Vinted Is My New Favourite E-commerce Hobby
Gary Vee made garage sales look like an amazing source to make money, by purchasing products at low prices and reselling them at a profit online. The laziest ones decided to make Alibaba their own garage.
I consider myself to be part of the lazy ones, but instead of turning to Amazon and Shopify, I just used Facebook Marketplace.
The beauty of it is that it has its own audience. There is no need to waste money on targeted ads because it shows users a variety of products that match their interests.
Sure the process might be slower, but then again, it’s more of a profitable hobby than an actual side hustle.
Recently I decided to change platform and started exploring Vinted, an online marketplace for second-hand fashion items.
It sure is miles away from having the audience Facebook can supply, but the fact that they already have their own inbuilt delivery system makes everything better.
It’s like Facebook Marketplace and Amazon had a little baby.
If you are interested in buying items on Alibaba and selling them on Vinted, here are some tips that will help you get started.
Research and Identify Profitable Products
The first step in buying items on Alibaba and selling them on Vinted is to research and identify products that have high demand on Vinted.
You can browse through the Vinted app or website to see which items are popular and selling well. Once you have identified the products, you can search for them on Alibaba to see if they are available and at what price.
Check the Supplier’s Credentials
When buying products on Alibaba, it is important to check the supplier’s credentials!
You should look for suppliers who have been verified by Alibaba and have a good reputation for delivering quality products.
You can also check their ratings and reviews from other customers who have purchased from them.
Negotiate the Price
Once you have identified the products you want to buy and the supplier, the next step is to negotiate the price — never buy the products immediately!
Alibaba is known for its low prices, but it is still possible to get a better deal by negotiating with the supplier.
You can use Alibaba’s chat feature to communicate with the supplier and agree on a price that is favorable to you — to be honest, most of the time you might be left without a response, but it's always worth the shot.
After negotiating the price and deciding on the quantity, just place an order with the supplier.
Oh, and by the way, you should also agree on the shipping method and the delivery time.
List the Products on Vinted
After receiving and inspecting if the products match the expected quality, the next step is to list them on Vinted.
You should take clear photos of the items and write a detailed description that accurately describes the product.
You should also set a competitive price that is similar to what other sellers are offering.
Since Vinted it’s a second-hand marketplace and you’re selling brand-new items, be sure to mention that in the description. That can justify your prices if they are above the competition.
Bonus: Promote the Products
Online ads are never enough and, even though I usually refuse to resort to them, promoting the items on social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter increases the chances of selling the products quickly.
My advice, however, would be for you to offer discounts from time to time to attract more buyers. Usually, when a price is lowered, the people who marked the item as a favorite will get a notification saying that the price has been lowered.
In conclusion, buying items on Alibaba and selling them on Vinted can be a profitable venture if done correctly.
It is not that much different from using Amazon or Shopify.
To be honest, I’d even risk saying that is easier since it has way fewer vendors than Amazon and doesn’t imply the risks of dropshipping, like not having control over the product's quality or the shipping time frame being too volatile.
If you’re lazy but want to scratch the entrepreneur itch, give it a go.
