1£13

Seller-side rates verified 26 Jul 2026 — Poshmark: 20% commission on sales of $15 and above; eBay: 13.6% final value fee, plus a per-order fee; Mercari: flat 10% selling fee; Etsy: 6.5% transaction fee, plus a listing fee and payment processing. Percentages are applied to the sterling figure above; the fixed per-order and processing charges those platforms add are quoted in their own currency and are not included here, so the real deductions are slightly larger. Full breakdown: marketplace selling fees compared.

Timing and getting it to the buyer

Lifts before Christmas and Father’s Day, and in spring for wedding season. Designer ties sell year round to collectors.

The cheapest thing on the site to post. Roll rather than fold so the interlining does not crease, and bundles post for the same price as one.

WishThrift does not process payments or arrange delivery — you and the buyer agree both directly — so confirm payment has cleared before the item leaves your hands, and keep the conversation on the site so there is a record of what was agreed.

Ready to list it? It takes about two minutes, costs nothing, and there is no commission when it sells — create a free account or see how selling works.

Frequently asked questions

Are used ties worth selling?

Individually, only if branded. Otherwise the postage exceeds the value, so bundle five or ten together — mixed bundles sell perfectly well to people building a work wardrobe.

What is a used tie worth?

Typically £4 to £25, with designer silk far above. See the tie value guide for the condition bands.

Can a stained tie be cleaned?

Silk ties rarely clean well at home and dry cleaning often costs more than the tie. Describe the stain and its position, or exclude that tie from a bundle rather than hiding it.

See also: what a used tie is worth · browse live clothing listings · condition grades explained.