How to Sell Kids' Clothing

Used kids’ clothes sell for roughly £5 to £35 on WishThrift, and listing it costs nothing — no fee, no commission, no buyer-side charge. Children’s clothing is outgrown long before it wears out, which is why so much of it is still in good condition when it reaches the second-hand market — and why parents buy it without hesitation. Two things sell it: actual measurements rather than age labels, which vary wildly between brands, and honesty about marks. Bundle by size and season, and say plainly what has been washed.

The short version

Guides in this section: 5
Range covered: £5 – £35
Every guide covers: prep, the photographs that sell it, the title, buyer questions and the fee maths
Cost to sell here: nothing, at any price

How to sell kids’ clothes, item by item

What you keep on a typical sale

On a £15 sale — around the middle for this category — a 20% commission would take £3 and a 10% one £2. On WishThrift you keep the whole £15, and the buyer pays no surcharge either. The full fee comparison sets out what each marketplace actually charges.

When kids’ clothes actually sell

Children’s clothing is the most seasonal small-item category on the site. School uniform sells almost entirely in the four weeks from late July, with a smaller January window; winter coats run September to December; school shoes peak in August. Listing any of these out of season means it will barely be seen, so storing a bundle until the right month is usually worth far more than discounting it now.

Before you list anything

Two things decide most of the price in every category, and both are settled before you write the listing. The first is the condition grade: WishThrift uses five — New with Tags, Like New, Good, Fair and For Parts — and what each one means is worth reading, because grading optimistically does not raise the price, it just produces a buyer who arrives expecting something else. The second is the price itself: the kids’ clothing value guides price each item across all five grades.

Ready to list? It takes about two minutes and costs nothing — create a free account or see how selling works.

Frequently asked questions

Why do age labels not match between brands?

Because there is no enforced standard, and an age 5-6 from one retailer can be a full size out from another. Measure chest, waist and length flat and give those figures — it is the single thing that most improves a children’s clothing listing.

Should I bundle children’s clothes or sell them singly?

Bundle by size and season for everyday items, which are worth little individually and cost more to post than they fetch. Sell branded coats, school blazers and barely-worn shoes on their own, where the brand or the school name does the work.

Do marks and stains stop children’s clothes selling?

No, provided you photograph them. Parents are entirely realistic about what happens to children’s clothing. What loses you the sale is a bundle described as excellent arriving with marks you did not mention.

See also: all selling guides · what kids’ clothes sell for · browse live kids’ clothing listings.