Decluttering during quarantine might not be a bad idea after all if you’re looking for some extra cash.
Depop, an online marketplace for buying and selling used and upcycled clothing, has opened the door for local designers and entrepreneurs to start their small business with just a smartphone.
Upcycling, also known as creative reuse, is the process of changing something you already own into better quality or more valuable to your liking.
With the pandemic still ongoing, online shopping for clothes has been the only choice for many people around the world. Depop defines itself as a fashion marketplace “with a global community buying, selling and connecting to make fashion more inclusive, diverse and less wasteful.” Depop has also become a forum for 147 countries and 15 million users, according to senior acquisition manager Astrid Adam.
On April 14, a live webinar workshop took place hosted by Adam. There were over 70 participants nationwide, and guest top sellers gave helpful tips and tricks to starting off your very own small business on Depop.
Jeremy Salazar, a top seller in Albuquerque, has used Depop as a platform to post his recycled pieces.
He describes his artwork as a “recycled story, by rebuilding things and creating beauty with pieces that before people might look past.”
Salazar said a good tip is to take pictures with close-ups of the details. With these photos, it is important to have a plain wall or outdoor setting as the background. Photos with a carpet background is often a beginner mistake that makes the picture less aesthetically pleasing.
Salazar said another trick is writing the perfect description.
“Telling the viewer what the item is made out of is important to give a little back story, just so people know what they are buying into,” Salazar said.
Pricing items is another challenge that Depop users face.
“Look for something similar and use it as a competitive price,” Adam said.
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Depop also allows users to easily add a discount to single items or even bundles.
Dominique Gutierrez, a student at UNM, started her Depop business a year ago and has been hooked ever since. She described her online shop as “urban Albuquerque” and said her account represents anyone locally.
Gutierrez said posting and advertising on social media like Facebook and Instagram have made a huge impact on making sales. She said that it has been challenging to get people’s attention with the current pandemic.
Another resource to consider when using Depop is the “wholesale” search. This search pulls up bundle discounts that have vintage clothes in boxes of up to 30 pieces.
Whenever decluttering or upcycling, following these steps will help you get through some of the challenges.
Cameron Ward is a freelance reporter at the Daily Lobo. She can be contacted at culture@dailylobo.com or on Instagram at @xx.cameo.xx
