Reselling vintage clothing is a great idea. Growing market, good margins, total freedom. But many new retailers make mistakes that slow their progress or even demotivate them completely.
At United Vintage, we talk to beginners every day, as well as professional dealers. Here are the 7 most common mistakes... and above all, how to avoid them so you can get off to a good start.
1. Search for the "cheapest" stock instead of the most profitable one
Don't confuse low prices with good deals. A €100 bale containing unsaleable parts will actually cost you more than a well-sorted €200 bale.
✅ At United Vintage, each bundle is designed to contain only resalable pieces, often with x2 to x2.5 potential on Vinted or Insta.
🛍 Example: The Nike 10 kg bundle at €220, contains sweatshirts, hoodies, jogging suits... easy to sell between €20 and €35 each.
2. Believing you need premises or a photo studio
Many people get stuck thinking they need a warehouse, a studio or professional equipment. Not true.
📸 Natural light, a white sheet, a telephone tripod and a good trimming are all you need to get started. And many of our dealers do very well from their bedrooms.
3. Buy products that don't correspond to your target market
You want to sell to young people who love streetwear? You don't need a bunch of classic sweaters.
🧠 Better to choose a targeted bundle like :
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Mix Jogging Branded
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Ralph Lauren & Lacoste (hoodies, polo shirts, sweaters)
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Box T-Shirts x50 (perfect for summer)
➡️ Adapting your stock to your audience means selling faster, with less effort.
4. Underestimating the importance of visuals
A poorly presented piece is a failed sale. Even on Vinted, the image does 70% of the work.
📦 The good news is that our products are delivered crease-free, well sorted and some customers even use our visuals as the basis for their product sheets.
5. Pricing without strategy
You can't just copy and paste the prices you see everywhere. You have to take into account:
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Room condition
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The brand
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The visual
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Rarity
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The channel (Vinted, Insta, pop-up...)
💸 The aim: to make a clean profit without discouraging the buyer. Our bales are designed to leave a realistic margin of 70 to 100%, if the job is well done.
6. Put all your eggs on one channel
Vinted is good. Instagram, too. Markets, even better.
🎯 But what works best: diversifying your channels.
➡️ Example:
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Vinted for simple parts
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Instagram for the most stylish
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A local pop-up or garage sale to sell out quickly
7. Thinking you have to be a pro from the start
You don't need auto-entrepreneur status to make your first sales. Start small, test it out, sell a few pieces, learn.
Then you can get structured.
At United Vintage, we even have dealers who are high-school or university students, running their business from their beds.
Do you want to start without making these mistakes?
You've come to the right place:
✅ Bundles sorted by style, season or brand
✅ Mystery Box for testing on a shoestring budget
✅ Ultra-practical mobile app
✅ Responsive, human after-sales service
🔥 Right now, our bestsellers are back: Ballot Ralph & Lacoste, Mix Summer, Box T-shirts 50 pieces...
Conclusion:
Vintage resale is a real lever for financial freedom. But like any business, it requires method and common sense.
Avoid these mistakes from the outset, choose a reliable supplier, and get on with it.
United Vintage is here to help you make the right choices, right from your first box.