Used backpacks in Edinburgh typically sell for £15 to £70 (about $20 to $94). Technical and heritage packs hold value well; everyday backpacks sell for very little, and the difference is mostly construction.
Selling a backpack in Edinburgh
Edinburgh is a university and finance city whose population swells enormously every August for the festival, and that single month does more to move second-hand goods here than any other part of the year. Outside it, the Old and New Town tenement stock means most people live in flats and buy furniture to fit them.
August brings a large temporary population that arrives with things and leaves without them, and September brings the students. Between them the autumn is reliably the best time to buy here and a slower time to sell.
The Old Town is steep, cobbled and awkward for vehicles, with restricted access on several streets, so anything heavy needs a conversation about where a van can actually stop. Trams and buses cover the rest of the city and handle small handovers fine.
Check vehicle access before agreeing to collect anything heavy from the Old Town. Several streets are restricted or effectively impassable for a van, and the nearest legal stopping point can be a long carry.
Handing it over in Edinburgh
Most private sales settle by bank transfer or cash on collection. Faster Payments clear in seconds, which makes a transfer as safe as cash for the seller — wait for it to land before the item leaves your hands.
What backpacks are worth
What lifts the price
- Recognised outdoor and heritage makers
- Undamaged straps, buckles and hip belt
What pulls it down
- Failed or sticky zips
- Delaminated waterproof lining flaking inside
Working out what yours is worth
- Run every zip fully open and closed
- Inspect the stitching where the straps meet the body
Getting it ready
- 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.
Photograph
- The backpack from the front, standing, straps visible
- The shoulder straps and back panel, showing wear
Put in the description
- Capacity in litres, and external dimensions
- Condition of every zip, buckle and strap anchor
Packs down and posts cheaply. Compress it with the straps and use a large mailing bag rather than a box.
Listing is free and there is no selling fee, so the whole amount the buyer pays stays with you. You and the buyer agree the handover between yourselves.
Same region (Scotland)
Common questions
Where can I sell a backpack in Edinburgh?
Put it on WishThrift free and deal with the buyer direct. The Old Town is steep, cobbled and awkward for vehicles, with restricted access on several streets, so anything heavy needs a conversation about where a van can actually stop. Trams and buses cover the rest of the city and handle small handovers fine.
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.
How much is a backpack worth in Edinburgh?
Most used backpacks change hands for £15 to £70 (about $20 to $94). Condition and completeness move that figure more than anything else.
More: selling a backpack across the United Kingdom, what backpacks are worth, everything second hand in Edinburgh, or Bags & Handbags in Edinburgh.
Guide range converted from sterling at the 2 August 2026 rate, not a quote — sellers set their own price.