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FOOT FETISH

This woman has made £2,000 selling her old smelly shoes on eBay… and here’s how you could too

Emma, a 20-something blogger from Cambridgeshire, realised she was sitting on a footwear gold mine

Foot fetish

HAVE you got a cupboard full of smelly ballet pumps, knackered flip flops and scuffed boots? Well, you could be sitting on a gold mine.

Emma, a 20-something blogger from Cambridgeshire, has made over £2,000 by selling her old footwear on eBay.

 You could be sitting on a footwear gold mine (Picture posed by model)
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You could be sitting on a footwear gold mine (Picture posed by model)Credit: Getty Images

The writer, who pens the money website , hit the jackpot after a buyer snapped up a pair of her Primark flats – originally bought for £3 - for £70.

Speaking to the , the shoe selling professional said: “I stumbled across someone selling their old, smelly shoes on eBay back in 2011 and I knew that I had to give it a try!

“I list my old shoes that aren’t any good to a charity shop and not only have I made £2,000 in cash, I’ve had almost £500 worth of gifts bought for me by happy customers.”

 Emma has made £2,000 by selling her used shoes (Picture posed by model)
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Emma has made £2,000 by selling her used shoes (Picture posed by model)Credit: Getty Images

Writing on her blog, Emma says there are two types of people who buy “trashed” shoes.

She revealed: “Those with foot fetishes and those who want to see if they can sell their smelly shoes on eBay."

Customers have previously asked her if she can send them full length photographs of herself, while others have emailed requesting her foot shavings.

"I have had some very interesting requests but I have always managed to distance myself from it and to think about the cold, hard cash,” Emma told Daily Mirror.

If you want to have a go at profiting from this bizarre business venture, Emma recommends starting the price low (usually at 99p), include keywords such as “trashed”, “destroyed” and “well-worn” and being friendly with prospective buyers.

 eBay has strict rules about selling used footwear on the site (Picture posed by model)
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eBay has strict rules about selling used footwear on the site (Picture posed by model)Credit: Getty Images

She thinks it's a good idea to sell the shoes through a new eBay account and to include as many pictures as possible.

eBay has some very strict rules when it comes to selling used shoes on their site.

Guidelines include not having the word "fetish" in a post, cleaning the footwear to the online marketplace's standard and not making references to the seller.

Also, for safety reasons, Emma says to never divulge your email address or to meet the buyer in person.

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