Not happy with your Christmas gifts? Here are the best fashion resale sites

If you've been wondering what to do with those unwanted gifts, you'll be pleased to know that there are a host fashion resale sites which are more than happy to help you sell on your designer pieces to keen buyers.

So which should you be using? From those eager to do all the work for you to DIY apps that charge minimum fees, here's our handy guide to the best fashion resale sites out there - and how to get the most out of them. Once you've sold your unwanted gifts to a happy new owner, you can then treat yourself. Bonus. 

REBELLE

Rebelle makes second hand selling and buying luxurious - with their 48-hour guaranteed delivery service, chic mint green packaging and high quality stock. The site has an average of 800,00 unique visitors each month, so you can be sure your piece will get the attention it deserves - a crucial factor. 

How it works: Once you've listed your item, send it to Rebelle for free - they will verify its quality and authenticity; once it's been sold they will send directly to the buyer, then send you payment once the item's been received. As the majority of stock is held at their site in Hamburg, they can guarantee a 48-hour delivery to the buyer. Easy peasy on your part! 

Louis Vuitton "Grand Noé EPI leather" in brown, ￡775, Rebelle

What you should sell: Rebelle report that bags by Louis Vuitton, Prada, Hermes and Chanel (the latter's bags sell in seconds) are their best sellers. Celine and Gucci also sell well. Small or local brands with niche products can take months to sell, particularly if they are offering clothing or shoes in special sizes, so not great if you have very small or very large feet (apologies). 

When you should sell: Thursday is the best day to upload on Rebelle (it takes 24 hours to appear on the site), and so will go live on Friday - just in time for bored browsers over the weekend to snap up. Rebelle buyers are more likely to buy winter clothes in colder months, and summer clothes in warmer months, rather than buying ahead for the next season. 

VINTED

With their mission to make second-hand buying the number 1 choice worldwide, they're on the right track with over 11 million members, nicknamed 'Vinties,' on the site. It's super easy to navigate, so it's no surprise that an item is sold every 49 seconds. 

How it works: If you're familiar to Depop and Ebay, you'll find Vinted easy to use. It's your duty to list your item, set a fee and then post it to the seller. If a Vintie thinks you've overpriced your item, they can message you and ask if the price is up for negotiation. 

Best-selling pieces: Good quality pieces by Michael Kors, All Saints, Zara and Topshop all sell well on Vinted. Vinties like current season stock that's sold out in shops, so past season, unless limited edition or highly sought after, tends to take longer to sell.

When should you sell: The site is so popular that an active member in the UK makes a purchase every 42 minutes so you needn't worry about the best time to upload your items. This week, Vinted added The Netherlands, Italy and Spain to their already expansive user reach covering the UK, USA, Germany and Austria among others. 

VIDE DRESSING

For luxury items, Vide Dressing meticulously check the authenticity of each piece before it is allowed online. Once it's been confirmed as an original, sellers are all set to go. This gives added reassurance to the buyer so they're more likely to splash the cash.

How it works: Once your item has passed the authenticity test, a buyer can order it by putting it in their basket and agreeing to pay for it. The seller then has 72 hours to confirm availability of the item (handy if you have also listed it on another resale site) and once confirmed, you ship the item to its new owner within 72 hours or their order is automatically cancelled. 

Saint Laurent leather clutch, ￡715.50, Vide Dressing

What you should sell: Chanel bags, (in particular, the Timeless) Celine bags, Isabel Marant shoes, and classic Christian Louboutin Pigalle's. Limited edition pieces from big fashion houses are very successful too - the more fine, rare and luxurious, the better. The most expensive item sold on the site was a Chanel watch at ￡38,000, so you know where to upload it if you have one lying around. 

When you should sell: Pick a Friday evening at the beginning of the month to upload to Vide Dressing; they get the most hits over the weekend so gives your items the best chance of attracting a new home. 

VESTIAIRE COLLECTIVE

The go-to resale site for fashionistas, you can guarantee you'll find some lustworthy pieces here. Luxury lovers worldwide have realised this, with 63% of all orders crossing boarders into new countries and over four million members across the globe.

How it works: The authenticity team are highly trained counterfeit experts who check the item is everything you've said it is, included in it's size, shape, colour and description so ensure you're precise, accurate and honest. Upload a snap and description using their seller form, which uploads your item once it's been approved. When it sells, send it to the Vestiaire Collective team who will check the item then send on to the buyer so you can get paid. 

What you should sell: Celine, Louis Vuitton, Hermes and Chanel bags, particularly rare ones, sell really well. Their fastest selling item was an Hermes Birkin bag which sold in 17 seconds for ￡42,000, and the weirdest upload was a Mercedes Benz car. 

When you should sell: 3.5k new items are submitted daily, and Sunday is when the most items are uploaded to the site, but even so, the best time for your item to go live on the site is a Tuesday as this is their busiest day - particularly lunch time and early evening. 

Gucci Princetown leather flats, ￡460, Vestiaire Collective 

EBAY

The go-to site for bagging a last-minute bargain, eBay is known for becoming competitive - it's auction-style of buying creates suspense and attracts shoppers hoping to nab an amazing piece at a low price.  

How it works: Like Vinted, the onus is on you to take photos of your piece, write a title, description and ship it to its new home. You can either list an item at a 'buy it now' price, or do an auction listing starting at a low price to attract buyers, with them outbidding eachother in the hopes of winning.

What you should sell: Coach, Missoni and Valentino sell really well, but the beauty of Ebay is that you can sell anything. This can also prove to be a problem when you're on the hunt for a designer item as unless it has the original packaging, receipt and proof of authenticity, it's hard to prove it's a genuine piece so think wisely before listing a designer item. If a seller has every size of Giuseppe Zanotti boots for ￡90 (RRP ￡1200) it's probably too good to be true.

When you should sell: Sunday is the busiest day for Ebay, particularly via the app, so aim to list auction-style items to end on a Sunday afternoon/evening as people are more likely to be free to bid. 

HARDLY EVER WORN IT

London-based site, Hardly Ever Worn It, is a luxury marketplace for new and used designer ladies, mens and kidswear, and has an ever-growing male community; in 2013, the site had 20 male members, at the end of 2015, this had gone up to 4,000. It's easy to get addicted to the site, searching for that navy Mulberry tote you've had your eye on - over 55% of traffic to the site is returning customers. 

How it works: List your item for free on the site (as soon as the Hardly Ever Worn It team approve it, it goes live within a few hours) and once it's sold, payment is held until the buyer has received their new purchase. Once they confirm receipt, you're paid. 

Manolo Blahnik Hangisi lame flat, ￡500, Hardly Ever Worn It ?

What you should sell: Classics such as Mulberry Bayswater bags, Chanel handbags, Prada totes and Christian Louboutin pumps are all highly sought after on the site, with Tom Ford most popular among the male buyers. Less well known brands, even if they are exquisite designs, won't sell as quickly as a highly searched brand like Louis Vuitton. 

When you should sell: Mondays and Thursdays are when their users are most likely to buy. The site has a particularly long dwell time of 6 minutes for the average user, so be sure to include lots of images and a detailed description to make the most of it. If an item is desirable, classic and well-priced, they can sell within 10 minutes - if you decide to sell an unworn purchase, get it up as soon as possible so it's relevant and will be in demand. 

EDITSECONDHAND

Sellers needn't wait for their items to sell on Edit Second Hand - they are the only resale site to purchase your items directly from you, essentially becoming the buyer and taking the pressure off you to sell. The Edit team turn away on average four times what they are offered - this means the site is expertly edited to include only current and high quality items. They currently have 3,000 users each month which is on the rise, and buyers don't have to sign up to shop. 

How it works: Send Edit Second Hand a description of what you'd like them to sell and they get back to you with a price they're willing to buy it from you for. Once you've agreed, send them your items to be verified and they pay you within 48 hours - as easy as it gets. 

Marni dress, ￡200, Edit Second Hand

What you should sell: Isabel Marant, Iro, Chanel and Helmut Lang are the best-selling labels. High street brands don't work for the site (the only one they buy is Whistles) as they aren't what their customers are looking for. Unlike most resale sites, Edit Second Hand also offer returns if the buyer isn't satisfied. 

When you should sell: As Edit Second Hand would have bought your item from you, expect it to go live on a Wednesday or Friday. Their average selling time is 4 days, but many items sell before they hit the site as they have a customer waiting list - sign up to their newsletter on the site to hear about the good stuff first and get your name down. 

HIGH FASHION SOCIETY

As the name suggests, High Fashion Society only allow uploads from luxury brands that they believe will sell, saving you months on end waiting for your piece to be bought. The site also receives celebrity donations from the likes of Sienna Miller, who has used it to raise money for children's charities. 

How it works: After completing a consignment form for the pieces you'd like to sell, High Fashion Society get back to you within 48 hours with an approval and estimated selling price, helping you to price fairly. Next, arrange a collection for your goods to be sent to their London office on South Molton Street where the pieces are checked and have their photo taken professionally for the site. The rest is taken care of by the team and your item is sent on to its new home and you're paid once it's been received. 

What you should sell: Mulberry, Christian Louboutin, Louis Vuitton, Hermes and those ever popular Chanel bags are the sites best-sellers. 

When you should sell: Wednesdays are the best time of the week for launching new arrivals as people are often shopping for something to wear at the weekend. The last week of the month is usually the busiest time for buyers as its payday week for most.

COLLECTOR SQUARE

Collector Square was launched in 2013 by the founder of Artcurial auction house, Nicolas Orlowski, and digital entrepreneur, Lo?c Bocher, and has since become a global go-to for the sale of pre-owned luxury bags, watches and jewellery online. The showroom is based in Paris, but over 50% of sales are made outside of France. Featured brands include Chanel, Hermes, Cartier and Rolex. 

How it works: Collector Square take care of everything for you, from collection, expert appraisal, photos, description and online upload, through to selling and shipment.  They also insure and take responsibility of each consigned item, from the point of collection at the seller’s address right through to the buyer receiving the item in person or via a delivery service.

To propose an item for sale you can either complete an online valuation request or (if you do happen to be passing through Paris) drop into their showroom, which is open Monday to Saturday, 11 am to 7 pm (36 boulevard Raspail  75007 Paris). 

What you should sell: The best selling jewellery brands are Cartier and Hermes, while Pomellato has particularly well this Christmas. For watches, Hermes, Cartier and Rolex are the front runners. 

When you should sell: Collector Square uploads items as and when they come in. You can also subscribe to receive alerts so that you will receive a notification email when the item you're looking for is in stock.