Whatever you think of these listings, you can't deny that Vinted is an incredibly popular platform. It's estimated that it has around 105 million users, possibly more than 500 million items listed, and 16 million users in the UK alone. Unlike other online marketplaces and secondhand goods apps, Vinted has some advantages that keep its users coming back.
For many, the convenience of sending items is a huge plus. Vinted generates postage labels so that users do not have to take care of all that hassle themselves. There's also no listing fee; on other platforms, like eBay, one would have to pay to list an item. But on Vinted, the process is much more convenient: just a few clicks and you're set to go!
Another Vinted feature often gets ridiculed online, not just the occasional absurd listings. Some users get really creative with their packaging, stuffing their goods in things like Pringles cans, pizza boxes, or even chocolate boxes. Vinted doesn't explicitly discourage this but warns its users not to go overboard with their efforts for the sake of being funny.
"We love seeing members get creative with their packaging—just as long as it's safe and doesn't damage the items being sent," a spokesperson for the company told Bored Panda in an interview. "Whether it's using cereal or pasta boxes, recycled shopping bags, or other eco-friendly packaging options, we welcome inventive choices that are good for the planet."
Users just need to make sure their sold items are packaged securely. "When listing an item, choose the right package size, and to receive positive feedback from buyers, we recommend using clean, sturdy packaging materials," a Vinted representative told us previously. "Together, by taking these small steps, we can all contribute to a more sustainable future."
Vinted prides itself on its efforts for sustainability. "Our latest impact report shows that by shopping second-hand on Vinted instead of new our community avoided 678,691 tonnes of CO₂e emissions in 2023," the Vinted spokesperson shared with Bored Panda in 2024. "That's the equivalent of flying between London and LA 512,414 times. But of course there's much more you can do including how you pack your preloved items."
And to think it all started with a young woman looking for a way to get rid of her old clothes. Vinted was the brainchild of Lithuanian Milda Mitkute, who, with the help of her friend Justas Janauskas, created a website where she listed the 100 clothing items she wanted to sell before moving out of her house. Soon after, the website became quite popular in Lithuania, and it is now valued at €5 billion and is the first Lithuanian unicorn.
Still, in the beginning, Vinted wasn't making any money. Only when Lithuanian businessman Mantas Mikuckas approached Mitkute and Janauskas about investing in their project did they realize they had something bigger than just a simple marketplace for pre-loved clothes. Today, Vinted is radically different from what it once was, with a significantly improved user experience and operations in the U.S., Canada, Europe, and the UK.
