The short version
- Typical range: £120 – £600 — see the full kayak value guide
- What decides your price: condition, and how well you evidence it in photographs
- Cost to sell here: nothing, at any price
- Category: Sports & Outdoors
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.
- Note the type: sit-on-top, sit-inside, touring or inflatable, and the length and weight.
- Check the hull for deep gouges, repairs or soft spots, and test any hatches and bungs for seal.
- Confirm which accessories are included: paddle, seat, buoyancy aid, spray deck.
The photographs that sell a kayak
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 kayak side on, full length, on the ground
- The hull underside, showing scratches and any repair
- The cockpit or seating area
- All accessories included, plus any gouge or crack
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 It feels counterproductive, but a listing that shows the worst of an item gets fewer questions, fewer withdrawn offers and fewer arguments at handover.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, length and contents: “Sit-On-Top Kayak, 10ft, with Paddle and Seat”. Length in feet is the primary filter because it determines transport. Say whether it is a single or tandem, and whether an inflatable comes with its pump.
Then state these in the description, because a buyer who has to ask is a buyer who might not bother:
- Type and whether single or tandem
- Length in feet and weight in kilograms
- Hull condition including gouges, repairs and soft spots
- Accessories included: paddle, seat, pump, buoyancy aid
What buyers will actually ask
You will receive the same three messages about a kayak. 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 weight. Buyers are working out whether they can lift it onto a roof alone, and it is the practical constraint.
Turn it over and photograph. Scratches are normal; deep gouges, soft spots and repairs must be shown.
Say so. A paddle is a real cost and its inclusion meaningfully changes the price.
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 kayak 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 £360 sale — roughly the middle of the range for a kayak — 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 | £360 |
| Poshmark | −£72 | £288 |
| eBay | −£49 | £311 |
| Mercari | −£36 | £324 |
| Etsy | −£23 | £337 |
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
April through August, peaking early summer. A kayak listed in autumn sells slowly and cheaply.
Collection only unless inflatable. Say whether it will fit on a standard roof rack and whether you can help load it.
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 kayak worth?
Typically £120 to £600 depending on type, length and condition, with touring and quality composite boats above. See the kayak value guide.
Do hull scratches matter?
Light scratching on the underside is completely normal and expected. Deep gouges that reach through the layers, soft spots and previous repairs are what buyers need to see.
Can I post a kayak?
Only an inflatable one. Hard kayaks are collection only, and buyers expect that — say whether it fits a standard roof rack.
See also: what a used kayak is worth · browse live sports & outdoors listings · condition grades explained.