How to Sell on Depop: A Beginner's Guide to Your First Sale

Getting Started with Selling on Depop

Depop has carved out a unique space in the world of e-commerce, blending social media with a marketplace vibe. It's the go-to platform for fashion enthusiasts looking to sell unique vintage finds, streetwear, and personal style pieces. If you're looking to turn your closet into cash or start a full-fledged resale business, understanding how to sell on Depop is your first step.

This guide will walk you through everything you need to know, from what items are in high demand to the specific Depop seller tips that will help you make your first sale and beyond. We'll cover the entire process, from listing your first item to scaling your operations.

For those serious about growing their business, tools can make all the difference. As you read, you'll see how our platform, Reeva, helps top resellers automate tasks, cross-list to multiple marketplaces like Depop, and ultimately grow their sales. If you want to streamline your process from day one, you can start a free trial with us anytime.

What to Sell on Depop: Finding Your Niche

The first question every new seller asks is: "What should I sell?" Depop's focus is primarily on clothing, but the platform's community has a distinct taste. Buyers are on the lookout for fashionable vintage clothing, upcycled items, and pieces from other users' personal wardrobes.

Popular Styles and Items

Certain aesthetics and items consistently perform well. If you want to start selling on Depop with a bang, consider sourcing these popular categories.

• Y2K Fashion: This trend remains incredibly popular on the platform. Think velour tracksuits, pleated plaid mini-skirts, bucket hats, cropped T-shirts, and lace camisoles.
• Grandpa Fashion: This cozy and classic style is very trendy. Items like crewneck pullover sweaters, flannels, jackets, blazers, and vests tend to sell quickly.
• Sportswear: Athletic wear with an urban influence is in high demand. Listing items from athletic brands that have collections based on urban clothing is a smart move.
• Vintage and Designer: Authentic second-hand vintage clothes are a cornerstone of Depop. Buyers are interested in items in various conditions and sizes.
• Accessories: Don't overlook accessories, which get a lot of attention. Bags, purses, scarves, belts, and caps all sell well.

Seasonal Selling

Smart sellers think ahead. Listing items that are ready-to-wear for the upcoming season helps them sell faster. A good rule of thumb is to list seasonal items 1-2 months in advance.

• Spring and Summer: As the weather warms up, start listing brighter colors, tank tops, shorts, dresses, and sunglasses.
• Autumn and Winter: When autumn approaches, shift your focus to sweaters, pants, and clothing in earthy fall colors. For winter, list mittens, jackets, jumpers, caps, and scarves.
• Holidays: Around Christmas and Halloween, themed clothes and costumes can be big sellers. Sales for smaller items like hats, scarves, and jewelry also tend to increase around the holidays as people shop for gifts.

To stay on top of trends, you can always look at the latest Top Searches on Depop to see what users are actively shopping for.

Prohibited Items on Depop

To protect your account and maintain a safe marketplace, it's crucial to know what you cannot sell. Selling prohibited items can lead to your account being reported.

Here's a list of items that are not allowed on Depop:

• Counterfeit goods, fake or replica items, and designer knockoffs.
• Weapons, including firearms, knives, and martial arts weapons.
• Adult content or products related to sexual content.
• -Drugs and tobacco products, including e-cigarettes.
• Hazardous materials like chemicals or flammable items.
• Stolen goods or items acquired through illegal means.

How to List an Item on Depop

Once you've decided what to sell, it's time to create your first listing. The process is simple and can be done through the Depop app or on the Depop.com website.

Listing on the Depop App

Listing directly from your phone is convenient and quick. Here’s how to do it:

1. Navigate to the "Selling" tab.
2. Go to "Manage Listings."
3. Tap "Add A Listing."
4. Add your media. You can upload up to four photos and one video to showcase your item.
5. Write your description. Describe the item, and use up to five relevant hashtags and up to two brand hashtags.
6. Add the correct category for your item.
7. Set the shipping price and the item price.
8. Tap 'Post Listing' to make it live.

To save time, you can also copy an existing listing. Simply tap the copy icon at the top right of a listing screen and select the one you want to duplicate.

Listing on the Depop.com Website

If you prefer working on a larger screen, you can list from your laptop or desktop.

1. Log in to your account on Depop.com.
2. Click the 'Sell' icon on the left-hand side to get to the Selling Hub.
3. From here, you can create a new listing by filling in all the required details, similar to the app.

To copy a listing on the website, find the item you want to duplicate in your listings and click 'Copy Listing'.

Using Drafts and Price Suggestions

Sometimes you might start a listing but can't finish it. Depop allows you to save your listing as a draft, which you can return to later. Drafts are synced between the app and the website, so you can start on your phone and finish on your computer.

Depop may also provide a suggested price range for your item to help you price it accurately. This suggestion is based on similar items that have recently sold, considering the description, brand, size, and color. The tool offers three levels:

• Sell faster: The lowest suggested price.
• Balanced: A fair market price.
• Earn more: The highest suggested price to maximize your profit.

You are not required to use these suggestions and can set any price you feel is right for your item.

Top Depop Seller Tips to Increase Sales

Getting your listings live is just the beginning. To truly succeed, you need to optimize every part of your shop. These Depop seller tips are essential for attracting buyers and building a reputable brand.

1. Master Your Product Photography

On a visual platform like Depop, photos are everything. Your images are the first thing a buyer sees, so they need to be eye-catching.

• Use a Model or Mannequin: This helps buyers understand how an item fits and what it looks like when worn.
• Perfect Your Flat-Lays: If you take flat-lay photos, use a simple, clean background that allows the item to be the star. You can use BeFunky's Background Remover tool for a crisp, single-colored background.
• Provide Multiple Angles: Don't stop at one photo. Show the front, back, and sides of your item. Buyers want to see more after they click.
• Include Detail Shots: Use close-up shots to highlight an item’s texture, quality, and unique details. Also, be transparent and photograph any stains, holes, or defects.

You can use the Photo Editor to give your photos a professional touch. High-quality, consistent photography is the first step in building a trustworthy brand.

2. Write SEO-Optimized Listings

Your titles and descriptions determine whether your items appear in search results. Good Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is key.

• Create Descriptive Titles: Your headline should be a search-optimized title that includes the item's style, brand, and color in just a few words (e.g., "Vintage 90s Levi's Blue Denim Jacket").
• Write Detailed Descriptions: In the description, accurately label the brand, size, color, and condition. Be honest about any flaws to build trust and avoid having your account reported.
• Include Measurements: Sizing varies between brands, so including measurements can reduce questions and increase buyer confidence.
• Use Attributes: When listing, apply a variety of attributes from Depop’s drop-down menus, such as style and sizing.
• Use Hashtags Wisely: Use only relevant hashtags related to style (#vintage, #y2k), season (#summer), aesthetic (#cottagecore), and color (#pastel). Using too many or irrelevant hashtags can get you marked as spam.

A good listing template to follow is: Headline, a longer description building on the title, condition details, measurements, relevant hashtags, and finally, your shipping terms and any current promotions.

Creating optimized listings for every item can be time-consuming. That's why many top resellers use Reeva. Our AI-powered tools turn your photos into complete listings instantly, generating optimized titles and descriptions for you. This cuts listing time in half and lets you focus on sourcing more great products.

Start your free trial of Reeva today and see how fast you can create listings.

3. Price Your Items Strategically

To make a profit, you need to price your items correctly. Always keep Depop's fees in mind.

You should factor in Depop's 10% fee, the transaction fee of around 3%, and your shipping costs when setting your final price. This ensures you make a decent profit on every sale.

4. Develop a Consistent Listing Strategy

Consistency is crucial for keeping your shop visible and your customers engaged.

• List Regularly: Try to list a few items every day instead of listing everything in bulk once a week. This keeps your shop fresh and gives your followers a reason to check back often.
• List at Peak Times: Depop users are typically more active during evenings and weekends. They also tend to spend more around the start of the month after payday.
• Re-list Your Items: This is one of the most effective Depop seller tips. Re-listing an item bumps it to the top of search results, unlike refreshing. To re-list, copy the text and photos of an old listing and upload it as a new one. Try to re-list items at least once a week for the best results.

If you're able to list 15-20 quality items a week and re-list them regularly, you could potentially make $1000-$4000 a month.

5. Build a Strong Brand

A cohesive brand helps you stand out and attract repeat customers.

• Create a Consistent Aesthetic: Use the same style of photography and backgrounds for all your listings. This makes your shop feed look appealing and professional.
• Develop a Brand Voice: Use consistent language in your descriptions and communications.
• Consider a Niche: Specializing in certain styles of clothing, like Y2K or Grandpa Fashion, can help you become a go-to seller for that aesthetic.
• Optimize Your Bio: Use your bio to tell buyers about your shop, current promotions, and shipping times. A creative profile photo can also show off your personality.

6. Provide Excellent Customer Service

A good reputation is built on trust and communication. Responding to questions promptly and professionally will improve your seller rank.

• Communicate Proactively: Thank customers for their purchase, give them an estimated arrival date, and notify them once the item has shipped. If any issues arise, communicate promptly.
• Ship Promptly: Always ship items in a timely manner. A professional seller ships within 3-5 days, but shipping within 1-3 days will boost your reputation as a quick shipper. Set 1-2 designated shipping days per week to be efficient.

7. Offer Promotions and Discounts

Promotions can drive sales and help you move inventory.

• Offer Bundles: Encourage larger purchases by offering a discount when customers buy two or more items.
• Run Holiday Sales: Hold sales around events like Black Friday, Christmas, or the start of summer.
• Create Limited-Time Discounts: Since Depop doesn't allow custom promo codes, you can relist your items at a discounted price for a limited time to create urgency. Just be careful not to offer discounts too regularly, as it can devalue your items.

Scale Your Depop Business with Reeva

Following these tips will put you on the path to success. But as you grow, managing inventory, listings, and sales across multiple platforms becomes a huge challenge. This is where we come in.

Our all-in-one platform is designed for resale businesses looking to scale with ease. Reeva simplifies and automates the most time-consuming parts of your business, giving you back time to focus on what truly matters: sourcing great products and growing your brand.

Sell Smarter and Faster, Not Harder

Our platform is built to optimize your entire selling process. We help you turn photos into profit instantly.

• Instant AI Listings: Simply upload your photos, and our AI will generate complete listings with optimized titles, descriptions, and prices. As our user FabFam from Washington said, "Reeva has cut my listing time by more than half. I can take photos, voice-to-text my details, and let Reeva handle the rest."
• One-Click Cross-Listing: List your items everywhere at once. With a single click, you can publish your inventory to Depop, Poshmark, eBay, and Mercari without switching tabs. Hiview Reloved found it "easy to expand to eBay and Depop" using our platform.
• Multi-Store Support: Manage all your stores from one central hub, reaching more buyers and maximizing sales effortlessly.

Save Time with Powerful Automation

Let our platform handle the tedious daily tasks so you can focus on growth.

• Automatic Relisting and Delisting: Keep your items at the top of search results by automatically relisting stale products. Our instant delisting feature prevents you from overselling an item across multiple platforms. AlistairBP from Georgia calls this feature something he "couldn't live without."
• Automated Offers: Send personalized offers to interested buyers automatically, without lifting a finger.

This level of automation is a game-changer. TUFFNY from New York cut their admin time by 30%, which allowed them to source more products. Vintage Vault WV increased their items sold by 372% in just three weeks after using our tools.

Ready to automate your resale business? Try Reeva free for 7 days.

Grow Your Business with Powerful Tools

We provide the tools you need to manage and scale your business effectively.

• Business Analytics: Track your sales, profits, and performance with powerful analytics to make smarter business decisions.
• Full-Service Accounting: Forget spreadsheets. Our built-in accounting tools connect to your bank accounts, automatically categorize income and expenses, and generate clear profit and loss reports to make tax time a breeze.
• Mobile Access: Manage your entire business from your phone, tablet, or desktop, anytime and anywhere.

Our users see real results. Nuzzydeals saw a 7x increase in sales, and AlistairBP went from selling 3-5 items a week to 10-15 items a day.

Choose the Right Plan for You

We offer two simple plans, and you can try either one free for 7 days with no payment due.

• Basic Plan: Perfect for solo entrepreneurs. It includes unlimited AI generations, auto-delisting, business analytics, and cross-listing. For a limited time, it's just $29/month.
• Business Plan: Ideal for growing businesses and teams. It includes everything in Basic, plus full automation, accounting, multi-user and multi-store support, and priority support. For a limited time, it's just $59/month.

Your Journey to a Successful Depop Shop

You now have a complete roadmap for how to sell on Depop. Success comes down to understanding what to sell, creating high-quality listings, and implementing smart seller strategies consistently. From mastering your photos and SEO to providing excellent customer service, every step plays a part in building a profitable shop.

As you start selling on Depop and look to expand, remember that you don't have to do it all alone. The right tools can transform your workflow, automate your admin tasks, and give you the data you need to grow faster than you ever thought possible.

Reeva is the all-in-one platform trusted by top resellers to do just that. We handle the repetitive work so you can focus on the fun parts of reselling. If you're ready to stop juggling spreadsheets and start scaling your business, we're here to help.

Start your free 7-day trial of Reeva today and see how easy growing your resale business can be.