I'm really into selling old clothes and accessories on eBay and Depop at the moment, and have sold nearly 100 old and unused items in the last year! I thought I'd give you guys a few tips on how to successfully sell your own stuff on there too!

Photo Tips

Try and make sure you take photos in good lighting, with a plain background (if you can). I always take my photos with the clothes on the hangers against my wardrobe (you can usually prop the hanger on the top of the door). This is key so that your buyers can see exactly what it is you're selling them.

If you're selling clothes, try and take photos of yourself wearing them. This will give buyers an idea of the sizing. Don't worry if your clothes don't fit though!

eBay and Depop Charges

Of course, selling on eBay and Depop isn't free, so please please be aware of their costs.

eBay like to charge you 10% of the total cost when you sell your item, and this includes postage. They also (sneakily) like to charge you when your buyer pays through PayPal (this is around 7%).

Depop however, only charge 10% through selling on there, and that's only if your buyer actually buys the item through their app. If your buyer chooses to pay via PayPal Friends and Family (where you give them your email address for PayPal), there is absolutely no charge. However, this means you don't get any feedback through Depop. This is more ideal for sellers who have sold a lot of items in the past rather than for new sellers.

Pricing

If you're selling a pair of Topshop jeans (which Topshop tend to sell for around £30-40), have a look at how much other sellers are selling theirs for before you list yours. This will give you an idea of how much you can expect to receive from your own sellers. If you want a bit more, or you think your item is in better condition, then you can ask for more if you wish.

If you're into selling on eBay, I'd definitely recommend selling items through Buy It Now. If you want to accept offers on your item, make sure you put 'Accept Offers' on so buyers don't think they have to pay the full asking price.

Postage

I've seen a lot of people on both eBay and Depop who try to rip their buyers off with high postage charges. For a small parcel (that's usually anything about the size of a pair of shoes in a box, or a small coat), Royal Mail charge £2.85 for second class. However, I've seen people on Depop trying to charge people around £4 for second class postage. If you want to attract your buyers, make sure you charge them at the current postage rates, or offer free postage if you can. You can find these through the Royal Mail website.

If you want to receive good feedback from your buyers, make sure you post your item when you say you will. There's no point saying to buyers on eBay that you'll post their item within three working days if you're unable to, so be honest with them, or drop them a message if you can't post for another couple of days (they're usually fine with that!).

Also, when you do post your item, make sure you ask for PROOF OF POSTAGE. This can be sent to your buyer if they say they haven't received their item, and if they decide to complain through eBay or Depop, you have proof that you posted it. I've recently had an issue where a buyer has told me they haven't received their item, but because I had proof of postage, it was completely out of my hands.

Feedback

If you've posted items but not received any feedback, drop your buyer a message, and check their item has arrived and their happy with it. This can then either lead them to respond to your message (which you can publish to your sellers on Depop as feedback), or leave you official feedback through eBay and Depop.

General Tips

Make sure you wash the item before you list or post it (especially if it's clothing or shoes).

Be completely honest about how much the item has been used or worn. Buyers will generally know if the item has been used more than you say.

Don't try and sell items with holes or any damage unless you mention it in the listing. I've recently seen a number of people on Depop taking photos of their damaged items which they have received from sellers.

That's generally all you should need to know to sell items well on Depop and eBay. Of course, if you have any other questions, feel free to email me: littlehblog@gmail.com

PS, check out my Depop account at: hannahweaverxox and my eBay account at: hannah-weaver!