Groceries. Bills. Gas. Tuition. Textbooks. It all adds up incredibly fast. During my freshmen year of college, this was a predicament I ran into rather quickly. Every month I would spend just enough money to pay for all of my essential purchases, but as soon as I wanted to spend money on something else, I would have to start penny-pinching. Okay, maybe not penny-pinching, but more along the lines of I would only fill up half a tank of gas or put back the pack of gum I’d slipped into my grocery basket.
I am grateful to say that I was never put in the position of not being able to afford what I needed, but I strongly desired the cushion of a little extra cash for those “feel good” purchases. These indulgences varied from an overpriced latte or an impulsive Amazon Prime purchase and boy, do I love Prime.
During this time, I was starting to notice that I had an abundance of clothes that were unworn. I generally tended to cycle between the same three pairs of bottoms and a handful of different tops. During the end of my first year at college, I started my closet-cleanout by donating a decent amount of these items to local thrift stores. Once summer break ended and I returned back to campus, I looked through the remainder of my clothes and tried to think of what people online would want to buy, paying close attention to the styles that were trending. Ultimately, it led me to the realization that I could sell my clothes on Depop, and perhaps make a small profit.
There are a variety of reseller platforms online, whether it be eBay, Mercari or Poshmark. For some reason, I was under the impression that Depop was where all the cool kids go, and swiftly created an account.
The startup was slow. I had 10 followers, six listings and zero sales. This was somewhat of a roadblock because I had no idea how I would attract buyers without any exposure or following. I came to the conclusion that it was best to follow as many Depop accounts as I could, in hopes of receiving a follow back or some kind of traffic to my profile. Additionally, I would follow accounts that liked items similar to those I had listed. To my surprise, this actually worked. As it currently stands, I have nearly 1,000 followers on Depop. I started to list more and more items as time went on, uploading various angles of different clothes and accessories, using hashtags to increase exposure. I also used random boxes I had lying around from different purchases for packing, which allowed me to minimize any extra costs associated with shipping.
This process has been incredibly fun, especially because of all the interesting conversations I have had with different people. Nothing feels better than making a sale, and a few days later receiving the sweetest review from a buyer. Not only am I making the extra money that had pushed me to start this process, but I also sleep very peacefully at night knowing I have made someone happy.
I would definitely recommend selling your unwanted clothes online if you’re trying to get a little cushion cash. As long as you list your items at fair prices, communicate with potential buyers politely, and ship on time, the world is your oyster. While I am not selling hundreds of items a month, one or two sales a week is enough to make my heart whole and wallet happy.
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