Side job: selling second-hand clothes online, a how-to guide

7 October 2026 · 8 min read · By the Dresskool team

Quick answer: a side job is an activity you do alongside your main occupation to earn some extra money. There are two main ways to have one: being paid for the time you work for someone else, or selling yourself, for example second-hand clothes online. In the second case, no income is guaranteed and your sales depend on your stock, your prices and your time. Before choosing, check your employment contract and the tax rules that apply.

A rent increase, a project to finance, a wish to ease the budget: there are many reasons to look for a side job. The choice is then between options that have nothing in common. Here is how to compare hourly paid work with selling second-hand clothes, with the rules to know in both cases.

Side job: what the word covers

The word is broad. It covers any occasional or part-time work added to a main occupation: a salaried job, studies, parental leave, retirement. So the question is not "what is the best side job" but "which one fits my schedule and what I am looking for".

Two ways to have a side job

Being paid for the time you work

You work for someone else, on set hours, and you are paid for the hours you put in. The income is predictable, since it matches what was agreed. In return, you do not control your hours: they are imposed on you, and they may clash with those of your main activity.

Selling yourself

You create your own extra income, for example by reselling second-hand clothes. You choose when you work: posting a listing in the evening, answering messages during a break. On the other hand, nobody guarantees you any pay for those hours: if nothing sells, nothing comes in. It is a real difference in nature, to be faced before you decide.

Comparing on five criteria

Control over your calendar. It is high when you sell yourself, lower when someone else sets the hours.
Regularity of income. It is better for work paid by the time spent, uncertain for selling.
Starting capital. You can start reselling with pieces you already own, without buying stock.
Risk. With selling, you carry the risk: unsold items, returns, disputes with a buyer.
Learning. Selling teaches you skills you can reuse: photography, writing, negotiation.

No option is better in itself. The two options can also be combined: a small job with fixed hours and a resale activity in your free slots.

How to know if it is worth it

The simplest way is to compare what each option earns you for one hour of your time. For hourly paid work, the calculation is already done. For selling, you have to build it: add up what you have collected over a period, subtract the cost of the items bought and the packaging costs, then divide by the number of hours spent photographing, writing, replying and shipping. That figure is yours, it depends on your situation, and it can vary a lot from one month to the next.

If you stick to pieces you already own, there is no purchase cost to subtract, which makes the first calculation simpler. As soon as you buy stock, that cost goes into the count.

Why reselling clothes appeals as a side job

It has a few concrete advantages:

A start with no stock to buy. Your wardrobe and that of your loved ones are enough for your first tests.
Tasks that can be split up. Photographing, writing, replying: you can do them in short sessions.
Known platform fees. According to Vinted's price list, Vinted fees are paid when ordering, at the time of payment. For the seller, the paid services listed are Boost and Showcase.

To split up your time, our article organising your week as a second-hand seller offers a realistic split of tasks, and realistic sales goals helps you set benchmarks without putting pressure on yourself.

The rules to know before you start

If you are already an employee

According to service-public.fr, an employee who holds several jobs must respect a duty of loyalty: they cannot carry out another activity that could compete with their employer's. Combining jobs may also be forbidden by an exclusivity clause in the employment contract. So reread your contract before you start, whether your side job is a second job or an activity of your own.

Tax

The service-public.fr page on income from a side activity makes a clear distinction:

income from selling goods you are getting rid of, for example on Vinted, is not taxable;
if you buy or make goods in order to sell them, the income from that activity is taxable and must be declared, as industrial and commercial profits (bénéfices industriels et commerciaux).

The same page states that amounts received through internet platforms are passed on to the tax authorities, the platform being exempt if you made less than €2,000 in receipts or fewer than 30 transactions in the year. For how to apply the self-employed status (micro-entrepreneur) in practice, read our 2026 tax guide.

To remember: emptying your wardrobe and buying to resell are not the same thing in the eyes of the tax authorities. As soon as you buy stock to resell it, you change category.

Starting a resale side job in five steps

Take inventory of what you can sell without buying anything.
Post a few listings with good photos and an honest description.
Block out slots in your week: one for posting, one for replying, one for parcels.
Track your figures: what you collect, what you spend, the time you put in.
Then compare with what your time would earn you in another activity, and decide whether to continue or not.

Mistakes to avoid

Counting on a fixed income. Selling guarantees nothing: plan your budget without it.
Buying a lot of stock too early. Test first with what you have.
Forgetting your employment contract. An exclusivity clause can change everything.
Not noting your costs. Without tracking, you do not know what your time really earns you.

Going further

If you enjoy reselling and want to develop it, what comes next is about method: niche, sourcing, listings, routine. That is the content of the Dresskool training. If you are a student, our article second-hand selling as a student adapts this advice to your schedule.

Test selling with a method

The Dresskool training (€79, one-off payment) has 8 modules and 68 lessons to structure a resale activity. It promises no income, it saves you the mistakes at the start.

Discover the Dresskool training

Frequently asked questions

What is a side job?

A side job is an activity carried out alongside your main occupation to earn a little extra money. It can take the form of hourly paid work for someone else, or an activity you run yourself, such as reselling second-hand clothes.

Can you combine a side job and a salaried job?

According to service-public.fr, an employee who holds several jobs must respect a duty of loyalty: they cannot carry out an activity that competes with their employer. An exclusivity clause in the employment contract can also forbid combining jobs. Reread your contract before you start.

Are sales on Vinted taxable?

According to service-public.fr, income from selling goods you are getting rid of, for example on Vinted, is not taxable. If you buy or make goods in order to sell them, the income is taxable and must be declared to the tax authorities.

Does Vinted pass my sales on to the tax authorities?

According to service-public.fr, amounts received through internet platforms are passed on to the tax authorities. The platform is exempt if you made less than €2,000 in receipts or fewer than 30 transactions in the year.

Does selling clothes replace an hourly paid job?

Not in the sense of a guaranteed income. An hourly paid job pays you for the time worked, whereas selling only earns something if the items sell. The two can be combined, but no sale is guaranteed.