Latest news with #secondhand
The Sun
6 hours ago
- Business
- The Sun
Inside the seedy underworld of Vinted where sellers use five-letter secret code to flog unwashed underwear & socks
VINTED is an easy money-maker for millions of users across the country. From secondhand clothing and accessories to old books and toys, savvy sellers can top up their income by hundreds of pounds a month. 4 It's completely free to upload clothes to the app and Vinted does not take a cut of sellers' profits - instead charging buyers a small fee to purchase each item. But beyond the innocent sales and haggling, there's a seedy "underworld" on the marketplace app. That's because sneaky Vinted users have sussed out a way to target the fetish market and flog worn and dirty tights, socks and underwear for up to £100. Selling goods which "do not comply with hygiene standards" is prohobited on Vinted and can see users banned from the app. Described as "unsafe items", this includes worn underwear, handmade underwear bottoms, shorts worn as underwear - such as sleep shorts, corsets, body shapers and shapewear with bottom parts, protective underwear bottoms for sports. The Vinted guidelines add: "For hygiene reasons, only new underwear can be sold - you must clearly show the attached tags and/or original packaging in your item's pictures. Composition and brand labels inside do not count as tags. "Worn bras, swimming costumes, tights and socks can be sold as long as they are properly washed and the description clearly states that the item has been worn." But TikTok posts have revealed the five-letter code that sellers are using to flog such items without raising the alarm with Vinted. The hashtag 'iykyk' - an acronym for 'if you know, you know' - has soared in popularity on the app. The Scottish Sun investigated the secret tactic to see just how many sellers managed to avoid Vinted's strict rules and filters. Within seconds, we were confronted with pages of listings with seemingly innocent packs of 'new with tags' thongs, socks and bras. But the descriptions showed the telling code word and immediately asked prospective buyers to "message on TG for details". TG, short for Telegram, is an encrypted messaging service and social network. Secret Chats on the platform come with additional privacy features which means messages can't be forwarded, and you can set a self-destruct timer, with intervals ranging from one second to one week. It is here that the Vinted users can engage with potential customers directly to sell filthy, used belongings. Apart from the 'iykyk' hashtag, the prices some items are being flogged for are an additional red flag. 4 4 4 One user - Emma, from Glasgow - is advertising a five-pack of Tesco tights, originally purchased for £5, at £5 per pair. This works out at a 400 per cent profit. Her description reads: "Price per pair. Selling as I bought the wrong shade. Iykyk Message for more info TG." Another seller advertised a used Boohoo bikini that's been "worn a lot over two summers" for £20. Her description adds: "Please text me on TG, I don't get the messages from here." And someone else is flogging a "variety of tights, socks and stockings" for £20 with the 'iykyk' hashtag and a note to "see bio" where her Telegram account is listed. Air hostesses have also jumped on the trend, trying to sell tights and cabin crew shoes worn on flights. One user is demanding £110 for a "crew shoes and tights" bundle, while another boasts her £8.50 tights - in a "satisfactory" condition - have been "worn to and from Turkey on over 100 flights". Vinted has been approached for comment. New Vinted rules to be aware of IF you fancy clearing out your wardrobe and getting rid of your old stuff on Vinted, you'll need to consider the new rules that recently came into play. If people are selling personal items for less than they paid new (which is generally the case for second-hand sales), there is no impact on tax. However, since January 1, digital platforms, including eBay, Airbnb, Etsy, Amazon and Vinted, must share seller information with HMRC as part of a crackdown. You're unlikely to be affected if you only sell a handful of second-hand items online each year - generally, only business sellers trading for profit might need to pay tax. A tax-free allowance of £1,000 has been in place since 2017 for business sellers trading for profit - the only time that an individual personal item might be taxable is if it sells for more than £6,000 and there is a profit from the sale. However, firms now have to pass on your data to HMRC if you sell 30 or more items a year or earn over £1,700. It is part of a wider tax crackdown to help ensure that those who boost their income via side hustles pay up what they owe. While your data won't be shared with HMRC if you earn between £1,000 and £1,700, you'll still need to pay tax as normal.
Telegraph
9 hours ago
- Business
- Telegraph
The high street's desperate plan to beat Vinted at its own game
Retailers have a major problem. It's an issue that's been rumbling around for more than a decade, and one that feels increasingly insurmountable. Shoppers don't feel good about shopping. In fact, many feel actively bad about buying something new. The consumerist days of the early Noughties, when marketeers could convince people that giddily 'treating' themselves to something frivolous that they really wanted but didn't really need, are gone. In 2025, anxiety about the climate crisis, the spiralling cost of living and concerns about the ethical effects of consumerism have reached a peak, as have the possibilities that come with new technology when it comes to sharing pre-owned items – Vinted being the big winner in this gargantuan shopping shift. The online market place for second-hand clothes now has 80 million users across 18 countries, 16 million of whom are in the UK. As of last month Vinted also became the biggest seller of clothing in France, ahead of Amazon in second place. Old is now firmly cool with vintage Topshop and Marks and Spencer's pre-Noughties brand St Michael's in hot demand and the world's most glamorous women championing pre-loved fashion – from pop-stars Olivia Rodrigo and Rihanna, to beauty mogul Kendall Jenner and the Princess of Wales. (A polka-dot Alessandra Rich number and Chanel tweed blazer, being among her most celebrated vintage looks.) It's not hyperbole to call it a revolution. No wonder that even big brands like Primark, Arket and Levi's are also offering everything from swaps and pre-loved sections to repair services. Primark, usually seen as fast fashion behemoth, launched its first ever 'swap shop' last September, whilst Arket launched a resale 'archive' in 2023 and has now teamed up with alterations start-up Sojo to offer garment repairs. When it comes to shopping, the retail landscape is shifting and not only in fashion – but on everything from cars and electronics to furniture and food. 'High-street retailers are concerned by the rise of Vinted and the like, and this marked change in shopping habits across all generations – but Gen Z in particular,' says Orsola de Castro, the author of Loved Clothes Last and co-founder of campaign group Fashion Revolution. 'Gen Z are very careful with their money and very aware of the value of things. The problem for the high street is that 20 years of fast fashion and cheap clothing has created a legacy whereby their pieces now have no meaning, no intrinsic value.' The sea-change is clear, says De Castro: 'The queues I used to see outside of H&M for their new collaborations in the 2010s, I now see outside of car boot sales in Peckham.' Stylist Bay Garnett was a trailblazer in using second-hand clothing in her photo shoots for Vogue, including the likes of Kate Moss in charity shop finds. 'When I started shooting for Vogue in 2003, using second-hand pieces was seen as 'quirky'. It was considered 'other' or 'niche' to shop in charity shops and second-hand stores, something a little bit 'eccentric',' she says. 'As a stylist, I like the stories around things, the originality and the sense of connection with things that have had a life before.' Conscious fashion is not only about recycling but extending the life of the garments we already own. Fashion brand Toast has been at the forefront of the repairing movement on the high street, first holding repair workshops in stores back in 2018. 'We focused on craft processes – visible darning, the functional embroidery technique sashiko – and teaching our clients how to use those techniques to give their garments new life,' Madeleine Michell, the brand's social conscience communication officer, says. Then, in 2019 they launched Toast Renewed, meaning that anything bought from Toast is able to be rejuvenated, for free, by professionals. It is wildly popular. By the start of March 2025, the brand had repaired 343 garments in 2025 alone, and 7,659 garments in total – moths being the most frequently quoted reason for a repair. Now, Michell says that 40 per cent of the brand's repairs are visible rather than invisible mends. 'I find the notion of adding to an item by repairing it really interesting; that damage can be something to celebrate and highlight rather than hide away and cover up.' Toast has also been operating clothes swaps for the past six years, both as evening in-store events and as pre-loved rails in certain stores. 'Swapping operates on a tier system, based on the estimated original retail value and condition. It feels good to swap things rather than always buying new and feeding the overproduction machine, to remember that something can still be new to you even if it's not newly produced,' she says, adding that while Toast doesn't collate information about whether its swaps affects sales of new clothing, they're a very popular feature on its loyal shoppers' calendars. That brand loyalty is priceless in an ever more competitive space. A February 2025 report from global environmental NGO Wrap shows the positive impacts in slowing the purchase of new clothes that six circular businesses are having – reselling marketplaces Depop, eBay and Vestiaire Collective and clothing repairers The Seam, Sojo and Finisterre (an adventure brand that also repairs and resells). Wrap's report found that for every five times people repair an item of clothing, four new items are 'displaced' by people no longer buying them. And for every five items bought second-hand online, an average three new items are subsequently not bought as a result. Respectively, the average displacement rate for repair is 82.2 per cent and 64.6 per cent for resale.… You can see why retailers are considering their futures. Harriet Lamb, the chief executive of Wrap, agrees. 'Our research shows that buying pre-loved both satisfies our desire for clothes, for something new-to-us, and means we don't buy so many brand-new items,' she says. 'What's more, we can now clearly and consistently measure the environmental case for a range of circular business models including repair.' The environmental concern is valid; fashion has a formidable footprint. Between 2000 and 2015, worldwide clothing production doubled. The UN Environment Programme estimates that clothing is the second-biggest consumer of water and produces around 10 per cent of global carbon emissions – more than all international flights and maritime shipping combined. Seventy per cent of the fashion industry's greenhouse gas emissions are linked to raw materials and the production of new clothing from growing cotton for example, to textile waste, pollution, water and land use. The pattern plays out in furniture too. Ikea has an extensive spare parts library to facilitate mending – these items are provided to customers in-store or online completely free. Greg Lucas is the company's sustainability manager for the UK and Ireland. 'We gave away 539,195 spare parts to customers online and in store between the start of September 2023 and September 2024,' Lucas explains. 'Our policy at Ikea is to prolong the life of the products we sell. In terms of pre-loved, we've seen an eight per cent rise in sales year-on-year.' Earlier this year, the Swedish giant also announced its intention to scale up its second-hand peer-to-peer marketplace to reach the whole of Europe after a successful pilot in Oslo and Madrid. It also has a small buy back and resell service for pre-loved items which sell in stores at an average discount of 30 per cent off retail price. Sandrine Zhang Ferron is the founder and chief executive of Vinterior, an online marketplace specialising in pre-owned vintage and antique furniture. In 2024, Ferron says, UK furniture retail sales fell 10 per cent compared to 2023, whilst Vinterior order volumes increased 13 per cent. Quoting the Office of National Statistics, she says the value of furniture sales in the UK fell too, by 10.9 per cent, whilst Vinterior's increased 16 per cent. 'This shows a clear trend towards pre-loved,' she says, adding that fashion has led the trend towards purchasing second-hand because 'the impacts of fast furniture has taken longer to permeate. Most people are still shocked to hear that 22 million pieces of furniture end up in British landfills each year, and given that the UK will run out of landfill space in six years, we need to change the way we buy.' Cars and electronics are increasingly being sourced second-hand too. Recent statistics released by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SSMT) showed that sales of used cars were up 5.5 per cent in 2024, while demand continues to grow across many categories from phones, to gaming and tech. In an ever evolving digital landscape, electronic items are usually discarded before they wear out, and often have plenty of life left in them for a second owner. Long warranties on those pre-loved products also are helping to boost the sector. It's products that have shelf-life and have to adhere to hygiene standards that are the surprise additions to the pre-loved landscape – namely beauty and food. We may not quite be at the point of auctioning off half-used toothpaste, but according to Cosmopolitan magazine, beauty is on the cusp of a second-hand boom, with online 'rehoming' retailers forecast it to be the next big thing in the e-commerce space. While some e-tailers prohibit the selling of used cosmetics for hygiene reasons, other retailers including Mercari (a Japanese marketplace selling second-hand products) do allow the sale of used goods and, they say, beauty — in particular, fragrance — was in the top five fastest-growing resale categories of 2023, and projected to grow 126 per cent by 2031. Food is also something some may traditionally have baulked at getting from someone they didn't know, but sentiments are changing. Founded in 2015 in Copenhagen, the rise of anti-food waste app Too Good To Go is a case in point. The company partners with more than 175,000 food outlets to prevent food from going to waste by matching it with registered users nearby who collect it and pay a fraction of the price. So far, the company says their 100 million registered users have saved 400 million meals from landfill. But is it too early to declare a sea-change in shopper behaviour? Sarah Kent is chief sustainability correspondent at The Business of Fashion and believes so. 'Just because we have seen a rise in the popularity of repairs and second-hand, particularly amongst the younger generations who are also active on social media, that doesn't mean people in general are shopping less. Primary sales are still growing – less slowly than second-hand sales – but they are growing,' she says. 'Consumer culture is not a monolith, it's made up of sub-strata who consume in different ways, for different reasons.' 'What is driving this renewed interest in pre-loved is that people are feeling poorer, they're more aware of the environment and there's also a regulatory issue at play,' Kent adds. 'Big companies are under pressure from EU regulations to show they are doing something to combat waste. Offering repairs is part of that.' Indeed Kent says that for companies, facilitating repairs is something of an easy win. 'Some brands definitely see it as a way of signalling to consumers that they care about this. Others see it as a way to encourage loyalty – if consumers want to resell something through the brand, they get credit to return to store. Retail is a complicated business and even for companies such as outdoor brand Patagonia, who have been offering resale for many years, second-hand products still make up a very small fraction of their overall business.' Josephine Philips is the founder and chief executive of Sojo, an app-based company that is fast becoming a byword for clothing repairs and alterations, having partnered with brands such as Marks & Spencer, Ganni, Selfridges and most recently Arket. Philips – who was listed as one of Forbes ' 30 Under 30 in 2022 – says that while financial and sustainability reasons are helping repair become increasingly popular, brands adding the service to the post-purchase experience 'really drives awareness and engagement'. 'Repair has never had as much airtime as it's had over the last couple of years,' Philips continues. 'At Sojo we've done out-of-home campaigns, national TV adverts for our Marks & Spencer repair service, morning news segments, influencer partnerships and have been featured in so many mainstream publications. Most recently, our partnership with Arket brought incredibly large and bold repair advertising to the windows of their Regent Street store – bringing repair to the front and centre of London's retail district.' While she would like to see the scrapping of VAT on repair services 'to increase adoption', Philips credits technology for opening up the world of repair to a new generation. 'Many young people haven't been taught the art of repairing their clothes, but the rise of digital platforms built to make the whole process simple, convenient and seamless has tapped into a latent demand and opened the repair market up.' De Castro cautions against our addiction to 'buying cheap' and believes 'the legacy of 20 years of fast fashion and cheap clothing means that clothes have become devoid of their value'. 'The concept of repair is hundreds of thousands of years old, but fashion persuaded us that mending was a shameful activity which needed to be hidden… It was linked with poverty, with a lack of resources. But what was the poor cousin will become the rich uncle. The only antidote to a throwaway society is to keep, to start to create a culture of saving up to buy better and buy less. Actually keeping things and repairing them is reinvesting in ourselves.' Another way of attaining new clothes or accessories without buying them is, of course, rental, a model that appeals to both consumers and businesses alike. Hurr (dubbed the Airbnb of fashion) is a hybrid clothing and accessories rental service which combines 85,000 items through its peer-to-peer lending service whilst also powering rental for more than 130 exclusive brands and retailers such as Net-A-Porter, John Lewis and Selfridges. The service also recently teamed up with Deliveroo (more commonly known as a food delivery service) to enable users in central London to rent a dress to their door in under 25 minutes. 'When we first launched, rental fashion was niche. Now, it's mainstream,' says Victoria Prew, the founder of Hurr. 'Our customer base has also evolved: starting with millennial females but we have a booming Gen Z customer, with our community age ranging from 16 to 79.' Prew says brands and retailers now see rental as a must-have strategy rather than a trend, and a financially rewarding one too. 'Often, when renting a garment repeatedly, we can drive seven to 10 times the revenue from rental than selling a garment once,' she adds. 'My hope is also that fashion brands will design with rental longevity in mind, creating durable, high-quality pieces that can be worn across seasons and for years to come.' Fiona Harkin is the director of foresight at The Future Laboratory, a strategy company who work with brands eager to learn of future trends which may influence customer behaviour. In mid-March 2025, the company released a report titled 'The New Codes of Value' which takes the cultural temperature of the reasons how, and why, consumers shop. 'In the last couple of years, things have shifted in the way that we (in the English speaking world) spend money, what we perceive to be the cost of things and what we consider to have value,' adds Harkin. 'We have less money, so we're thinking a lot more carefully about what we are buying and how long that will last. Increased value is put on experiences rather than things, a sentiment spilling over from the luxury sector where the products which are doing well are those which uphold ideals around craftsmanship and heritage.' She also believes that we have become overwhelmed by the prompts to buy things. 'It's too much,' she says. 'People feel a need to slow down in the face of it, they feel less of a drive to buy the latest thing. Repairing or buying pre-loved items feels regenerative. A lot of what we experience in the digital world brings people numbness, so mending, thrifting… These things help people break out of that feeling.'
Tahawul Tech
12 hours ago
- Business
- Tahawul Tech
Global second-hand smartphone market sees annual drop
Recent CCS Insight data has highlighted a 2% year-on-year drop in global second-hand smartphone shipments marking the first annual drop recorded in more than three years. The research organisation noted that the decline comes as operators face increasing consumer preference for SIM-free handsets bought directly from manufacturers or online platforms. An estimated 27.1 million devices were sold globally in the organised secondary market in the first quarter of the year, down from 27.6 million in Q1 2024. However, Ben Hatton, Market Analyst at CCS Insight, described the Q1 slowdown as 'nothing more than a blip', pointing to a positive long-term outlook in the coming quarters. A key growth opportunity is expected to come from trade-in programmes. Indeed, data showed that just 31 per cent of European consumers currently trade in or sell old phones, highlighting an untapped supply of more than 100 million devices annually. As tighter European regulations restrict device imports, the research company noted that despite a slow Q1, strong device buybacks in late 2024 show vendors with internal trade-in schemes are better positioned for long-term supply stability. Simon Bryant, VP of research at CCS Insight, highlighted Samsung's Galaxy Club in the UK as a model to watch, stating such initiatives 'help businesses lock consumers into trade-in agreements, improving take-back and supporting higher residual values for the leading brands in the secondary market'. Looking ahead, Hatton noted 'more mature' markets like France and the UK, which fell 11 per cent and 3 per cent respectively, will remain key to gauging the recovery of the second-hand European smartphone sector for the remainder of 2025. Source: Mobile World Live Image Credit: Stock Image
The Sun
16 hours ago
- Business
- The Sun
I'm a Vinted pro and here's the prime selling time to ensure you make cash quick – plus the items you should be listing
A VINTED seller has shared her number one tip for quickly and efficiently selling pre-loved clothes. The UK -based mother and Vinted enthusiast Rachael, has made cash with barely any effort involved by flogging second-hand clothing on the online marketplace app. 3 3 3 If her daughter's clothes no longer fit, she logs onto the app and makes a profit from them, instead of leaving good quality items hanging in a wardrobe. But now, Rachael has revealed the key to selling fast on the marketplace app - and it's all in the timing. According to Rachael, there's a 'prime selling time' that will ensure you get rid of unwanted items and make cash fast. Not only this, but the brunette also shared which items you should actually be listing. So if you're eager to make money fast and have a wardrobe full of clothes you never wear, you've come to the right place and will need to take notes. Posting on social media, Rachael explained that listing items towards the end of the month when most people are getting paid could mean they get snapped up quickly. Rachael shared her "most popular" Vinted selling tip, which she claimed is 'part of a strategy.' Holding up a tub of spring and summer clothes, Rachael said she planned to list them all on Vinted that evening, as she acknowledged: 'The bigger picture of me doing this tonight is because it's the 27th, it's near the end of the month and most people are getting paid. 'Believe me, this is prime selling time, so I always make sure I list around these days at the end of each month.' Rachael acknowledged that as most people get paid around that time, they have the cash to spend, as she added: 'And they will be spending it on Vinted as well.' I made £185 in less than 24 hours on Vinted thanks to a pricing trick that hooks sellers without having to send offers The avid seller also offered some other timing tricks that she swears by for best results on the app. Rachael stressed the importance of uploading clothes that are seasonal in order to maximise sales, as she continued: 'Always think about that when you're listing stuff - make sure it's relative to the time of year and what people are actually looking to buy.' Rachael also explained that having suitable mailing bags on hand saves both time and money, whilst preventing you from rushing around at the last minute. She advised: 'The thing I would highly recommend you do if you are a Vinted seller is have mailing bags ready before you list anything so you're organised and prepared.' The Vinted enthusiast claims that having mailing bags to hand 'saves stress' of knowing what to package items in. Meanwhile, Rachael urged sellers to post their items quickly, for the simple reason that you'll 'get your money' faster as a result. New Vinted rules to be aware of IF you fancy clearing out your wardrobe and getting rid of your old stuff on Vinted, you'll need to consider the new rules that recently came into play. If people are selling personal items for less than they paid new (which is generally the case for second-hand sales), there is no impact on tax. However, since January 1, digital platforms, including eBay, Airbnb, Etsy, Amazon and Vinted, must share seller information with HMRC as part of a crackdown. You're unlikely to be affected if you only sell a handful of second-hand items online each year - generally, only business sellers trading for profit might need to pay tax. A tax-free allowance of £1,000 has been in place since 2017 for business sellers trading for profit - the only time that an individual personal item might be taxable is if it sells for more than £6,000 and there is a profit from the sale. However, firms now have to pass on your data to HMRC if you sell 30 or more items a year or earn over £1,700. It is part of a wider tax crackdown to help ensure that those who boost their income via side hustles pay up what they owe. While your data won't be shared with HMRC if you earn between £1,000 and £1,700, you'll still need to pay tax as normal. Not only this, but she claimed that this will also help towards 'positive feedback and good reviews' too. The TikTok clip, which was posted under the username @ rachshops, has clearly impressed many, as it has quickly racked up 54,000 likes and 1,408 likes. Meanwhile, one person took to the comments to share their Vinted advice, as they wrote: 'Upload at school pick up time. Mums scrolling in their car.' To this, Rachael responded and penned: 'That's a good idea, thanks for sharing.'
WIRED
3 days ago
- Business
- WIRED
eBay and Vestiaire Collective Want an Exemption from Trump's Tariffs
Jun 17, 2025 7:30 AM The ecommerce platforms argue that duties shouldn't apply to secondhand items being given a new life. Photograph:Last month, Suzanne Smith-Darley felt fantastic. She had just bought a used Chanel handbag from a Japanese seller on eBay for $800—a steal compared to the original asking price of $1,400. About a week later an email arrived that crushed her: DHL was demanding a $142 fee for US tariffs before it would deliver the well-worn medallion tote to Smith-Darley's Atlanta doorstep. 'It goes to Japan, has a whole life, and it could be in the trash literally,' she says. 'I'm willing to pick it out of the trash, and I get this huge tariff. It's ridiculous.' Tariffs imposed this year by President Donald Trump have triggered higher prices and decreased selection, and some shoppers have been surprised to learn that the taxes apply to used goods. Several online marketplaces, including eBay and Vestiaire Collective, have been urging lawmakers and officials in Washington, DC, to exempt used items from import duties, including those recently imposed by President Trump, according to industry executives. 'We're still a maturing industry, but we are the future,' says Rachel Kibbe, CEO of American Circular Textiles, an advocacy group that represents about 30 organizations, including Vestiaire Collective, that make, fix, rent, sell, recycle, or resell clothes. 'We would just like preferential trade treatment for secondhand imports.' But a carve-out for used items does not appear to be in the works, according to a person close to the White House who asked for anonymity due to the sensitivity of the discussions. An exemption would likely lead importers to try to pass off new items as used, creating an additional enforcement burden for a government that's already stretched thin by Trump's 'government efficiency' efforts. Historians say used imports, from ancient jewelry to outdated smartphones, have always been subject to US tariffs. They note that the concept of duties on pre-owned wares dates back to at least medieval-era trade. But Trump has applied tariffs to many more countries and raised rates to historically high levels. The combination has prompted people to question the benefits of tariffs and has led to increased calls for reprieves. 'We've never had a situation like this before,' says Andrew Wender Cohen, a historian at Syracuse University who studies trade history. Trump has described his policies as necessary to increase domestic manufacturing, and it's possible to see how, over time, fees that discourage the import of new clothing and gadgets could prompt some companies to shift at least part of their manufacturing to the US. It's far more challenging to envision a payoff from applying those same tariffs to used goods that are destined for new homes instead of landfills. Cohen says a reasonable approach would be to maintain tariffs on used items but at lower rates that would be commensurate with the risk posed to domestic manufacturing. Some secondhand items have no alternatives; new versions may not be appealing, or the product may be discontinued. Looking overseas may also be unavoidable for niche items, like trading cards and used handbags. Circular economy advocates contend that reuse, even when it involves an item crossing national borders, still may produce some environmental benefit by cutting waste. 'There should be policies that encourage people to choose used items first,' says Liisa Jokinen, founder of the vintage clothing app Gem. 'Pre-Loved' As consumers seek out products that are more sustainable for the environment and their wallets, a new supply chain has emerged. Merchants now refurbish and resell used items such as clothing and electronics, and a growing number of online marketplaces have made it easier for Americans to source these items from almost anywhere in the world. Earlier this year, eBay's Japanese unit disclosed surging demand for secondhand cameras as people panic-shopped before Trump's tariffs took effect. Worldwide, about 40 percent of eBay's gross sales come from what it calls 'pre-loved and refurbished items.' Previously, imports under $800, whether used or new, were not subject to tariffs. This 'de minimis' exemption benefited eBay sellers as well as China-based ultrafast services like Temu and Shein. Trump eliminated the exemption for Chinese goods, contributing to some of the sticker shock buyers have been experiencing. People accustomed to buying goods such as pre-owned, luxury accessories that are above the de minimis threshold weren't as surprised by the higher fees. Trump, though, has added an additional minimum tariff of 10 percent globally. That's forced people to adapt, whether by accepting higher prices or by getting creative. Isaac Panzarella, who co-owns the Brooklyn, New York, shop Raleigh Vintage with his wife, says increased shipping costs and greater pressure to source the right items have led the couple to visit Europe more frequently, personally selecting merchandise to stock their racks. He believes there should be an exemption for items older than say, 20 years, making them free from tariffs. 'At that point, it's not really displacing production or jobs in the US,' he says. 'If anything, we're creating jobs.' Having tariffs on used items has arguably benefitted the US economy during certain periods. Scott Reynolds Nelson, a historian at the University of Georgia, says that in the early 1800s, the US imposed high tariffs on used military surplus items including woolen jackets and metal pots and pans from the UK. Cheap imports had been hurting US merchants, he says. 'There is a good reason for taxing things that are used if there is some necessary industry to protect,' he explains. In the end, the eBay shopper Smith-Darley paid the tariffs for her coveted Chanel bag, which she believes was made in Italy, rather than requesting a return that could have left her bagless and out $800. But this week, Smith-Darley says she learned that DHL had failed to hold her package while she was out of town and that it will be sent back to Japan. It's unclear what refunds, if any, she might receive. DHL didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. 'This is a nightmare,' Smith-Darley says. In a way, the tariffs may be working as intended. Vestiaire Collective is nudging US shoppers to select used options from domestic sellers, and customers are buying them up, says US CEO Samina Virk. Smith-Darley, for her part, isn't slowing down her hunt for vintage goods—she's just making sure the ones she buys are sourced from the US. 'I just walked in there like an idiot before,' she says. 'I'm much more careful now.'
