PULLING on a shimmering red 6XL party dress from Godiva, Marianne Blaney, 37, looked in the mirror.
The usual form fitting size 24 glittery frock was huge on her.
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Marianne’s face lit up with a huge smile
She’s not just celebrating the fact she’s well on her way to being closer to her goal dress size of 12 but it’s also a chance to cash in and add at least another £500 to her bank account.
“I’ve lost 10st in three years,” she said. “I have made almost £2.5k selling my old super-sized clothes on Vinted.
“Second-hand plus-size clothing sells like crazy.
My used plus size gowns, dresses and tops often sell within a day of me posting them online
Marianne
“I can make more than I paid when I sell some of my 7XL or 6XL dresses.
“Pounds off my waist mean pounds in my bank account
“My used plus size gowns, dresses and tops often sell within a day of me posting them online.”
At first she said she was “stunned” the clothes sold so quickly.
“Now I know so many women can’t find quality plus-size frocks and gowns and turn to Vinted for quality used outfits like mine,” she said.
According to Statistica in 2016 the plus-size clothing market in the UK was worth approximately £6.44b with the UK women’s average dress remaining a 16.
As Marianne discovered, that meant the second hand plus size market is booming.
Marianne who owns the Daisy Mae Boutique lives in Coleraine, Northern Ireland, with her husband, businessman Nick, 47.
“I was always a bigger sized girl growing up,” she said. “When I married, I felt comfortable as a size 18 to 20.”
However, in lockdown Marianne said she started gaining weight, comfort eating chocolates and sweets.
Do you need to pay tax on items sold on Vinted?
QUICK facts on tax from the team at Vinted…
- The only time that an item might be taxable is if it sells for more than £6,000 and there is profit (sells for more than you paid for it). Even then, you can use your capital gains tax-free allowance of £3,000 to offset it.
- Generally, only business sellers trading for profit (buying goods with the purpose of selling for more than they paid for them) might need to pay tax. Business sellers who trade for profit can use a tax-free allowance of £1,000, which has been in place since 2017.
- More information here: vinted.co.uk/no-changes-to-taxes
“Before I knew it, I was a size 24,” she said. “I own a fashion boutique, but I only sell clothes up to a size 22. “I had gained so much weight I couldn’t even wear my own boutique dresses. It was heartbreaking.”
In April 2021 Marianne’s brother, Paul, died from an enlarged heart at the age of 45.
“His loss was heartbreaking,” she said. “It was also a wakeup call for me. I wanted to live as long as I could to honour his memory,” says Marianne.
Then in February 2022 Marianne’s other brother Micheal, 43, passed away from cardiac arrest.
Focus on goal setting
“That spurred me on even more to lose weight and honour my brothers.”
“I had to wean my brain off eating fat food and choose small healthy options. Instead of joining a gym or doing intensive work out programmes I started taking my Jack Russell dog, Daisy, out twice a day for walks.”
Marianne set herself a goal of doing 15k steps a day.
“Hitting my daily step target and eating healthy was my weight loss solution and it worked,” she said.
“I then adopted the pounds off my weight, pounds my bank account approach to cashing in on the plus size second hand market,” she said. “It’s all about goal setting and sticking to it.
Marianne’s top tips
- Sell your biggest sized clothes first – they sell faster
- Make sure you promote the items as plus size
- If the item runs big or small mention that in post
- Know the value of plus size dresses
- Have the confidence to price quality plus sized clothes at a high price
- Post well photographed dresses on clear background
- Make sure you mention any minor flaws
- Offer bundle purchase
“I stopped snacking on huge chocolate bars and crisps. I had a healthy breakfast. I ate fruit salad and lean meat.”
In September 2021 Marianne noticed her 7XL or size 24 clothes were too big for her.
“I had three double wardrobes filled with clothes ranging from size 14 to a size 24,” she said. “I had so many clothes I had to take black bin bags full into my shop and hang them on three eight-foot rails in the storage room,” she said.
Shedding pounds = gaining pounds
“In March 2022 when people started to compliment me on my slender look, I decided to prevent gaining back the weight to start getting rid of all my old super-sized clothes.
Marianne says she had always bought quality plus-size clothing.
“I had plus size dresses up to a size 24 from Marks & Spencer and ASOS. I also had an amazing collection of plus-size frocks from Hell Bunny and Lady Vintage as well as vintage outfits.
“Friends told me I could sell them for a fiver on Vinted.
“I refused. I knew the clothes were quality plus size outfits. Many had sold out due to demand and I had only worn some pieces once.”
I refused to be what I call a ‘busy fool’ taking time to post clothes and sell them for just a quid
Marianne
“I refused to be what I call a ‘busy fool’ taking time to post clothes and sell them for just a quid.”
Marianne’s policy of selling quality plus-size clothing at almost the same price she originally paid for the dresses paid off.
“People told me I was bonkers to price the second-hand clothes at £25 to £45 but my gut instinct told me I was right,” she said.
Mariane made sure the dresses and clothes were properly cleaned and included both their equivalent XL size and their British dress size.
I knew that if people saw a price tag of £25 and a well photographed plus size dress, they would recognise quality
Marianne
“If a dress was a 7XL it’s also a UK 24 so I added that. I tagged the brands and made sure the dresses were photographed against a plain background,” she said.
“I knew that if people saw a price tag of £25 and a well photographed plus size dress, they would recognise quality. I realised adopting a professional approach to Vinted like I did for my boutique would work.
“When I posted my first 7XL and 6XL dresses I was stunned that more than half sold within the first three days.
“I had so many repeat customers who loved the quality of my dresses and the fun style.
When I posted my first 7XL and 6XL dresses I was stunned that more than half sold within the first three days
Marianne
“I sold plus-size work dresses and plus-size going out dresses.”
Her foot size also shrunk and she managed to sell shoes for a decent price – selling one pair for £145 that same as she had paid for them.
Marianne, now a size 14, is still selling the clothing which are too big for her on Vinted.
“I have an 8ft clothing rack with clothes that still need to be photographed.
If you want big returns on Vinted, sell second hand big girls’ clothes
Marianne
“I am so happy I am down to a size 14,” she said.
“I have donated some of the money to the local hospitals and the rest is being saved for a holiday or to help pay the mortgage.
Read more on the Irish Sun
“If you want big returns on Vinted, sell second hand big girls’ clothes.”
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