Side activity: selling second-hand alongside your job

Quick answer: yes, second-hand makes a good side activity: it starts with no premises, no initial stock and without leaving your job. It is done online, at the hours you choose. Two points need attention before you begin: your employment contract and your status.

This page draws on the method of the Dresskool Vinted course and on the public rules of the Vinted help centre.

Why second-hand suits a side activity

You can get into it in small sessions: photograph in the evening, publish at the weekend, answer messages during the day. There are no set hours and no shop to keep open. The guide launching your shop on Vinted walks through the steps in order, and the second-hand side hustle shows how to fit it around a job.

What your employment contract says

A side activity is not forbidden in itself for an employee, but two points need checking: a possible exclusivity clause in your contract, and the duty of loyalty to your employer, which in particular forbids competing with them. Selling second-hand clothes rarely competes with your job, but the rule is to check, not to assume. If you are a civil servant, the rules on holding several activities are stricter: read combining activities as a civil servant.

Your status

Selling your personal belongings is not a professional activity. Buying to resell, doing consignment or selling regularly to earn an income is, and requires a status, most often the micro-entreprise (the French sole-trader regime), which can be combined with salaried employment. Vinted reports to the French tax authorities the accounts that exceed 30 sales or €2,000 in a year. To find out how to declare, see the Urssaf website or ask an accountant.

The real time to plan for

An online side activity is not free time that pays by itself. You have to take photos, write listings, answer messages, pack and drop off parcels. Count on a few hours a week to start: little and often beats a lot at once. For the income side, read extra income from home.

The pitfalls to avoid

Be wary of "side activity" offers that ask you to pay to start, that promise a fixed income with no effort, or that make you recruit other people. A real activity sells a real product to real buyers. Also avoid selling without a status once the activity becomes regular, and do not hide this income from your employer if your contract requires you to tell them.

Start this week

Choose ten clothes you no longer wear, photograph them in daylight, write clear listings and publish them. Answer messages the same day. You will quickly know whether this activity suits you, without having spent anything.

Frequently asked questions

What side activity can you do with second-hand?

You can sell your own wardrobe, or do consignment selling, that is, sell other people's clothes in exchange for a commission. Both can be done alongside a job, from home, with a phone, daylight and something to pack the parcels in.

Can you have a side activity when you are an employee?

Often yes, but read your employment contract: some contain an exclusivity clause, and every employee remains bound by a duty of loyalty to their employer. If in doubt, ask your employer or an adviser, and declare your income as the law requires.

Do you need a status for a side activity on Vinted?

Selling your personal belongings is not a professional activity. Buying to resell, doing consignment or selling regularly to earn an income is, and requires a status, most often the micro-entreprise (the French sole-trader regime). Vinted reports to the French tax authorities the accounts that exceed 30 sales or €2,000 a year. For your declaration, check with the Urssaf.

How much time does a side activity take?

It depends on your pace: a few hours spread over the week are enough to start. Photos, listings, messages and shipping take time, and consistency matters more than long one-off sessions.

What is the difference with extra income or a side hustle?

The words change, the idea stays the same: an activity that adds to your job. "Side activity" puts the emphasis on the framework, that is, your contract and your status; for the income side, read the guide on extra income from home, and for the organisation, the one on the side hustle.

Is there a course to get started?

Yes: the Dresskool course (€79 one time, lifetime access) offers one mission per module to get your first sales with a method. The introduction and module 1 are free so you can try it.