The short version
- Typical range: £8 – £55 — see the full purse value guide
- What decides your price: condition, and how well you evidence it in photographs
- Cost to sell here: nothing, at any price
- Category: Bags & Handbags
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.
- Open and close the clasp or zip a dozen times and check it holds firmly every time.
- Turn out the lining and check for coin marks, pen marks and torn seams.
- Clean the exterior gently and check the corners, which wear through first on a purse carried inside a bag.
The photographs that sell a purse
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 purse closed, front and back
- Fully open, showing all compartments and the lining
- The clasp or zip mechanism close up
- The corners and any scuff, lining tear or discolouration
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 It feels counterproductive, but a listing that shows the worst of an item gets fewer questions, fewer withdrawn offers and fewer arguments at handover.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, material and type: “Leather Purse with Coin Section, Navy” or “Zip Around Purse, 12 Card Slots”. Say whether it has a separate coin compartment — it is one of the main reasons people choose a particular purse and it is rarely mentioned.
Then state these in the description, because a buyer who has to ask is a buyer who might not bother:
- Dimensions closed, and material
- Number of card slots, note sections and whether there is a coin compartment
- Closure type, and confirmation it fastens securely
- Condition of the lining, corners and clasp
What buyers will actually ask
You will receive the same three messages about a purse. 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.
Test it repeatedly and answer honestly. A weak clasp is the fault that makes a purse unusable, and it is the first thing a buyer tries.
Say so and photograph it open. It is a deciding feature for a lot of buyers and rarely stated in listings.
Photograph it. Coin abrasion and pen marks are normal in a used purse and buyers accept them when shown.
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 purse 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 £31 sale — roughly the middle of the range for a purse — 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 | £31 |
| Poshmark | −£6 | £25 |
| eBay | −£4 | £27 |
| Mercari | −£3 | £28 |
| Etsy | −£2 | £29 |
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 strong lift before Christmas and Mother’s Day. Branded leather purses sell quickly in those windows.
Very cheap to post. Use a padded envelope, a tracked service, and check every compartment twice for anything left inside before you seal 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 purse worth?
Typically £8 to £55, with designer pieces considerably above. The purse value guide covers pricing by condition.
Can a broken purse clasp be fixed?
Sometimes, by a leather repairer, but on inexpensive purses the repair costs more than the item. Describe it as faulty and price it there rather than hoping the buyer will not test it.
Should I sell a purse with a worn lining?
Yes, provided you photograph it. Lining wear is normal and expected; what buyers object to is discovering it after paying.
See also: what a used purse is worth · browse live bags & handbags listings · condition grades explained.