Jasmine Birtles
Your money-making expert. Financial journalist, TV and radio personality.
Can you live off selling your old socks?
Reading Time: 3 minutesSelling old socks! Can you really sell your stinky old socks for money? Unbelievably, you can.
A lot of people sell their old socks online for extra monthly cash, and particularly in the current dire financial climate, we don’t judge people for selling their used, filthy socks online: it’s not to be sniffed at…
To get started, only use trusted websites that offer worn underwear. We know, it sounds gross but we are indeed talking about sweaty, stinky socks that you’ve worn all day and want to peel off and chuck in the washing machine: DON’T, because there are people out there who are looking to get their hands on your laundry pile rejects.
Other popular products to sell include ankle, foot and legwarmers, fishnet stockings and knee-highs; as for the socks, their value can go up the more you’ve worn them and the more you’ve, ahem, done in them. Prices online – we did the research – range from a few quid to more than £150 a pair, the sale of which may make a commission for a specific website.
HOW TO GET STARTED
Like everything these days, you need some kind of brand. Why should people buy your socks and what activities have you been doing in them before they go up for sale? Working out? Jogging? Running in the rain? Feet and their activities are big business for fetishists – in fact foot fetishes are probably the entry-level kink for those new to this kind of thing.
There is something online for everyone, so make your brand stand out by presenting it with a fresh, original angle so that someone, somewhere, wants to buy your used socks and not someone else’s.
WHERE TO SELL
You can look on places such as All Things Worn, eBay, Craigslist, Gumtree, Locanto, Fiverr and Facebook, and as with all these kind of sites, be respectful and abide by the rules, which you should always read first.
DOS AND DON’TS
- Use a pseudonym. Seriously, you don’t want your real identity as you brand in this case!
- Stay private. Don’t give out your personal details such as address, personal email or phone.
- These are foot-related sales, so if you’re stuck for a profile picture, snap your feet not your face!
- As with all online sales, take good quality pictures and describe your items fully and accurately.
- Remember, people want smelly socks, so bag them up carefully and retain that pong!
Make sure you don’t forget about tax either. You probably won’t have to pay VAT as you’re allowed a £85,000 turnover before you have to pay it. However, if your taxable turnover is over £85,000 then you’ll have to contact HMRC to register for VAT. You can use VAT software to help you keep on top of this.
A final note: Don’t use the selling experience to flirt with your customers. Seems a bit daft to say, but in these kind of transactions, everyone is usually anonymous, so best to keep things professional!
FURTHER RESEARCH
Look into these websites further to discover what sellers and customers have to say about their experiences:
Further Reading
Make Money from all Dirty Laundry
Weird Ways to Make Money: Sell Your Dirty Knickers
What about Knickery?
Do you have to pay tax after earning money ? And how do people pay you ?
Erm… Interesting article!
I can understand men buying women’s worn socks, stockings and underwear but what about the opposite? Surely there aren’t many women out there who want to buy men’s used socks and underwear?