The short version
- Typical range: £8 – £30 — see the full denim shorts 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, the rise and the inseam. The inseam is what determines how short they actually are.
- Check whether the hem is original, cut off or frayed by design.
- Read the composition for stretch content and note the wash.
The photographs that sell denim shorts
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 and smoothed
- Back, showing the seat and pocket placement
- The waistband tag and a tape across the flat waist
- The hem, showing whether it is original or cut
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 It feels counterproductive, but a listing that shows the worst of an item gets fewer questions, fewer withdrawn offers and fewer arguments at handover.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, rise and size: “Levi’s 501 Denim Shorts, W28, High Rise, 3in Inseam”. Inseam in the title is unusual and immediately useful. Say whether the hem is original or cut off, since a home-cut hem is worth less.
Then state these in the description, because a buyer who has to ask is a buyer who might not bother:
- Flat waist doubled, rise and inseam
- Whether the hem is original, cut off or frayed by design
- Fabric composition and stretch content
- Wash colour, named
What buyers will actually ask
You will receive the same three messages about denim shorts. 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.
Give the inseam in inches. It is the only measurement that answers the question and buyers ask every time.
Look at the hem stitching. Home-cut shorts are perfectly sellable but worth less than an original hem, and buyers can tell.
Measure crotch seam to waistband. High rise sells fastest in this category.
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 denim shorts 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 £19 sale — roughly the middle of the range for denim shorts — 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 | £19 |
| Poshmark | −£4 | £15 |
| eBay | −£3 | £16 |
| Mercari | −£2 | £17 |
| Etsy | −£1 | £18 |
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
Sharply seasonal, April to August. Off-season listings sell slowly and for noticeably less.
Very light and cheap to post. Roll rather than fold to keep the parcel small, and weigh it first — denim is heavier than it looks and underquoting postage comes straight out of what you keep.
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 denim shorts worth?
Typically £8 to £30, with vintage Levi’s and premium denim above. See the denim shorts value guide.
Do cut-off shorts sell?
Yes, and vintage denim cut down is a recognised style. Just say clearly that the hem is cut rather than original, and price accordingly.
When is the best time to sell?
April through August. The same pair in October fetches noticeably less, so it is worth holding until spring if you have missed the window.
See also: what a used denim shorts is worth · browse live clothing listings · condition grades explained.