With money often being tight in today’s everyday life, many individuals are looking for different ways to bring in extra income. 

For some, this can mean working a part-time job, selling old clothing or opening shops through online marketplaces such as Etsy or eBay. However, some have found a slightly more creative way to pull in side money.

Selling “strange” or “weird” used items has become a sort of underground business by means of the internet. Many websites such as Reddit, Pantydeal and Feetify allow you to sell your used underwear, leggings and socks, as well as feet pictures and other images. To many, the idea of shipping your used panties off to somebody you have never met may seem too uncomfortable to even think about, but for some individuals, it has given them the opportunity to create financial stability for themselves.

“I feel like I must have first heard about it through some kind of media, like television and movies,” said Leticia, who preferred to keep her last name anonymous. “But I didn’t decide to do it until I started looking into extra side money and something I could do easily and from home.”

Though it may seem like a simple way to bring in extra cash, there are many different aspects of the job that sellers have to think about that many may not realize. Often, individuals have to work to keep their privacy under wraps as well as have good communication skills to attain buyers and be able to manage their time through taking pictures, talking to potential customers and shipping orders.

“It takes a lot to get started in this business, it is still a lot of work,” underwear seller Desirae Mitchell said. “Negotiating with people and dealing with scammers takes up a large part of your time. You also have to build a relationship with clients if you want them to keep buying.”

Deciding to sell used underwear online can sometimes bring up other requests from buyers that can cause the sellers to have to create boundaries. Oftentimes, potential customers will request more along with the underwear, such as nude photos, videos or a meetup. Some sellers choose to meet these requests while others keep their transactions at the underwear only.

“I sell pictures and videos on my OnlyFans along with the underwear, but mine is very tame compared to most people, as there is no full nudity,” said a seller that preferred to remain anonymous.

For some sellers, the taboo of taking part in what some consider to be sex work is still something that plagues their daily lives.

“My mom knows I sell and is actually the one that encouraged it, but I do try to keep it under wraps from most other people in my life,” Mitchell said. “I think I will do it throughout college and then quit after that because I wouldn’t want to keep this hustle secret from a relationship, and I wouldn’t want it to ruin one either.”

For women especially, there is still a stigma attached to using your body to earn money. Though sex work, like many other jobs, requires you to be a smart and skilled individual, many still do not see it that way.

“I think the stigma is really dumb,” Leticia said. “I mean, what I do isn’t illegal, but it’s still looked down upon, even though I’m not touching anybody. I feel like people get mad when women profit off of their sexuality.”

Ultimately, while many sellers enjoy the extra income from their side job, they are slightly more wary when it comes to recommending underwear selling as simply another easy form of bringing in side income.

“From my personal experience, if you are after quick, easy money regularly, this isn’t that,” the anonymous seller said. “It’s handy to make some cash here and there, but there is a lot of work involved.”