Sell Your Used Clock — 0% Fees

A used clock typically sells for £8 to £60, and on WishThrift it costs you nothing to list — no fee, no commission, so you keep the whole amount you agree. Clocks split into two markets that barely overlap — a working modern clock sold for use, and a mechanical or antique one sold on the movement — so establish which yours is first.

The short version

Typical range: £8 – £60 — see the full clock value guide
What decides your price: condition, and how well you evidence it in photographs
Cost to sell here: nothing, at any price
Category: Home & Garden

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.

Identify whether it is quartz, mechanical or electric, and note any maker’s name on the dial or movement.
Run it for at least a day and check it keeps time, and note whether it strikes or chimes and whether that works.
Photograph the movement through the back if you can open it, since that is where value is judged on older clocks.

The photographs that sell a clock

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 clock face on, whole, showing the dial clearly
The back or the movement, including any maker’s mark
The case from the side
The dial close up, plus any crack, foxing, missing hand or damage

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 It feels counterproductive, but a listing that shows the worst of an item gets fewer questions, fewer withdrawn offers and fewer arguments at handover.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

Type, maker and size: “Smiths Mantel Clock, Mechanical 8 Day, Striking” or “Wall Clock, Quartz, 40cm”. Say mechanical or quartz plainly — collectors want the former and everyday buyers usually want the latter, and they are different listings.

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

Type of movement, and whether it strikes or chimes
Maker and any marks on dial or movement
Dimensions, and whether it is wall, mantel or freestanding
Whether it has been run and keeps time, and whether the key or pendulum is included

What buyers will actually ask

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

“Does it keep time?”

Run it for a day or two and say how much it gains or loses. It is the only functional claim worth making and it is easily tested.

“Is the key or pendulum included?”

For mechanical clocks, say clearly. A clock without its key or pendulum is very hard for a buyer to get running and both are model specific.

“Has it been serviced?”

Say what you know. A recently serviced mechanical movement is worth considerably more, and an unserviced one is not a fault, just a fact.

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 clock 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 £34 sale — roughly the middle of the range for a clock — 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	£34
Poshmark	−£7	£27
eBay	−£5	£29
Mercari	−£3	£31
Etsy	−£2	£32

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 year round with a Christmas lift. Mechanical and antique clocks sell to a patient specialist audience; modern wall clocks compete on style and price.

Immobilise the pendulum and remove any weights before posting a mechanical clock, or the movement is damaged in transit. Say you have done so — buyers of clocks know to ask.

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 clock worth?

Typically £8 to £60, with antique and named mechanical clocks far above. See the clock value guide for the condition bands.

How should I post a mechanical clock?

Secure or remove the pendulum and any weights first, pack the case immobilised, and double box. A swinging pendulum in transit will damage the movement it is attached to.

Is an unserviced clock worth selling?

Yes. Servicing is routine for mechanical clocks and buyers expect to arrange it. Say honestly when it was last done, or that you do not know, rather than implying it is freshly serviced.