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Glossary

Plain-English meanings for 150+ reselling terms, from bales and grades to pit to pit.

155 terms

Buying and wholesale

Bale
A large block of clothing compressed and strapped at a fixed weight, usually sold unopened on the supplier's description of its category and grade. Expect a low cost per piece but plenty of sorting and variation, so it suits sellers with space, time and experience (How wholesale vintage works).
Box
A smaller ready-made lot sold by weight or by piece count, easier to store and sort than a bale. Read exactly what is promised on categories, brands, sizes and condition before you pay (How wholesale vintage works).
Break-even
The point where your sales have earned back everything a wholesale lot cost you, after fees and other selling costs. Every sale after that is profit, before tax and before you count your time, and your break-even price tells you the average you need to get there (Reselling, honestly).
Break-even price
The average price you need across the pieces you sell, after fees and packaging, just to get your money back on a wholesale lot. If typical sold prices sit only a little above it, the lot is a gamble (Planning your first buy).
By the kilo
Buying stock priced by weight rather than by the piece. Heavy items like coats and jeans mean fewer pieces per kilo and light items like tees mean more, so ask what is in the mix and run it through the Kilo to pieces estimator.
Chargeback
Asking your bank to reverse a debit or credit card payment when goods never arrive or are not as described. It is a card scheme rule rather than a legal right, and it is not available for bank transfers. Time limit: Usually around 120 days, so ask quickly (How wholesale vintage works).
Companies House
The official register of UK companies, free to search, where you can check a supplier is active and that its name, number and address match what it tells you. A listing proves a company is registered, not that it is honest, and sole traders will not appear on it (How wholesale vintage works).
Cost per piece
Everything you paid for a wholesale lot, delivery included, divided by the number of pieces in it. Work it out across the whole lot, not just the best pieces, and let the Box profit planner do the sums (Planning your first buy).
Cream
Trade slang for the top slice of sorted stock: the cleanest, most wanted pieces. Like every grade word, it only means what that supplier's written definition says, so read it before you pay (How wholesale vintage works).
Credential clothing
Unsorted clothing straight from donation collections, still in the bags it was collected in, sometimes called original. It can hold household textiles, shoes and damaged items, so it suits experienced sorters with space, not a first buy (How wholesale vintage works).
Customs duty
A tax on imported goods, set by what the item is and where it was made, paid alongside import VAT on parcels worth over £135. Bulk worn clothing has a standard rate of 4% and new garments are typically 12%, though trade deals can cut both, so check the commodity code on the GOV.UK Trade Tariff before you order (How wholesale vintage works).
Dead stock
Your own stock that has sat unsold for a long time. Bundle it, try another platform, rework it honestly, donate or recycle it, and buy less of whatever did not sell next time. Not the same as deadstock, which means old stock that was never worn (Pricing that sells).
EORI
A customs number, starting with GB, that a business usually needs to bring goods into Great Britain from abroad. Without the right one your stock can be held at customs until you get it, so apply to HMRC before you import (How wholesale vintage works).
Flipping
Slang for buying things to resell them for more. Do it regularly to make a profit and you are very likely trading, with the tax and consumer law duties that come with it (Set up properly: hobby, side hustle or business).
Grade
A supplier's label for the quality of a wholesale lot, such as cream, A, B or C. There is no official standard and every supplier defines its grades differently, so read their written definitions before you buy (how this store grades is on our FAQ page).
Import VAT
VAT charged on goods brought into Great Britain. At or under £135 the overseas seller or marketplace usually adds UK VAT at checkout, and over it you pay import VAT, plus any customs duty, to the delivery company before you get the parcel. Unless you are VAT registered you cannot reclaim it, so treat it as a real cost either way (How wholesale vintage works).
Invoice
A supplier's written record of what you bought, when and for how much. Keep every one: it backs up your tax records and shows where your stock came from if a buyer or platform questions a piece. HMRC's minimum: At least 5 years after the 31 January deadline for that tax year (Money, records and tax as you grow).
Landed cost
The full cost of getting stock into your hands: the goods, shipping, insurance, customs duty, import VAT and any handling fee. Compare overseas suppliers on landed cost, never on the headline price (How wholesale vintage works).
Lot
One batch of stock bought together from a supplier, such as a bale, a box or a kilo bundle, paid for as a single purchase. Judge a lot on every piece in it, not just the few best ones (How wholesale vintage works).
Mixed lot
A wholesale lot with a spread of categories, brands and conditions. Expect a few standouts, a solid middle and some pieces that sell slowly or not at all, and judge the lot on all of it (Planning your first buy).
Mystery bundle
A wholesale lot where you do not choose the pieces, so read exactly what is and is not promised on brands, sizes, categories and condition. Selling mystery or surprise bundles yourself is banned on Vinted and Depop and restricted elsewhere (How wholesale vintage works).
PayPal Goods and Services
The PayPal payment option for buying goods, often shortened to G&S, which carries PayPal's buyer protection on eligible purchases. PayPal's UK terms exclude items bought for resale, so do not count on it for wholesale stock, though it still beats Friends and Family (F&F), which has no protection at all (How wholesale vintage works).
Pre-sorted pack
A wholesale lot already filtered by category, brand or grade, sometimes called hand-picked. It saves sorting time but is only as good as the supplier's written description (How wholesale vintage works).
Rag
The bottom grade of sorted clothing: heavily worn or damaged pieces meant for recycling or wiping cloths, not resale. The rag trade is also old slang for the clothing industry as a whole.
Section 75
A legal protection that makes your credit card provider jointly liable with the seller if goods never arrive or are not as described, for a single item priced in the £100.01 to £30,000 range. It may not apply if you pay through PayPal or another middleman, and business cards may not be covered, so check with your card provider (How wholesale vintage works).
Sell-through
How much of a wholesale lot, or of your stock, actually sells. Plan on less than all of it, because some pieces need repairs, some are duds and some just sit, and track your sell-through rate to spot the pattern (Reselling, honestly).
Sell-through rate
Pieces sold divided by the pieces you had to sell over a set period, usually shown as a percentage. Tracking it by category shows you what to buy more of and what to stop buying (Scaling up: time, stock and brand).
Sourcing
Finding stock to resell, whether from wholesale lots, charity shops, car boot sales or clearance. Keep a receipt or invoice for everything you buy, because it proves where a piece came from and backs up your records (How wholesale vintage works).
Wholesale
Buying stock in bulk from a business supplier to resell, rather than one piece at a time at retail. Consumer rights do not cover these business purchases, so check the supplier and read the terms before you pay (How wholesale vintage works).

Condition and grading

Alteration
Any change from how a garment was made, such as taken-in seams, a shortened hem or a replaced zip. Mention and photograph every one, because leaving it out invites a not as described claim (Grading and describing condition).
Condition options
The condition choices a platform gives you when you list. Vinted's for clothing are New, Like new, Very good, Good, Satisfactory, and eBay splits used clothing into Pre-owned Excellent, Good and Fair. If you are torn between two, pick the lower one and describe every flaw (Grading and describing condition).
Distressed
Wear that looks deliberate or adds character, such as rips and fraying on denim or a worn-in print. Some buyers want it, but the word never replaces a clear description and photos of the actual damage (Grading and describing condition).
Flaw
Any damage or imperfection, such as a hole, stain, moth damage, fading or a broken zip. Photograph each one close up and name it in the description, because a flaw you leave out invites a not as described claim (Grading and describing condition).
Grading
Inspecting every piece in good light, flaw by flaw, and choosing an honest condition before you list it. Your listing condition is your own call on each piece, not the supplier's lot grade copied across (Grading and describing condition).
New with tags
A condition for items never worn with the original tags still attached, often written NWT or BNWT, while new without tags (NWOT) means unworn but the tags are gone. Only use these when they are true, and check each platform's rules on selling new items (Grading and describing condition).
Not as described
When the item a buyer receives does not match the listing: a different size, colour or material, damage you did not mention, or a fake. Platforms call it SNAD (significantly not as described) or INAD (item not as described), and their buyer protection can refund the buyer from your balance. For business sellers it is a legal issue too (Customers, returns and disputes).
Odour
Smells such as smoke, damp, perfume or storage mustiness. Air the piece and wash it by the care label, never mask a smell with perfume, and describe any smell that remains (Prep: clean, steam, fix).
Patina
The natural wear that builds up with age, such as even fading, softened fabric or broken-in denim, often a big part of a vintage piece's appeal. Show it and name it, then let the buyer decide whether it is a feature or a flaw (Grading and describing condition).
Pilling
Small bobbles of fibre that form where fabric rubs, common on knits and fleece, also called bobbling. You can remove it gently with a fabric shaver, but test a hidden area first and mention any that remains (Prep: clean, steam, fix).
Pre-owned
Worn or used before, the honest label for second-hand stock. eBay splits it into Pre-owned Excellent, Good and Fair, and every level still needs each imperfection shown and described (Grading and describing condition).
Print cracking
Fine cracks in a screen print from age, washing and wear. On vintage tees it can add to the look, but photograph it close up and say how much there is (Grading and describing condition).

Vintage and labels

Authentic
Genuinely made by the brand on the label, sometimes called legit. Do not make blanket promises about it: show the labels and tags in your photos, keep the supplier invoice as proof of where it came from, and if you are not confident a piece is genuine, do not list it as that brand (Identifying vintage and staying authentic).
Bootleg
Unofficial merch, such as old band, film or sports tees, made without a licence. Platforms can treat unlicensed logo items as counterfeit even when you say they are unofficial, so check the rules first and never call one official (Identifying vintage and staying authentic).
Brand tag
The main label carrying the brand name, usually at the neck or waistband. Never remove, alter or cut brand tags, and only list the brand the original label shows (Identifying vintage and staying authentic).
CA number
A Canadian dealer ID on a label, CA followed by a string of digits, used instead of a company name and address. Look it up free in Canada's CA number search to see who registered it (Identifying vintage and staying authentic).
Care label
The label with washing symbols and instructions, often with fibre content too. Read it before you clean anything, because the symbols show the harshest treatment allowed and going gentler is always fine (Prep: clean, steam, fix).
Colourway
The colour combination a design was made in, often given its own name by the brand. Describe the colours buyers can see in your photos, and only use a brand's colourway name when you can match it (Titles, descriptions and search).
Counterfeit
A fake item carrying a brand's name or logo without permission. Selling counterfeits is a criminal offence and breaks every major platform's rules, so if you are not confident a piece is genuine, do not list it as that brand (Identifying vintage and staying authentic).
Deadstock
Old stock that was never sold or worn, often with its original tags, and not the same as dead stock, your own unsold pieces. Only use the word when a piece really is unworn old stock, never for newly made items. Vinted bans new stock bought from wholesalers on every account and has not said whether old unworn stock counts as new, so ask Vinted support in writing before you list deadstock there (Identifying vintage and staying authentic).
Dupe
Slang for a copy made to look like a branded item. Using "dupe", "replica" or "inspired by" next to a brand name breaks the rules on Vinted, eBay and Whatnot, among others, so keep these words out of your listings (Titles, descriptions and search).
Fibre content
The part of a label that says what a garment is made of, such as cotton or a wool blend. Once you are trading, buyers must be able to see it in your listing before they buy, so copy it exactly and say plainly if the label is missing (Titles, descriptions and search).
Grail
Slang for the piece someone wants most, usually rare and hard to find. Rarity is a claim like any other, so only call a piece rare when you can show why (Titles, descriptions and search).
Rework
A piece remade or altered from an existing garment, also called upcycled. Say clearly it is reworked and not made or endorsed by the brand, and check the platform first: Depop bans items made from parts of branded goods without the brand's permission, and Vinted Pro does not allow items handmade by the seller or designed specifically to sell (Identifying vintage and staying authentic).
RN number
A Registered Identification Number on US labels that identifies the company that made, imported or sold the garment. Look it up free in the US Federal Trade Commission's (FTC) RN database to check the maker, but never date an item from its RN alone (Identifying vintage and staying authentic).
Selvedge
A self-finished edge on woven fabric, seen on some denim as a clean, often coloured line along the outer leg seam when you turn up the cuff. Photograph it if it is there, but it is a fabric detail, not proof of age or brand (Identifying vintage and staying authentic).
Single stitch
One row of stitching on a tee's sleeve and bottom hems, a common sign of an older tee. Some modern brands make single stitch tees on purpose, so back it up with the tag, the print and the fabric (Identifying vintage and staying authentic).
Union label
A small label showing a garment was made by union workers, found on some older American clothing. Its wording and design changed over the years, so it can help date a piece alongside other clues (Identifying vintage and staying authentic).
Vintage
There is no legal definition, but marketplaces set their own line: Etsy only accepts vintage items that are at least 20 years old. Only call a piece vintage when you can back up its age, and use "style" wording, such as "retro style", for anything newer (Identifying vintage and staying authentic).
Y2K
Style shorthand for the turn of the millennium look: low rise, shiny fabrics and bold logos. Only call a Y2K piece vintage if you can back up its age and it meets the platform's rule, otherwise write "Y2K style" (Identifying vintage and staying authentic).

Listing and photos

Algorithm
The rules a platform uses to decide which listings to show first. Platforms only publish part of the recipe, but eBay and Depop both say that relevance to the search and your seller record count (Titles, descriptions and search).
Best Match
eBay's default search order. eBay says it weighs how closely your listing matches the search, how popular it is, price, listing quality and completeness, returns and handling time, and your seller record (Titles, descriptions and search).
Comps
Short for comparables: recently sold items like yours, with the same brand, era, size and condition, that you use to set a price. Always use sold prices, never asking prices (Pricing that sells).
Cover photo
The first photo in your listing, the one buyers see in search results. Make it the whole item, face on, against a plain background, with no collage (Photos that sell).
Flat lay
Photographing a garment laid flat on a plain surface, shot from above. It is quick, shows shape clearly and suits measurements, but add a hanger or on-body shot where fit sells the piece (Photos that sell).
Hashtags
Tags starting with the hash symbol that help buyers find items on Depop. Depop lets you add up to 5 per listing, and every one must be relevant to the item, because tagging brands or styles it is not breaks the rules (Depop playbook).
Item specifics
eBay's structured fields for brand, size, colour, style, material and more. Buyers filter by them, so fill in every one that fits, not just the required ones (eBay playbook).
Keyword stuffing
Cramming unrelated brands or popular search words into a title, description or hashtags to catch more views. The major platforms ban it and it can get your listings removed (Titles, descriptions and search).
Relist
Taking a listing down and posting it again as new. Try editing the photos, title or price first, and never keep duplicate listings of the same item live, because Vinted, for one, allows only one listing per item (Titles, descriptions and search).
SKU
Short for stock keeping unit: a short code you give each item, written on a tag and in your listing notes. It lets you find a piece the moment it sells and track it across platforms (Scaling up: time, stock and brand).
Sold listings
Search results filtered to show items that actually sold, and what they sold for. On eBay, tick Sold items in the search filters, or use eBay's Product research tool for a longer view, and trust these far more than current asking prices (Pricing that sells).
Stock photo
A catalogue or internet image rather than your own photo of the actual item. Vinted, Depop and Etsy require your own photos, and eBay does not allow catalogue photos for used items (Photos that sell).

Measuring

Centimetres and inches
Give every measurement in centimetres (cm) and inches (in), because buyers think in both. The conversion is 1 inch = 2.54 cm, and the Measurement card builder does it for you.
Drop shoulder
A shoulder seam that sits down on the upper arm instead of at the edge of the shoulder. The shoulder figure comes out wide and a seam to cuff sleeve looks short, so measure the sleeve from the centre back of the collar and say so (Measuring and sizing).
Highest point of shoulder
Where the shoulder meets the collar, often written HPS. Measure a top's length from here straight down to the hem, and on a hoodie start at the same point, never the top of the hood (Measuring and sizing).
Hips
Straight across the widest point below the waist, laid flat, then doubled for the full measurement. On jeans that is around the bottom of the fly, and on skirts and dresses give it alongside the waist (Measuring and sizing).
Inseam
The inside leg measurement, from the crotch seam down the inner leg to the hem. Measure it with the trousers laid flat (Measuring and sizing).
Leg opening
Straight across the hem of one trouser leg, laid flat. It shows buyers the cut, from skinny to wide (Measuring and sizing).
Length
On tops and dresses, from the highest point of the shoulder straight down to the hem, and on skirts from the top of the waistband down to the hem at the centre. If the hem is uneven or split, say where you measured (Measuring and sizing).
Pit to pit
Straight across the chest from armpit seam to armpit seam, with the garment laid flat and smoothed but not stretched, often written P2P. Buyers compare it with a top they already own, so give it on every top (Measuring and sizing).
Raglan sleeve
A sleeve that runs in one piece up to the collar, with diagonal seams from the underarm to the neck. There is no shoulder seam, so measure the sleeve from the collar seam at the centre back of the neck down to the cuff, and say so (Measuring and sizing).
Rise
On trousers, the measurement from the crotch seam up to the top of the waistband at the front. It tells buyers whether they sit high or low on the waist (Measuring and sizing).
Shoulders
Straight across the back from one shoulder seam to the other, with the garment flat. Leave it out on raglan sleeves, which have no shoulder seam, and flag it on drop shoulders, where it comes out wide (Measuring and sizing).
Sleeve length
On a set-in sleeve, from the shoulder seam along the top of the sleeve to the end of the cuff. Raglan sleeves start at the collar seam at the centre back of the neck and drop shoulders at the centre back of the collar, so say which you used (Measuring and sizing).
Tag size
The size printed on the label. Quote it exactly as written, but always add measurements, because older, overseas and brand sizing all differ from modern UK sizes (Measuring and sizing).
Waist
On trousers and jeans, straight across the top of the waistband, done up and laid flat. Double it for the full waist and say that you have, so buyers are not confused (Measuring and sizing).

Platforms and selling

Best Offer
An eBay feature that lets buyers propose a lower price. Set an automatic decline level at your walk-away price, and list with a small buffer so an accepted offer still leaves you profit (eBay playbook).
Boost
Depop's paid promotion: nothing up front, but if a buyer who saw the boosted listing buys within 28 days, you pay a 12% boosting fee on that sale, on top of the processing fee. On thin margins that can swallow most of your profit, so run the numbers first (Depop playbook).
Bump
A paid Vinted boost that pushes one listing higher in feeds and search for a set number of days, with the price shown at checkout, while Showcase, formerly Wardrobe Spotlight, does the same for your whole wardrobe. Fix the price and photos before paying, and check whether it actually led to sales (Vinted playbook).
Bundle
Several items bought by one buyer and sent in one parcel, often with a discount. On Vinted only standard sellers can set automatic bundle discounts, not Pro sellers (Pricing that sells).
Business account
A platform account type for people selling as a business, such as an eBay business account or Vinted Pro. Once you buy stock to resell you should be on one, so buyers can see you are a trader (Selling as a business: the rules).
Buyer protection
A platform scheme that refunds buyers if an item does not arrive or is not as described, and eBay calls its version the Money Back Guarantee. On Vinted, and on eBay for private sellers, the buyer pays a buyer protection fee on top of your price, and Vinted renames its charge the Vinted fee from 8 October 2026, or 5 October 2026 for purchases from Pro sellers (Choosing where to sell).
Cross-listing
Listing the same item on more than one platform at once. The big risk is selling it twice, so keep one stock list and delist everywhere else the moment it sells (Choosing where to sell).
Final value fee
eBay's fee when an item sells, often called FVF, worked out as a percentage of the order total including postage. Genuine UK private sellers of clothing pay £0 (no final value fee), but eBay says anyone selling stock bought to resell must register as a business, and business sellers pay 11.9% on most clothing plus a regulatory fee and a small per-order fee, all before VAT (eBay playbook).
Giveaway
A free prize handed out during a live show. In the UK it must be genuinely free to enter, because paying to enter plus a winner picked by chance can make it an unlicensed lottery. A giveaway only buyers can enter, such as Whatnot's Buyer Appreciation Giveaway, can count as paying to enter (Whatnot playbook).
Live selling
Selling on a live video stream, usually auction style, on apps like Whatnot. Show every item on all sides, say flaws out loud, and describe it as honestly as you would in a written listing (Whatnot playbook).
Lowball
An offer far below your asking price. Counter near your target or decline politely, and on eBay set an automatic decline level at your walk-away price (Customers, returns and disputes).
Off-platform
Moving a sale, chat or payment outside the app, for example to a bank transfer or DMs. It breaks platform rules, loses all protection for both sides and is a classic scam route (Customers, returns and disputes).
Offer buffer
The room you leave above your target price so you can accept offers and still take home what you planned. The List price helper works it out for you (Pricing that sells).
Payout
Money released from a platform to your bank. Timing depends on the platform and your account type and often comes days after delivery, so plan your restock cash around payouts, not sale dates (Planning your first buy).
Private seller
Someone selling their own things casually, not as a business. Once you buy stock to resell you are not a private seller, and pretending to be one is a banned practice under consumer law (Selling as a business: the rules).
Processing fee
A payment fee taken on each sale, often a percentage plus a fixed amount. On Depop, Etsy and Whatnot it is charged on the postage as well as the item, so it is part of your real cost (Choosing where to sell).
Promoted Listings
eBay's advertising: you set an ad rate and, on the general option, pay it only if the item sells after someone clicks your ad. The rate is taken from the total including postage, so work out your profit first (eBay playbook).
Shill bidding
Bidding on your own items, or getting friends or family to, so the price goes up. It is banned on auction and live selling platforms and is one of the quickest ways to lose your account (Whatnot playbook).
Sudden death
A Whatnot auction format that sells to whoever bid last, with no extra time added for late bids. Whatnot's rule: Ends at 00:01 with no timer extension. Explain the format on stream so buyers know to bid before the clock runs out (Whatnot playbook).
Vinted Pro
Vinted's account for business sellers. Vinted's own rules say you need it once you buy stock to resell, and it brings business duties such as invoices, returns and showing your business details. Its terms also bar items originally bought in bulk with a low resale value, and no Vinted account may resell new stock bought from wholesalers, so get written confirmation from Vinted support before you list wholesale-bought stock there (Vinted playbook).
Watchers
People who have saved your eBay listing to keep an eye on it. You can send them an offer below your Buy It Now price, and Depop lets you send offers to people who liked an item, so leave an offer buffer in your price (Pricing that sells).

Shipping

CN23
The customs declaration for goods posted outside the UK. Royal Mail's Click and Drop online postage service or a Post Office counter creates it together with the electronic customs data (Packing and shipping).
Handling time
The time you promise between a sale and posting it. Set one you can hit every week, even when you are ill or away, because late dispatch counts against your seller record, while a realistic promise does not (Packing and shipping).
HS code
The tariff code that tells customs what an item is. Each item on a customs declaration needs one, and Click and Drop can suggest it or you can look it up on the GOV.UK Trade Tariff (Packing and shipping).
IOSS
The EU's Import One Stop Shop, which lets VAT on parcels to EU consumers worth up to €150 be collected at checkout. Marketplaces collect it on eligible orders and give you their IOSS number for the customs data, and without it the buyer may be charged again. Sell outside a marketplace and EU buyers may pay VAT and fees on delivery, so tell them before they buy. A temporary EU duty on low value parcels (€3 per item line, 1 July 2026 to 1 July 2028) can also fall on you or the buyer, depending on how you ship (Packing and shipping).
Large letter
A Royal Mail size band for flat, light items (35.3 x 25 x 2.5cm, up to 750g). A thin tee can fit if folded flat, but measure the thickness after packing (Packing and shipping).
Poly mailer
A light, waterproof plastic mailing bag widely used for soft clothing. Check the platform's rules first, because Vinted asks for a padded bag or a box for clothes (Packing and shipping).
Prepaid label
A postage label the platform creates when the buyer pays for shipping at checkout. Use the exact label for the carrier the buyer chose, because the platform's protection is built around it (Packing and shipping).
Proof of postage
Evidence you posted a parcel, such as a free certificate of posting from a Post Office counter or a digital receipt. It proves you sent it, not that it arrived, so keep it until the sale is completely finished (Packing and shipping).
Risk in transit
When you sell as a business, a parcel is your responsibility until the buyer actually receives it. If it goes missing, you sort out the buyer and claim from the carrier or platform yourself (Customers, returns and disputes).
Small parcel
The Royal Mail size band above Large letter (45 x 35 x 16cm, up to 2kg), which fits many single garments such as a hoodie or a pair of jeans. Weigh and measure after packing, not before (Packing and shipping).
Tracked
Postage with scans that show where a parcel is and prove delivery. Untracked post only proves you posted it, so use tracked for anything you could not afford to refund, and a signed-for service for expensive pieces (Packing and shipping).

Money and tax

Allowable expenses
Business costs you can take off your sales to work out taxable profit, such as stock, postage, packaging and platform fees. They must be wholly and exclusively for the business, though for something you also use personally, like your phone, you can claim the business share (Money, records and tax as you grow).
Badges of trade
The signs HMRC weighs to decide whether you are trading, such as a profit motive, how often you sell, and buying things specifically to sell on. Buying stock to resell for more points firmly to trading (Set up properly: hobby, side hustle or business).
Cash basis
Recording income and expenses when money actually comes in or goes out, rather than when you invoice or get billed. It is now the default for sole traders, and you can opt out (Money, records and tax as you grow).
Cash flow
The timing of money coming into and going out of your business. You can be profitable on paper and still short of cash when it is tied up in stock or waiting on payouts (Planning your first buy).
Drawings
Money you take out of the business for yourself. It is not a business expense, and as a sole trader you are taxed on your profit whether you take it out or not (Money, records and tax as you grow).
HMRC
HM Revenue and Customs, the UK government department that collects tax. You register with it for Self Assessment, and platforms send it sellers' details under the platform reporting rules (Set up properly: hobby, side hustle or business).
Limited company
A business that is a separate legal person from you, registered at Companies House, with its own tax and filing duties. It can suit bigger operations, but get professional advice before you switch (Money, records and tax as you grow).
Making Tax Digital
HMRC's rules, often shortened to MTD, for keeping digital records and sending quarterly updates through compatible software. For sole traders it depends on qualifying income, meaning self-employment and property turnover, not profit. In force: Over £50,000 from 6 April 2026. Next: Over £30,000 from 6 April 2027. After that: Over £20,000 from 6 April 2028 (Money, records and tax as you grow).
Margin
Your profit on a sale as a share of the selling price, after the item's cost, fees and packaging. It tells you how much of each sale you keep, and it always looks smaller than the markup on the same sale (Pricing that sells).
Margin scheme
A VAT scheme for VAT registered sellers of second-hand goods, where VAT is due on the difference between what you paid and what you sold for, not the full price. It has strict record keeping rules, so take advice before you rely on it (Money, records and tax as you grow).
Markup
How much you add on top of what an item cost you, measured against that cost. A big markup can still leave a thin margin once fees, packaging and unsold pieces are counted (Pricing that sells).
National Insurance
Self-employed people pay Class 4 National Insurance on profits above £12,570, on top of Income Tax. Class 2 is no longer compulsory, and with profits under £7,105 you can choose to pay it voluntarily to protect your State Pension record (Set up properly: hobby, side hustle or business).
Payments on account
Advance payments towards next year's tax bill, due on 31 January and 31 July, which HMRC usually asks for once your Self Assessment bill is £1,000 or more. They can make your first January bill much bigger than you expect, so set money aside as you go (Money, records and tax as you grow).
Personal Allowance
The income you can have each tax year from all sources, including a job, before Income Tax starts: £12,570 for most people. It is separate from the trading allowance, and if a job already uses it, your taxable reselling profit is taxed from the first pound (Set up properly: hobby, side hustle or business).
Platform reporting
Rules that make each platform send HMRC details of sellers who reach either 30 sales or €2,000 (about £1,700) on that platform in a calendar year, sometimes called DAC7. Being reported is not a tax bill in itself, and you get a copy of what is sent (Set up properly: hobby, side hustle or business).
ROI
Return on investment: your profit divided by what you spent, usually shown as a percentage. It lets you compare wholesale lots of different sizes on the same footing, and the Box profit planner works it out (Planning your first buy).
Self Assessment
HMRC's system for reporting income that is not taxed at source, such as trading profits. If you need to file for the first time, register by 5 October after the tax year ends, then file online and pay what you owe by 31 January. Miss the filing deadline and there is an automatic £100 penalty, even if you owe nothing (Set up properly: hobby, side hustle or business).
Sole trader
The simplest way to run a business: you and the business are legally the same, and you pay tax on its profits through Self Assessment. You set up by registering with HMRC, but you are personally responsible for any business debts (Set up properly: hobby, side hustle or business).
Tax year
The UK tax year runs 6 April to 5 April, and Income Tax, National Insurance and the trading allowance are counted across it. The VAT threshold uses a rolling test instead, and platform reports run January to December, so none of them will match line for line (Money, records and tax as you grow).
Trading allowance
The first £1,000 of gross trading income each tax year is tax free, and gross means your sales before any costs. One allowance covers all your trades combined, and above it you must tell HMRC and choose either the allowance or your real expenses, never both. A higher limit you may see online is only a planned reporting change. Its status: Announced, not in force (Set up properly: hobby, side hustle or business).
Turnover
Your total sales before any costs come off. Some thresholds, including VAT registration and Making Tax Digital, are based on turnover, not profit (Money, records and tax as you grow).
UTR
Your Unique Taxpayer Reference, the reference HMRC sends once you register for Self Assessment. Keep it safe, because you need it to file and pay (Set up properly: hobby, side hustle or business).
VAT threshold
The level of taxable turnover, currently £90,000, above which a business must register for VAT. It is checked on a rolling basis at the end of every month, looking back, not once a tax year, and a separate forward look test applies if you expect your sales over a short period ahead, on their own, to go over it. It counts sales, not profit (Money, records and tax as you grow).

Rules and law

Ad label
Marking a social post as an advert with "Ad" at the start when a brand pays you, gives you stock in return for a post, or you earn commission from a link. "Gifted" or "spon" on their own are not enough (Selling as a business: the rules).
As described
The legal rule that goods a business sells must match the description given, including size, condition, fibre content, brand and age. It sits alongside satisfactory quality and fit for purpose under the Consumer Rights Act (Grading and describing condition).
Consumer
An individual buying wholly or mainly for personal reasons. Your buyers usually are, but you are not when you buy stock for your business, so consumer rights do not cover your wholesale purchases, though card protections like Section 75 and chargeback are separate rules (How wholesale vintage works).
Consumer Rights Act
The main UK law on what consumers are owed when they buy from a business: goods must be of satisfactory quality, fit for purpose and as described. Second-hand goods are judged against their description, price and age, and a business cannot sign these rights away (Selling as a business: the rules).
Distance selling
Selling without meeting the buyer face to face, such as online or by phone. As a business you must give buyers key information before they pay and honour their right to cancel, and online auctions count too (Selling as a business: the rules).
DMCC Act
The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act, the main UK law against unfair selling practices. It bans businesses posing as private sellers, fake reviews and fake urgency, requires the full price up front, and lets the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) fine traders directly: Up to £300,000 or 10% of global turnover, whichever is higher (Selling as a business: the rules).
Drip pricing
Showing one price, then adding charges the buyer cannot avoid later in the checkout. It breaks the DMCC Act's rules on price information, and the rule is: The total price must include all mandatory fees and charges (Selling as a business: the rules).
Fake reviews
Reviews that are made up, bought, swapped or written by people who never bought from you. Writing, commissioning or disguising incentivised reviews is a banned practice, so only real buyers should review you (Selling as a business: the rules).
ICO fee
A yearly data protection fee paid to the Information Commissioner's Office by businesses that handle personal data, unless they are exempt, starting at £52 a year (tier 1, micro organisations). The self assessment on the ICO's fee page tells you whether you need to pay (Selling as a business: the rules).
Product safety
The duty not to sell dangerous products, which covers second-hand clothing too. Children's clothing is the big one: remove drawstrings and cords from the hood and neck area of young children's clothes, or do not sell the item (Selling as a business: the rules).
Right to cancel
A consumer's right to cancel an online purchase from a business for any reason until 14 days after the item arrives. Tell buyers before they pay who covers return postage, or you will have to cover it (Selling as a business: the rules).
Soft opt-in
The rule that lets you email marketing about similar products to past customers whose details you collected yourself while selling to them, as long as you offered an easy opt out then and in every email. Everyone else needs clear consent, and marketplaces generally forbid using buyer details from their orders for your own marketing (Selling as a business: the rules).
Sold as seen
A phrase that does not remove consumers' legal rights when you sell as a business, and using it can itself mislead. Describe the item properly and state your real returns process instead (Selling as a business: the rules).
Trader
Anyone selling for purposes relating to their trade or business. If you buy stock to resell you are almost certainly a trader, with duties to buyers that private sellers do not have, whatever account type you use (Selling as a business: the rules).
Trading Standards
The local council service that enforces consumer law. Its Business Companion site has free plain-English guides for businesses in England, Scotland and Wales, and Northern Ireland has its own Trading Standards Service (Selling as a business: the rules).

Sources and checks

  1. Financial Ombudsman Service: Chargeback lets your bank try to reverse a debit or credit card payment if goods do not arrive or are not as described; it is a card scheme rule rather than a legal right and you usually have around 120 days to ask. Checked 28 Sep 2026
  2. GOV.UK: For goods sent to Great Britain worth £135 or less, the overseas seller or marketplace charges UK VAT at checkout and no customs duty is due, while above £135 you pay import VAT and any duty to the delivery company. Checked 28 Sep 2026
  3. UK Integrated Online Tariff (GOV.UK Trade Tariff API): Worn clothing imported into Great Britain in bulk, bales or sacks (commodity code 6309) has a standard customs duty rate of 4% unless a trade preference applies. Checked 28 Sep 2026
  4. UK Integrated Online Tariff (GOV.UK Trade Tariff API): Clothing that is classed under its own garment code rather than as bulk worn clothing, such as T-shirts, jumpers, jeans, shirts and coats, is typically charged 12% customs duty from countries without a trade deal. Checked 28 Sep 2026
  5. GOV.UK: Keep your business records for at least 5 years after the 31 January deadline for that tax year, so 2025 to 2026 records need keeping until at least the end of January 2032. Checked 28 Sep 2026
  6. legislation.gov.uk (Consumer Credit Act 1974, s75): If you pay for something by credit card and that single item costs more than £100 and no more than £30,000, your card provider is jointly liable with the seller under Section 75 if the goods never arrive or are not as described. Checked 28 Sep 2026
  7. Vinted Help Centre: Vinted's conditions for clothing are New, Like new, Very good, Good and Satisfactory, and if you are unsure it's better to pick the lower one. Checked 28 Sep 2026
  8. Etsy Help: Etsy only allows items in its vintage category if they are at least 20 years old, so newer or vintage-style pieces cannot be listed as vintage there. Checked 28 Sep 2026
  9. Depop Help Centre: You can use up to five hashtags in a Depop description, and they must be relevant to the item or the listing can be removed. Checked 28 Sep 2026
  10. legislation.gov.uk: Weights and Measures Act 1985, Schedule 1: One inch is exactly 2.54 centimetres, so give measurements in both to help buyers who think in either. Checked 28 Sep 2026
  11. Depop Help Centre: A boosted sale counts if the buyer saw your boosted listing and then bought it within 28 days, even if you switched boosting off in between. Checked 28 Sep 2026
  12. Depop Help Centre: If you boost a listing and a buyer who saw the boosted version buys it within 28 days, Depop charges a 12% boosting fee on top of the processing fee. Checked 28 Sep 2026
  13. Vinted User Terms and Conditions (new version applicable from 08-10-2026): From 8 October 2026 Vinted's updated terms call the buyer's mandatory charge the 'Vinted fee' instead of the Buyer Protection fee, and it is still paid by the buyer, not the seller. Checked 28 Sep 2026
  14. Vinted Pro Terms and Conditions (new version applicable from 05-10-2026): From 5 October 2026 Vinted's Pro Terms call the buyer's charge on purchases from Pro sellers the 'Vinted fee', and it is still paid by the buyer on top of your price. Checked 28 Sep 2026
  15. eBay Help: Fees for private sellers: If you are a genuine UK-based private seller, eBay charges you no final value fee and no regulatory operating fee when your clothing sells. Checked 28 Sep 2026
  16. eBay Help: Fees for business sellers: As a business seller, eBay's final value fee on most clothing is 11.9% of the total the buyer pays, including postage, plus a small per-order fee. Checked 28 Sep 2026
  17. Whatnot Help Center: A sudden death auction on Whatnot ends at one second to go and sells to whoever bid last, with no extra time added for late bids. Checked 28 Sep 2026
  18. European Commission (VAT One Stop Shop): For parcels to EU consumers worth up to €150, the VAT can be collected at checkout through the EU Import One Stop Shop (IOSS), and online marketplaces that facilitate these sales are treated as the supplier for VAT, which is why eBay collects EU VAT on low value orders. Checked 28 Sep 2026
  19. European Commission (Access2Markets): Since 1 July 2026 the EU charges a temporary €3 customs duty on low value parcels (worth €150 or less) sold to EU consumers from outside the EU, including from the UK, charged per item line on the customs declaration rather than per piece, and it is due to run until 1 July 2028. Checked 28 Sep 2026
  20. Royal Mail Help: A Royal Mail Large Letter can be up to 35.3cm long, 25cm wide and 2.5cm thick and weigh up to 750g, which can suit a single thin tee folded flat in a slim mailer. Checked 28 Sep 2026
  21. Royal Mail Help: A Royal Mail Small Parcel in the UK can be up to 45cm long, 35cm wide and 16cm deep and weigh up to 2kg, which covers most single garments and many small bundles. Checked 28 Sep 2026
  22. GOV.UK: Making Tax Digital for Income Tax started on 6 April 2026 for sole traders and landlords whose self-employment and property turnover was over £50,000 in 2024 to 2025. Checked 28 Sep 2026
  23. GOV.UK: From 6 April 2027 Making Tax Digital for Income Tax applies if your self-employment and property turnover was over £30,000 in the 2025 to 2026 tax year. Checked 28 Sep 2026
  24. GOV.UK: From 6 April 2028 Making Tax Digital for Income Tax applies if your self-employment and property turnover is over £20,000 in the 2026 to 2027 tax year (6 April 2026 to 5 April 2027). Checked 28 Sep 2026
  25. GOV.UK: You only start paying Class 4 National Insurance once your self-employed profits go over £12,570 a year. Checked 28 Sep 2026
  26. GOV.UK: With self-employed profits of £7,105 or more, you get Class 2 National Insurance credited without paying it. Checked 28 Sep 2026
  27. GOV.UK: If last year's Self Assessment bill was £1,000 or more, HMRC usually asks for two advance payments towards next year's bill, each half of last year's, due 31 January and 31 July, so your first January bill can be bigger than you expect. Checked 28 Sep 2026
  28. GOV.UK: You do not have to make payments on account if last year's Self Assessment bill was under £1,000. Checked 28 Sep 2026
  29. GOV.UK: Most people can earn £12,570 a year in total, from all sources including a job, before paying any Income Tax. Checked 28 Sep 2026
  30. GOV.UK: A platform does not have to report you if you make fewer than 30 sales of goods in a calendar year and also receive less than about £1,700 for them, so hitting either 30 sales or that amount means you are likely to be reported. Checked 28 Sep 2026
  31. GOV.UK: The platform reporting money limit is 2,000 euros, which HMRC puts at about £1,700 a year, and it works together with the 30 sales limit. Checked 28 Sep 2026
  32. GOV.UK: If you need to file a tax return for the first time, tell HMRC by 5 October after the end of the tax year the income was in: 5 October 2026 for 6 April 2025 to 5 April 2026, then 5 October 2027 for the year to 5 April 2027. Checked 28 Sep 2026
  33. GOV.UK: Any tax you owe for the year is due by midnight on 31 January, the same day as the online return deadline, so 31 January 2027 for 2025 to 2026. Checked 28 Sep 2026
  34. GOV.UK: Miss the tax return deadline and there is an automatic £100 penalty, even if you owe no tax, and it grows the longer you leave it. Checked 28 Sep 2026
  35. GOV.UK: The UK tax year runs from 6 April to 5 April, so all the thresholds here are counted across that year, not January to December. Checked 28 Sep 2026
  36. GOV.UK: The trading allowance lets you earn up to £1,000 of gross trading income a year tax free, and gross means your total sales before any costs are taken off. Checked 28 Sep 2026
  37. HMRC Tax Help for Hustles (campaign.gov.uk): The government has announced a plan to let people earning between £1,000 and £3,000 from side income report it through a new simpler online service instead of a full tax return, but it is not live yet, so today the £1,000 rule still applies. Checked 28 Sep 2026
  38. GOV.UK: You must register for VAT if your taxable turnover in the last 12 months goes over £90,000, or you expect it to in the next 30 days, and that is sales, not profit. Checked 28 Sep 2026
  39. legislation.gov.uk (DMCC Act 2024, s182(6)): The CMA can now fine businesses directly for breaking consumer law, up to £300,000 or 10% of worldwide turnover, whichever is higher, so small sellers are not too small to be fined. Checked 28 Sep 2026
  40. legislation.gov.uk (DMCC Act 2024, s230): The price you advertise must include every fee the buyer has to pay, and you cannot add unavoidable charges later in checkout. Checked 28 Sep 2026
  41. ICO: Most small online sellers who handle customer data either pay the ICO data protection fee, £52 a year at the smallest tier, or qualify for an exemption, and the ICO's online self assessment tells you which. Checked 28 Sep 2026
  42. legislation.gov.uk (Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, reg 29 and 30): When a consumer buys online from a business, they can cancel for any reason from the moment they order until 14 days after the day the item arrives. Checked 28 Sep 2026

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