A 25-year-old woman from the Midlands has revealed how she earns up to £1,000 a week from a side hustle that began as a teenage hobby, stating it is now essential for funding her family's Christmas celebrations.
From Bedroom Business to Garage Empire
Milley Middleton, who lives in a small Leicestershire village, started selling second-hand clothing on the app Depop as a teenager. Her venture began after she frequently found appealing items in charity shops that were the wrong size for her. She discovered she could sell these finds online for a profit.
While studying for a law degree at the University of Lincoln, she ran the business from her student bedroom. "In first year, I had a box room and I used to store everything under my bed," Milley explained. The operation has since expanded, and she now manages her stock from her family's garage, which has been fitted with electricity and a heater.
Funding Festivities and Future Flexibility
Milley credits her reselling business with making the expensive festive period affordable. "There’s no way I could afford Christmas without it," she said. With a large family including six nieces and nephews, she uses her earnings from online sales to pay for presents, festive outings, and treats.
Although she works part-time in a hotel bar for a guaranteed income, her success with reselling has influenced her career plans. After graduating in 2021, she has not pursued a career in law, valuing the flexibility her own business provides. "Career-wise for me, I need something that’s a bit more flexible, a bit less corporate," she stated.
The Strategy Behind the Success
Milley’s strategy focuses on identifying and sourcing trending items. She looks for pieces with a Y2K aesthetic, such as low-rise jeans, Dickies trousers, and mini skirts. While clothing remains her speciality, she also successfully resells items like Jellycat teddies, vintage cameras, and toys.
She primarily uses Depop and Vinted to sell her finds. To source stock, she combines trips to charity shops and car boot sales with using the wholesale marketplace Fleek, which she describes as a "lifesaver" for guaranteeing inventory, especially in winter.
Milley, who is known as @utopiathrifted on TikTok, says reselling is now a fundamental part of her life. "It’s not just money for me, it’s something I enjoy doing and I’d be lost without it," she added, confirming she plans to continue the business for the foreseeable future.
