The short version
- Typical range: £12 – £40 — see the full cargo pants 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.
- Measure the flat waist, inside leg, rise and leg opening at the hem.
- Check every pocket, its stitching and any button, popper or zip closure.
- Note the fabric weight and whether they have any stretch.
The photographs that sell cargo pants
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.
- Front, laid flat, whole leg in frame
- The side cargo pockets close up
- The waistband tag with brand and size
- A tape across the flat waist and hem, plus any wear
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 It feels counterproductive, but a listing that shows the worst of an item gets fewer questions, fewer withdrawn offers and fewer arguments at handover.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, fit and size: “Carhartt Cargo Pants, Relaxed Fit, W34 L32”. Say whether they are wide, straight or tapered — the same nominal size fits completely differently. Workwear brands are searched by name and worth more.
Then state these in the description, because a buyer who has to ask is a buyer who might not bother:
- Flat waist doubled, inside leg, rise and leg opening
- Fit: wide, straight, tapered or slim
- Fabric weight and composition
- Number of pockets and whether all closures work
What buyers will actually ask
You will receive the same three messages about cargo pants. 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.
Measure across the hem and double it. Cargo fits vary hugely and this is the number that answers it.
Turn each one out and check the stitching. Cargo pockets carry weight and split at the corners.
Measure crotch seam to waistband. It decides where they sit and is almost never stated.
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 cargo pants 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 £26 sale — roughly the middle of the range for cargo pants — 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 | £26 |
| Poshmark | −£5 | £21 |
| eBay | −£4 | £22 |
| Mercari | −£3 | £23 |
| Etsy | −£2 | £24 |
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 a lift in spring and autumn. Workwear brands sell year round; fashion cargos follow trends closely.
Heavier than ordinary trousers because of the fabric and hardware, so weigh before quoting postage.
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 are used cargo pants worth?
Typically £12 to £40, with workwear brands and genuine military issue above. See the cargo pants value guide.
Do military surplus cargos sell well?
Yes, and often better than fashion equivalents, because the fabric is heavier and the fit is authentic. Photograph any stamp or label so buyers can identify the issue.
Which measurements should I give?
Waist, inside leg, rise and leg opening. The last two are what separate a useful listing from a guess, and almost nobody includes them.
See also: what a used cargo pants is worth · browse live clothing listings · condition grades explained.