Sell Your Used Kids Bike — 0% Fees

A used kids bike typically sells for £25 to £120, and on WishThrift it costs you nothing to list — no fee, no commission, so you keep the whole amount you agree. Children’s bikes are sized by wheel diameter, not frame size, and getting that one number into the title is what separates a listing that sells from one that gets ignored.

The short version

Typical range: £25 – £120 — see the full kids bike value guide
What decides your price: condition, and how well you evidence it in photographs
Cost to sell here: nothing, at any price
Category: Bicycles & Cycling

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 wheel diameter in inches — 12, 14, 16, 18, 20 or 24 — because that is how every parent shops.
Check both brakes work and that a child’s hands can actually reach and pull the levers.
Pump the tyres, oil the chain and clean it. A clean bike photographs as cared for and sells for noticeably more.

The photographs that sell a kids bike

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 whole bike side on, clean, against a plain background
The wheels with the size marking on the tyre wall visible
Both brakes and the drivetrain
Any rust, scuff, torn saddle or missing part such as stabilisers

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 It feels counterproductive, but a listing that shows the worst of an item gets fewer questions, fewer withdrawn offers and fewer arguments at handover.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

Wheel size and age range first: “16in Kids Bike, Age 5-7, with Stabilisers”. Wheel size in inches is the search. Say whether stabilisers are included, and name the brand if it is a known one — the better children’s brands hold value strongly.

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

Wheel diameter in inches, and the age or height range it suits
Brake type, and whether it has a coaster brake
Number of gears, if any
Whether stabilisers, mudguards or accessories are included

What buyers will actually ask

You will receive the same three messages about a kids bike. 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.

“What age is it for?”

Give the wheel size and the height range rather than an age alone. Children of the same age vary enormously and inside leg is what actually decides fit.

“Can a child reach the brakes?”

Check the lever reach and say whether it is adjustable. Many adult-designed levers are too far for small hands and it is a real safety point.

“Are the stabilisers included?”

Say clearly. Parents buying a first bike usually need them, and matching aftermarket ones to a specific frame is fiddly.

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 kids bike 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 £72 sale — roughly the middle of the range for a kids bike — 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	£72
Poshmark	−£14	£58
eBay	−£10	£62
Mercari	−£7	£65
Etsy	−£5	£67

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

Strongly seasonal: March to July is the main window, with a Christmas peak. A clean bike in a common wheel size listed in spring sells within days.

Collection, and most fit in a car with a wheel out or a seat down. Offer to let the child try it — it converts far better than any photograph.

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 kids bike worth?

Typically £25 to £120, with quality lightweight brands well above. See the kids bike value guide for the condition bands.

What size bike does my child need?

Wheel diameter is the measure, and inside leg matters more than age. Give both the wheel size and the saddle height range in your listing so parents can check against their child.

Is it worth servicing a kids bike before selling?

A clean, pumped, oiled bike with working brakes sells for noticeably more than a dusty one, and it is twenty minutes of work. A full service rarely pays for itself at these prices.