Depop: How I Made over $200 by Cleaning my Room

Have you ever stumbled across a YouTube video or Tiktok listing easy ways for teens to earn some extra cash? If so, you have probably heard the vague suggestion to “sell your old junk online!” Although this may seem like an outlandish task, selling your preowned (or as the thrift community says, “preloved”) items can be a fun and useful way to spend your free time.

A few years ago, a good friend of mine told me about how she sold a bunch of her old clothes on a new app called Depop, which is like a trendy Ebay for teens. I was fascinated because I didn’t think people wanted stuff from a teen’s closet, let alone wanted to pay for it. Hesitant, I downloaded the app and checked out her page; I was shocked to see that she had sold over 20 items! Impressed, yet very busy with my million after school clubs, her success sat in my mind for about 1 ½ years. Then quarantine hit. I was longing for a purpose (other than sitting on the couch, chocolate in hand, and binge-watching Parks and Rec). That’s when I decided to redo by room, and subsequently find a new home for some of my old items.

The first few weeks of running my account was intimidating. I spent hours sorting through my closet and drawers for inventory, creating listings, and designing my store. Weeks went by and I was disappointed to see only a few measly likes; I felt like giving up but figured it didn’t hurt to keep trying for a final week. A few days later, I was shocked to see that I had sold one of my extra Broadway Playbills! One of my friends surprised me, and I was so thankful she was my first customer, especially since I didn’t think my Playbills would sell. The next day, I sold another Playbill, and the next day 2 more! From there, I’ve averaged about 1-2 sales per week, leaving me with 30 total sales and over $250 in earnings.

If you are interested, I would love to share a few tips that helped me reach this success.

1. Update your listings - In the height of this venture, I was updating every listing 1-2 times a day. This was around the same time I was averaging 3 sales a week. The more often you update, the more likely you are to have your items recommended to potential buyers.

2. Learn how to use hashtags - This is outlined on the Depop help section, but it can be confusing if you don’t know where to start. Just like on Instagram, hashtags put you in specific section pertaining to your item. Using a mix of specific and basic hashtags can get you the most exposure, since the basics will give you a range (but you will be flooded by other listings) and the specifics will fit a niche (but will have fewer hashtag followers).

3. List EVERYTHING (Even if you think it’s weird!) - You would be surprised by the amount of seemingly stupid junk I have sold - like the Playbills I mentioned earlier. As a musical nerd, I always grab the extra playbills left on chairs when I go to shows; sometimes I give them to friends, and sometimes I put them in a drawer. The majority of my sales have been from these! I also sold a rock/gem kit that I got as a kid for $50! I’m no geologist so I don’t know if I undersold, but at the same time I don’t care since I needed the closet space.

4. Take good pictures- This one is self-explanatory- have good lighting, make a nice background, etc.

5. BE YOU!- A lot of buyers value personality when making a purchase. If you don’t seem excited about your items, who will be? Have fun with your descriptions and make sure to include some fun facts or tidbits (ex: I wore this dress to my junior homecoming!)

Hope you enjoyed and were able to learn a bit more about online sales! And if you would like to check me out or chat with me for more tips, my Depop account is @oliviaanalee 😊