How I Sold Over 200 Items on Depop

Selling on Depop can seem time-consuming and difficult, but I think with some practice and the right approach, anyone can be successful on the app! Yes, there are more users on Depop than when I first started out, but instead of looking at it as 'more competition' you should look at is as 'more potential customers'! Learning how to sell on Depop is a process. I started selling on Depop in 2016 and haven't stopped since, and here is how I sold over 200+ items since then.

What is Depop?

Depop is an app where you can primarily sell and buy second hand clothes - though it is also used to sell/buy other items such as books/cds/home-decor. There are approximately 13 million users on the app, with a generally younger age demograhic than eBay or Vinted (other places you can buy second hand clothes.) The format is very similar to Instagram where you have a 'grid' profile with 3x3 squares and a 'feed' showing the recently posted items of people you follow. It also has an 'Explore' page, where you can search for items, look at your 'Made For You' section, find top-rated sellers and look at the Depop highlighted items. When browsing for items, you have the option to 'like' or 'save' items, keeping them in a section on your profile to refer back to. Your likes are visible to other users, whilst your saved items are private. As a seller, you are notified when other users 'like' your listed items.

RELATED POST: How To Use Depop to Buy Good Second Hand Clothing

What kind of clothes sell on Depop?

Though Depop is stereotyped as a vintage clothing selling app, there is definitely an audience for high street items too. Clothes that are in good second hand condition without stains/holes will sell quicker than old and worn-out clothes, but it does depend on the brand. Selling on Depop can be very hit or miss though, so it's worth experimenting by uploading a wide variation of items and finding out what gets the most likes / what sells quickly.

When deciding what you should sell, ask yourself a few questions:

• Is the item in good condition?
• Would you pay to repurchase the item in it's current condition?
• Is the item a basic piece that has high demand?
• Is the item still 'on trend' and therefore will be searched for?

There are no specific rules as to what kind of clothes you want to sell on Depop. I've sold items that were not in perfect condition. As long as you state in your description any faults, then the customer will be aware of this when buying. I know that some people like to buy items to upcycle or rework them, so holes and stains are less of an issue. So don't let a small hole in the seam put you off from listing it!

If you are wanting to get started with selling on Depop but aren't sure you have any 'stock', why don't you try decluttering your wardrobe and see if there is anything you don't use anymore

RELATED:  3 Tips to Effortlessly Declutter Your Closet

What are the selling fees?

Depop deducts 10% of the total amount including the postage. However, PayPal also take 2.9% and £0.30 per transaction. The fees are taken off individually from the original total. This means that the amount you list an item as isn't necessarily going to be the amount you received when it is sold. 

For example:

Item Price: £10.00

Shipping: £3.50

Total: £13.50

Paypal Fee: -£0.69

Depop Fee: -£1.35

Total after fees: £11.46

Deduct the price for shipping the item: -£3.50

Total profits made: £7.96

So although I listed my item as £10, I only received £7.96 after the fees have been deducted. You should take the fees into consideration when pricing your items, especially if you are hoping to make a small income from selling on Depop.

How to price an item correctly?

The price you list an item for is completely under your control, but I advise that you do some research before simply throwing numbers out into the air. Before listing your item you should search to find an item the same/similar to what you are going to sell. Take note of the different prices these items are being listed for. This should give you a general idea for the kind of price you can sell for, without being too expensive or cheap in comparison to the competition. 

Prices will vary depending on the brand, condition and category of clothing. In terms of high-street fashion, I like to split them into sections based on their re-sale value:

Higher brands: designer brands e.g. Ralph Lauren, Tommy Hilfiger, vintage items, sportswear brands (FILA, Adidas, Nike, Gymshark)

Middle brands: Topshop, Pull+Bear, Dorothy Perkins, Urban Outfitters, Brandy Melville (sells really easily+ higher prices!)
Lower brands: Primark, H+M, New Look, Bershka, Missguided, Boohoo, Prettylittlething

The best way to determine whether to price an item higher or lower, is to judge the original retail price. If you bought something expensive, it will sell for a higher price than a cheap Primark t-shirt. Expensive items are in higher demand, because buyers want to get a bargain! You can especially price items up if they are out of stock e.g. Gymshark sportswear.  Use your common sense, and price reasonably for the quality of the item.

It's difficult to provide a guide for pricing, because it depends on the demand of the item and it's quality. Though generally, if you are reselling fast-fashion/high-street brands it should be under £20.

EXCEPT - if an item is brand new with tags, you can price it closer to the original. Make sure you state if an item is BNWT (brand new with tags), lots of people will search for unused items, and are willing to pay more than something that has been worn lots of times. This will also apply if you have never worn it (you can write in the description: brand new condition, or brand new without tags.)

Broken/faulty clothing -  lower the price more significantly if the item is broken, this reduces the resale value. No one wants to be paying £££ for a clothing piece with a stain on it!

What pictures of my items should I take?

Good quality pictures are key to selling quickly on Depop. Natural light and a non-distracting background should be considered when taking pictures. You only get 4 images, so make sure you choose them wisely! I've tried a range of picture styles, and the best style is against plain backgrounds. This is either the item against a white wall on the hanger, a non-mirror selfie of the item on the model (against a plain background) or the item laid out on a plain background e.g. bed sheets.

This is the format I used for a while:
1. Item from the front against wall
2. Item from the back against wall
3. Picture of the item on your body
4. Sizing label / brand label


You should trial and error with different styles of photo as the 1st image. If an item isn't getting much attention, maybe the image isn't quite attractive enough in the search results. Switch it up, because for certain types of items, a mirror picture may work, or others just the simple picture aganst the wall.

Making your Depop feel like a online shopping experience is essential to make browsing your page easy. Your profile should be cohesive and pleasing to the eye, so that people stay on your profile for longer, and therefore be more likely to buy something from you!

I've also noticed that top sellers tend to have a consistent background style that is unique to them. While I know that is is great for people being able to identify your items in search results, I think that some backgrounds are too distracting from the item! As long as you have the focus maintained on your item and not your background, you should be fine!

You have to remember that you are on Depop to sell the clothes, not just to make them look pretty and aesthetically pleasing. While you should make the items look great, you have to remember the focus of selling.

To take pictures of an outfit on the model without using a mirror, ask a friend or family member to take the pictures for you. Otherwise you can position your phone on a tripod (I've done this with a LOT of blu-tack) or propped up against a pile of books!

You can also try styling the item into an example outfit to give your customers an idea of how they would wear the piece themselves. But again, I'd say try not to lose the image focus from the item itself (unless you are selling the entire outfit!)

Whichever photo style you choose, make sure to stay consistent from item to item. Even if it just means the 1st photo is the same style. When people look at your profile, they only see the 1st image of each item - but they also see the collective of items on your page. If you have a consistent image style, it makes your profile look more professional - therefore customers are likely to trust you and buy from you! Show your potential customers that you are serious about selling, that you will be active and essentially not a scammer!

How to write an item description?

I have seen a range of description lengths, but generally for new sellers without a high amount of followers, a detailed description is important for each item. If your description is not accurate and detailed, people will be less likely to find your items through the search feature.

Things to include in your descriptions:

• Brand name (Topshop)
• Size (make sure you include a range e.g. size 8 / size s / size small)
• Describe the item with key search words (e.g. Black long sleeved V neck crop top as opposed to Black crop top)
• Why are you selling it?
• How many times have you worn the item?
• What condition is it in? Is it brand new? Worn around 5 times? Are there any faults?
• Measurements of the item - use inches or cm (e.g. length, waist, hips, armpit to armpit)
• If you included a picture of you wearing it, what size/height are you?
• Use tags at the end of your description to assist in search results, so that regardless of the words people use to search, your item will still show up! (e.g. black top, black v neck, v neck long sleeve, long sleeved top, black plunging neckline, black going out top, black party top, black smart top)
• Put your item into the correct category+subcategory+brand label
• Use 5 hashtags with the most relevant terms - e.g #topshop #topshoptop #blackvneck
• Where do you ship to? (e.g. UK postage only, I ship internationally!)
• Invite people to ask questions! (e.g. feel free to message me with any questions)
• Are you open to offers/price-negotiation/swaps?

Again, experiment with different things in the description, as I have sold some items without all of these components there. But if you include everything, it means that people don't have questions or doubts about buying, because all the information they need is provided!

How does shipping work? How much should I charge?

When someone buys your item, you will receive a notification and be presented with the address you should send it to. Then you are responsible for wrapping the item up, writing the address on the front and taking it to the post office. I send my items 2nd class (3-5 days) unless the buyer asks for 1st class postage (then I put the postage price up before they buy).

The buyer pays for the postage, so make sure you are accurate with the cost to avoid spending out of your own pocket! Royal Mail post office has a great price calculator if you are unsure how much it will cost to send your item. They also have the option to calculate international postage prices, so if you are considering shipping worldwide, this would be useful for you too!

The size and weight of your item will determine how much it will cost to send it. Most items fit into the 'small parcel' category which would cost £3.10 for 2nd class or £3.70 for 1st class. Smaller items may fit into the 'large letter' category (max thickness of 2.5cm so you can be clever with your folding and packing to get the shipping to be cheaper!), where the prices range from £0.88-£2.48 depending on how heavy the item is. So, when I am at the post office I ask for it to be sent 2nd class (not signed for, because it means the owner doesn't have to be in to receive the parcel). If they ask if it is valuable, they are just checking if it is worth more than £20, unless you want to pay extra, say it's not that valuable! In the last 4 years I've been using Depop I've only ever had 1 parcel not arrive, so I trust the post system pretty well.

On my page I like to include a consistent UK shipping price of £3.50, to cover the cost of packaging and posting, but also so that it isn't confusing for the buyer when they are looking through my items

For international postage I list it as £10, just to cover whatever location someone is buying from, or if they choose to buy without messaging me first. Though if someone enquires about the price, I will use the Royal Mail price calculator to figure out how much it will cost to send. Though from my experience, it's better to cover yourself ahead of time, in case it costs more than you anticipated.

Some sellers choose to offer 'free postage', but of course it's not actually free to send it in the post, so they usually include the shipping costs in the price of the item. I have trialled this on my Depop page, but I haven't had much difference in people buying with free postage vs paid postage. I personally think it is more hassle to think about item price if you have to include postage, and I think most people are used to paying shipping on Depop so it isn't a dealbreaker for buying an item.
 

Depop Selling Phrases/Terms You Should Know:

• Bundle - this is when a buyer wants to purchase more than 1 item from your shop, so you 'bundle' it together into one listing. You may wish to provide them with a discount for buying more items. This means you can group together the package to post for the buyer, so they are only paying shipping costs once. Depop also have an option under Settings > Promotions > Bundle Shipping, where you can choose to provide 'free shipping' if a customer buys more than 1 item, or have them pay the 'highest shipping price' once.
• Instant Buy - This means you don't require the customer to message you before they can buy anything - this is the case anyway, but some sellers like to be contacted first. By offering 'instant buy' it takes out a buffer in the buying process!
• Reserve - This is when you hold an item for a particular buyer, while they are waiting to be paid. I do reserve for people, but usually no longer than a few days. To do this, I change the price of the item to be really high (e.g. £16 to £1600) so that no one buys it during the reserved time, and I add 'RESERVED' at the top of the item description. If someone is continually asking for a reserve to be extended, kindly apologise and explain that you can't hold it longer than a week, you don't want it to prevent your item being sold to someone else.
• Swap - This is where you agree to swap an item of a similar value with another seller. You create a listing with just the postage price, so the swapper can buy, and you do the same. Then ou send eachother the agreed items. Swapping is great if you are looking for new items, but are not effective if you are using Depop to clear out your space or make money.
• Offers - This is when you are open to buyers negotiating the price with you in private message. It's good to be open to offers, as you can sell items quicker, especially if you aren't that bothered about how much you sell it for!

How to negotiate a fair price with your buyer? 

So you have a buyer messaging you asking the following:

• "Would you sell this for any cheaper?"
• "£5 incl p&p?"
• "What is the cheapest you would sell for?  

Which I know can sometimes be a little irritating, especially if you have priced something as low as you were hoping to sell for. The best approach to offers is to be kindly firm. Remember you are always in control of the item price, so don't feel manipulated by a buyer to lower your prices drastically! 90% of the time they would probably buy your item for the price you have listed it at, they are just hoping to get a bit of a bargain.

Depending on the item, I have turned down offers from people before. Even if I have denied an offer from someone, sometimes they buy it anyway at the price I listed it at, so cheaper prices doesn't always mean people will be more likely to buy.

Here is an example of a conversation I had recently with a buyer:
(the jumper was listed at £18)
Buyer: "Would you take £15? I can pay now if so?"
Seller: "I will take £17?"
Buyer: "Could you do £16?"
Seller: "I can't sorry, I've got to consider fees and postage costs"
Buyer: "No worries, I'll buy for £17 then!"
Seller: "Great I will change the price now for you"
Buyer: "Just bought it, thanks!"

Notice how I still gave the buyer a lower price than my original listing, but didn't lower the price so much that I wouldn't make any profits. Giving reasons for why you can't lower a price can make the buyer understand why something costs as much as it does. As you know, Depop takes 10% so I like to explain to a buyer that I have to consider that in my pricing. The worst case scenario is that they turn around and say "No thanks then!" Which even then, I've had people come back to buy after saying that. They know you want to sell your clothing ASAP, hence why they will try hard to get the price they want!

It's good practice to be in the buyers position on Depop when negotiating. Whenever I go to buy something, I make sure to message the seller to negotaite beforehand. This way you can see how other sellers deal with negotiation and learn from their responses!

How to build a good seller reputation? 

Part of selling lots of items on Depop is building up a good reputation so new customers trust you. I know it can be difficult to do if you have just made a new account, with no reviews or followers. We all have to start somewhere though!

Make your bio and profile page attractive and easy to scroll through. Have a look through popular seller's bios to get inspiration. You can include key policies/info in your bio such as:

• I ship worldwide!
• Taking offers, just DM me!
• No returns / swaps
• UK shipping only
• Selling sizes 8-10 / shoe size 5

Reply to messages quickly and kindly. I have my notifications turned on for Depop messages so I am quick to reply where possible. Sometimes quick replying encourages people to buy there and then, so you don't want to miss out on a sale opportunity.

Be active on the app. Like other people's items to get your profile out there a bit! I like to browse through items without buying sometimes, just to come up in people's notifications more often.

Good communication after sales. Keep the buyer updated on when you are going to be posting the item. Be honest with your shipping times, if you are busy that's okay, but be sure to keep your buyer informed and not left in the dark. After confirming the item is shipped, I also like to message the buyer just to say "sent today!" Depop doesn't provide consistent contact to the buyer about your item, so you have to take on that responsibility! Usually a week or 2 after I have posted the item, if the buyer hasn't left any feedback, I message again to check it has arrived and to nicely ask them to leave feedback! More good reviews means more sales so make every buying experience excellent.

How to message buyers without being annoying?

If my sales are particularly low, I like to message people who like my items asking if they are interested. For example: "Hey! Are you interested in my topshop skirt you liked? I'm happy to answer any questions you have." Sometimes people say "No thanks!" or don't reply at all, which is fine. It's good to let the buyer know that you are active, as it means they can trust you to send their item. Don't be annoying though, there is no need to repeatedly message someone. If they are interested, they will reply to let you know! I realise that it can seem annoying to message people if they are liking the item, but I think as long as you approach it nicely, there can't be much harm. I've had a lot of people buy as soon as I send that message, so I think it can speed up the buying process in some cases.

Why are my items not getting any likes?

REFRESH YOUR ITEMS!!! So many people forget to do this. Click as if you were going to edit your item listing and post it again. This way your items will go to the top of the search bar!! If you haven't refreshed an item in over a few days, get on it!

If you have taken amazing pictures, written a detailed description and set a reasonable pric, it can be frustrating when your items aren't getting any attention. In reality, some items are just not in demand, so it may take a few months to sell. If you have the storage to keep your 'for-sale' clothes, be patient with them! Otherwise, it might just be that it's not the kind of item people are looking for and that's okay! Consider reading this post I wrote: 6 Ways to Declutter Your Clothes Without Harming the Environment to think about how else you could get rid of your unwanted clothes.


PHEW that was a long post! I get so many questions from friends about how I sell so easily on my Depop, so I'm hoping this post was useful in any way. Being a Depop seller is a learning experience, and over time you will get more sales and customers, you just have to appreciate that you won't sell everything in 24 hours.

If you have any more questions I'd love to help you out! Just leave me a comment below or message me on my Instagram page.