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I’ve been using Depop for 4/5 years now and it’s still my number one place for selling the excess kit I’ve accumulated. But I had to get some tips for how to sell on Depop to be able to make the most of the platform!
Years ago, or maybe not so long even, I was a huge fan of eBay. However as time has passed, I’ve not had the inclination to use the platform with it being mostly desktop based and needing to add detailed descriptions and quality photos.
So when someone suggested I try Depop, I figured I would give it a try. I was also told to try out Mercari but I just didn’t like the feel and flow of it. So here are a few basic tips based on what I have learnt since I joined…
First, What is Depop?
Depop is a fashion marketplace app where you can discover and shop unique items. They have a global community buying, selling and connecting to make fashion more inclusive, diverse and less wasteful.
How Much Does Depop And Paypal Take?
There’s no charge to list your items – but you do pay a 10% fee of the total transaction (including shipping costs) to Depop when you sell. In the UK, PayPal also take a transaction fee of 2.9% + £0.30.
If you are in the UK and have added Evri (formerly Hermes) shipping, this amount will also be taken from your sale.
Recently, Depop launched Depop Payments, which means the money gets paid directly into your chosen bank account. You’re still charged the standard transaction fee of around 2.9% + £0.30 so I’m not entirely sure what the benefit of this is to sellers.
Treat Your Depop Profile Like An Actual Shop
I have a routine now where I take pictures on a Saturday and upload everything on a Sunday. It’s written in my profile that I add new items on weekends.
I post a monthly calendar sharing items that will be coming soon along with further detail on my policies. I’ve also added details of my blog and Instagram so people can check me out and know that I’m 100% a real person.
Taking the best photos you can is a good tip too. Check out this softbox lighting kit which you can get on Amazon.
It’s identical to the one they used to sell on the Depop Supplies page. It’s perfect to help you take great product shots especially in low light conditions (i.e indoors).
Depop have made a lot of updates to their desktop website so not only can you shop shop via the website, you can list items and manage your shop. This is super handy especially if you have someone helping you with your shopblistings.
The desktop website is super handy for rearranging the order of items in your shop and pushing sold items down to the bottom too. Check out my shop here!
These Items Are In High Demand…
I’ve had Gymshark items sell within seconds of being added to the platform. No kidding. Lululemon and Sweaty Betty also sell pretty quickly.
Trainers that are barely worn / unworn and clean have also done well for me. I’ve sold a couple of 1kg bags / tubs of protein powder pretty damn quick on the platform too.
Depop have updated their policies recently (and quietly) so there are now some things you cannot list on the site including smartwatches. I found out the hard way when I had a listing removed and contacted them to find out why.
Save Yourself A Ton Of Direct Messages
If you really want something to sell, make sure you take a picture of it on. People wanna see how the items fit on a human being, I guess! I’ve used the video option a couple of times – it kinda comes out like a stop motion.
Video comes in handy if 4 photos are not enough to showcase a particular product. Add as detailed a description as you can; when it’s something current and practically new I will copy and paste the actual description from the brand website.
Tip – you can add a maximum of 5 hashtags to a listing so choose wisely!
Include information about the condition the item is in, whether the tags are still on, the size (even though this is a property by itself), the fit and some hashtags as I’m sure I read somewhere that you can search hashtags in Depop.
I usually use the brand name, the workout type i.e #running and a couple other basic ones that I think people would use to search to find the particular item.
A Word Of Warning
I also alway add that my items are from a pet free / smoke free home and all items are sent tracked, usually shipped via Depop using Evri. I do have a word of warning about shipping with Depop / Evri though; their default insurance is £20 so if they lose your parcel, the max you will get back is £20 and the customer is refunded.
If you are sending items of higher value, arrange the shipping yourself via Evri, where you can state the value you need insurance for. Also, be aware that Evri have a list of things they do not compensate you for as they list them as items not to send through their service.
Include Postage & Packaging In The Overall Price
Then your item will be listed as free delivery and it’s make it easier for someone to decide to purchase as there are no added costs. I should also remind you to factor in Depop fees (10%) as well as PayPal fees when choosing how much to price your items at.
If it’s something small that I probably would have given away I often don’t make any profit so don’t bother using Depop.
Don’t forget to think about how you will package your items up – because that can be a cost to you as well as the fact you want your items to arrive safe and sound.
I either reuse packaging from things that were delivered to me in the first place or keep a stash of different sized mailing bags. I use these large recycled mailer bags* for larger items like bags, coats or trainers in boxes.
This set of mixed size mailer bags* is perfect for smaller items. Both are usually available on Amazon Prime so ordered early enough should come the next day!
And do you know what I discovered today?! That Evri offer a student discount via My UNiDAYS. How on earth did I not know this before; do you know how much money I could’ve saved when I had student discount?!
I choose to ship with Evri as the pricing is reasonable without the discount and I can drop off parcels locally to me. I also send 99.9% of items with a signature required to safeguard myself against any dodgy types.
If you ship with Evri through Depop they automatically generate your shipping label which does save you a few minutes in admin. It’s slightly cheaper to ship via Evri directly, and as mentioned earlier, you get a lot more control over the shipping.
A Personal Touch Goes A Long Way
I always include a delivery note in my packages with a little thank you message. I think it goes a long way and lets the person who purchased from you know that you appreciate the sale.
I had some Vistaprint credit to use too so I made a keep it simpElle stamp and some stickers for extra special sales!
As I try to be more mindful and conscious about my consumption, I shared some of the best hacks for an ethical & sustainable fitness routine in a post on the blog.
Anyone else got tips for selling on Depop? Or let me know your profile name in the comments and I will give you a follow…
Elle
