Sell Your Used Backpack — 0% Fees

A used backpack typically sells for £15 to £70, and on WishThrift it costs you nothing to list — no fee, no commission, so you keep the whole amount you agree. Backpacks are bought on litre capacity and whether the zips still run, so state the litres and test every zip before you photograph it.

The short version

Typical range: £15 – £70 — see the full backpack value guide
What decides your price: condition, and how well you evidence it in photographs
Cost to sell here: nothing, at any price
Category: Bags & Handbags

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.

Find or estimate the capacity in litres, which is often printed on a label inside or on the back panel.
Run every zip along its full length, and check the pulls, the buckles and the stitching at the strap anchors.
Empty every pocket, clean the base and shoulder straps, and check for fraying at the seams.

The photographs that sell a backpack

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.

The backpack from the front, standing, straps visible
The main compartment open, showing capacity and lining
The shoulder straps and back panel, showing wear
The zips and buckles, plus the base and any fraying or stain

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 It feels counterproductive, but a listing that shows the worst of an item gets fewer questions, fewer withdrawn offers and fewer arguments at handover.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, capacity and purpose: “Osprey Farpoint 40L Travel Backpack, Cabin Size”. Litre capacity is the primary search. Say whether it is cabin sized, laptop compatible or hiking specific, because those are separate searches with different buyers.

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

Capacity in litres, and external dimensions
Whether it has a padded laptop sleeve, and what size it takes
Condition of every zip, buckle and strap anchor
Whether it is cabin approved, and whether a rain cover or hip belt is included

What buyers will actually ask

You will receive the same three messages about a backpack. 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.

“Do all the zips work?”

Run each one fully. Failed zips are the main reason backpacks are retired and the first thing a buyer checks.

“Will it fit a laptop?”

Try one and give the size that fits. It is more useful than a sleeve dimension the buyer has to interpret.

“Is it cabin sized?”

Check the dimensions against common airline limits and say what you measured, without promising it will be accepted — airlines differ.

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 backpack 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 £42 sale — roughly the middle of the range for a backpack — here is what the commission-charging platforms would take, and what you would keep on each:

Where you sell it	Fee	You keep
WishThrift	£0	£42
Poshmark	−£8	£34
eBay	−£6	£36
Mercari	−£4	£38
Etsy	−£3	£39

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

Steady with lifts in spring, in late summer for travel, and in September for school and university. Recognised outdoor and travel brands sell fastest.

Packs down and posts cheaply. Compress it with the straps and use a large mailing bag rather than a box.

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

What is a used backpack worth?

Typically £15 to £70, with technical hiking and travel packs from recognised brands well above high-street ones. See the backpack value guide.

Do broken zips make a backpack unsellable?

They reduce the value considerably, because a zip repair is fiddly and often costs more than the bag is worth. Be explicit about which zip fails and price it as a repair project.

How do I find the capacity in litres?

It is often printed on a label inside the main compartment or on the back panel, and manufacturers publish it by model. If you genuinely cannot find it, give the external dimensions instead.