8 ALTERNATIVES
TO GUMTREE

TO SELL UNWANTED ITEMS

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Gumtree originally started out as a community site for people who had just moved to London from Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, and was used to find accommodation, work and meet new people.

Fast forward to 2021 and Gumtree is now the number 1 classified ad site in the UK, available in 60 countries and is used by 1 in 4 adults every month.

You can sell pretty much anything on Gumtree – from household goods to big ticket items like cars, as well as use it to find a new job, house to rent or services.

There’s some big advantages to Gumtree – it’s quick and simple to post an ad, there’s no listing fees and you can reach lots of people in your local area. But is Gumtree right for the item you are selling?

Gumtree is perfect for bigger items which can’t easily be posted. You are able to target people specifically in your area and they will come to collect the item. However, you might be limiting your potential customer base by only selling in your local area – this is particularly a problem if you are selling something specialist which only appeals to a small group of people.

Here we look at 8 alternatives to Gumtree and the pros and cons of each.

Selling tech

Selling clothes

Selling creative items

Selling anything and everything

How to send your sold items

SELLING TECH

Music Magpie

You might associate Music Magpie with old CDs and DVDs, but did you know, you can sell phones, tablets, games consoles, smart watches and even Lego on the site? All you need to do is enter the make and model or the barcode number in to the website to get an instant valuation for your tech.

There’s also a Music Magpie app which allows you to scan barcodes (perfect if you are selling lots of items after a clear out). If you are happy with the price offered, simply box up your items and send to Music Magpie. Once they’ve received your goods, you’ll be paid.

The main advantage of Music Magpie over Gumtree is that it’s quick and simple. You don’t need to create multiple listings, answer queries from potential buyers or send items. Instead, you’ll get an instant valuation, send everything in one box and get the money straight away. However, you may find you can get more money for your items on auction websites – before committing, we recommend checking completed listings for similar items on eBay to make sure you aren’t missing out.

Zapper

Music Magpie isn’t the only site which uses this model – Zapper is another great option for selling books, CDs, DVDs, games, mobiles and gift cards quickly. Simply enter the barcode number on the website or download the app and scan. Zapper will return an instant valuation for your goods. Note, your items need to be worth at least £10 in order to proceed. Send your items to Zapper and once they’ve been checked over, Zapper will make a payment by cheque or to your PayPal account.

If you are looking for an easy and quick sale then Zapper is the way to go. Unlike Gumtree you won’t need to wait for the perfect buyer to come along. Instead, you can sell multiple items in one transaction and get paid straight away.

SELLING HANDMADE ITEMS

Etsy

If you run a small business, selling creative goods, then Etsy is the platform for you! Your business could reach 16 million customers around the world, all on the lookout for beautiful, handcrafted goods.

The site is geared towards small businesses and creative sellers so if you’ve just had a clear out and are looking for a platform to sell your goods, this may not be right for you (unless you have a large collection of vintage treasures).

There’s no fee to set-up an Etsy shop and an easy-to-use wizard walks you through the process. Unlike Gumtree, there is a small listing fee as well as a transaction and processing fee when you sell an item.

Etsy is marketed as the number 1 destination for unique and creative goods. In contrast to Gumtree, their customers aren’t expecting to pick up a bargain. In fact, most are willing to spend a little more for the craftsmanship which has gone into making the items which are sold on the site.

SELLING CLOTHES

Depop

Depop is a social marketplace app which appeals to a whole new generation of fashion sellers – Generation Z. The community of "Depopers" now reaches over 21 million users across the globe.

The app combines the functionality of eBay with the style of Instagram. Each seller has their own page where items they are selling are displayed in a scrollable grid. Other users can follow pages (the more followers you have the more likely you are sell), as well as like, comment and share items. There’s also an option to link your account with your other social media profiles to grow trust and followers.

When selling on Depop, you aren’t just selling a pair of jeans, you are selling a lifestyle. This means that your content needs to be carefully curated – great photography, captivating descriptions and on brand hashtags are a must. This can take a little bit more time than listing items on Gumtree, but if done successfully, you can reach more interested buyers and charge a higher price for the items you are selling.

ASOS Marketplace

ASOS Marketplace is strictly for designers and individuals who are selling clothes as a business. To get a boutique on the site, you first need to pass the ASOS selection process. ASOS specifies that you either need to sell clothes you’ve made or good-quality vintage goods (unfortunately, re-selling last season’s Topshop clothes won’t cut it).

Once approved, you need to ensure at least 15 items are listed on your boutique at all times. Compared to other marketplaces, the fees are high (£20 per month and 20% commission on any items sold). However, ASOS is a major-player in the fashion world so you these costs may be worthwhile to establish your business and reach ASOS’s 23.4 million active customers.

SELLING ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING

eBay

With 168 million active buyers on the site at any one time and 2 billion transactions every day, eBay is a great platform to reach buyers around the globe.

Unlike some of the other marketplaces in this list, which focus on selling specific items, you can sell just about anything on eBay, with collectibles, clothes, car parts and much more listed on the site. This is perfect if you’ve had a clear out and have a wide array of items to sell.

The main difference between Gumtree and eBay is that Gumtree is a classified ad site and eBay is a marketplace site. Put simply, a classified ad connects sellers with buyers but no payment is taken, whereas a marketplace connects you with the buyer and processes the payment.

It’s completely free to list on Gumtree. However, you can pay more in order to increase visibility of your ad. On eBay, you can list up to 1,000 items a month for free and you only pay out when you sell an item – this is 10% of the winning bid including postage. There’s also a transaction fee if your buyer uses PayPal to pay for the item. If you want to avoid these fees then Gumtree is the way to go.

Shpock

Shpock is the modern boot sale app which is available on iOS and Android. You can list an item in seconds – simply upload a photo, write a short description and choose from one of the nine main categories: Fashion and Accessories, Home and Garden, Electronics, Movies, Books and Music, Baby and Child, Sport, Leisure and Games, Services, Cars and Motor and Other.

Shpock is a classified ad so will just connect you with buyers – it is then up to you to negotiate the price, delivery method and payment. The main advantage of this is that there’s no listing or sale fees when you sell an item. However, you can pay a small extra fee to promote your ad.

When selling on classified ad sites, we recommend using PayPal for payment and sending items using a tracked delivery service – these measures will give you some protection when making the exchange.

Preloved

Preloved is the second most visited classified ads site in the UK, with over 11 million visitors every month. You can sell almost anything on the site – it originally started as a place to sell second hand items and has since expanded to be one of the largest websites for pets, livestock and horses.

If you sign up to their basic membership package, there’s no fees. With this package, you can post as many ads as you like, but you are restricted to one photo per ad. Alternatively their full membership package costs £5 a year and allows you to post multiple photos in your ads. If you are selling lots of items, it might be worthwhile forking out the extra £5 to include more photos.

You can either arrange for the buyer to collect and pay in cash or to post them the items and pay via PayPal. If sending the items, we recommend keeping postage costs in mind when negotiating the price.

In terms of functionality, Preloved is similar to Gumtree – it’s quick and easy to create ads and there’s no listing fees. However, the look and feel of the Preloved website is cleaner than Gumtree and it’s easier to navigate.

SEND SOLD ITEMS WITH DHL eCommerce UK

Whether you are starting a new business or are selling unwanted items, you can easily connect with buyers around the world using these marketplace and classified ad sites. Once you’ve made the sale, you’ll need a cost effective and reliable delivery partner to get your orders out quickly – that’s where we come in. We offer some of the cheapest next day delivery rates across the UK and some of the lowest international postage rates to over 160 countries worldwide.

We’ll collect your parcel from your door

Book a home or business collection up to six days in advance and on the morning of the collection, we will send you an estimated time of arrival window via email so you know when to expect us.

Drop off at 3,500 ServicePoints across the UK

Alternatively, you can choose to drop off your parcel at any of our 3,500 DHL eCommerce UK ServicePoints across the UK. Our shops are open from 8am until late, 7 days a week and most are within a 10 minute drive.

LINK YOUR SELLING PLATFORM WITH DHL eCommerce UK

If you are selling lots of items, we recommend linking your DHL eCommerce UK account with your chosen marketplace platform to reduce parcel delivery admin. When you link your e-commerce platform, we’ll automatically fill in our booking form for you every time you sell an item. You’ll be able to see all unsent orders on the DHL eCommerce UK website. All you need to do is review and if you are happy, click ‘Send’.

Take a look at the e-commerce platforms we are able to integrate with below: