Trends
Side-by-side comparisons of the kit, packaging and platforms home sellers choose between, with a straight answer first.
Use bubble wrap for heavy or very fragile homeware and electronics where cushioning comes first. Use honeycomb paper wrap for lighter breakables when your buyers expect plastic-free packaging.
Pick Whatnot if you want to start streaming cards soon and build a following show by show. Register for eBay Live if you already sell cards on eBay and want your live auctions in front of its buyers, once eBay invites you.
Use Royal Mail for cards, jewellery and anything flat enough to go as a Large Letter. Royal Mail is the more reliable first choice, and scored higher in Citizens Advice’s 2025 parcel league table. Use Evri when its tracked parcels and a nearby corner shop drop-off suit you, and check both sites for the price on the day.
Pick InPost when a locker is near you and the buyer chose locker delivery: it starts at £1.99 locker to locker in our postage data and needs no printer. Pick Evri when there is no locker nearby, when you want a driver to collect, or when the buyer picked Evri at checkout.
A ring light covers your face and small items for a first season of shows. Move to the key light panel when you stream most nights from a computer and want to change the light mid-show without touching it.
Buy the Phomemo if you post a few dozen parcels a week and want the lower spend. Buy the MUNBYN if you expect to pass about 120 orders a week or want a printer you won’t outgrow soon.
Use grey poly bags for most clothing when price and weather count for more than looks. Pick paper mailing bags when your shop sells on character or your buyers ask about plastic.
Start with a ring light if you film yourself and sell clothing, beauty or matt items. Choose the LED panel pair if you sell holo cards, foiled boxes or glossy packaging that glares under front light.
Pick the ring light if the camera mostly points at your face and your desk has room for one stand. Pick the softbox pair if you photograph clothing and products and want light that looks like a big window.
Buy a thermal label printer once you post more than a handful of parcels a week. Keep the inkjet and A4 sheets if you sell a few items a month and the printer already sits on your desk.
Clear everyday wardrobe pieces, kids’ clothes and high-street brands on Vinted. Put styled vintage, streetwear and Y2K pieces on Depop, where buyers shop by look and follow shops.
List everyday wardrobe pieces on Vinted, where buyers browse and send offers on clothing. Use eBay for rare vintage, branded pieces and anything you want to auction or sell to buyers searching by exact item.
Choose Whatnot if you enjoy talking on camera and sell collectables that suit fast auctions. Choose eBay if you want listings that sell while you sleep and a buyer base searching for specific items.
Pick Whatnot if your stock suits fast auctions to a community of collectors and bargain hunters. Pick TikTok Shop if you already make short videos and want lives and clips to sell fixed-price products side by side.
Choose Vinted if you are clearing a wardrobe or reselling clothes at your own pace with no selling fee. Choose Whatnot if you have a steady supply of cards, collectables or vintage and enjoy running a show.
