First off, I just want to say that my Depop and Vinted experience is a short but incredibly sweet one. I only well and truly jumped on the bandwagon a month or so ago and in that time have become a fully fledged secondhand shopping addict with new parcels arriving most days. Soz there Mr Postman.
On the other hand, I’ve been shopping vintage on eBay on and off since I was 15, and so it’s not such a new playing field for me. But out of the three? Honestly it’s between Depop and Vinted for me – I find the products on there much more suited to my taste (it’s basically just women like you and I using it every day), and I like not having to bid. It’s just a click and it’s mine.
There’s also Facebook Marketplace of course, somewhere I’ve frequented for interiors and toys and not clothes, although friends have found some great branded buys that way.
So, why should you shop secondhand?
We all know the planet’s not in a great way thanks to those, ahem, pesky humans. We’ve been brought up in a society that loves newness and loves clothes and loves trends – we are generation fast fashion. I’ve spent years carrying around this layer of self-loathing because I was struggling to ‘shop less’. I like the way new clothes makes me feel, the way experimenting with shapes and styles can unlock a whole new vibe for me, changing up pieces depending on how my body feels, and with shopping secondhand it means I can do all that without feeling as though I’m contributing quite so aggressively to the problem.
I love the fact I can order something that’s had a bit of a life before me, I can wear it a few times and see how it fits and whether it goes with lots in my wardrobe and then I can always re-list if it doesn’t work for me. A bit like sharing and trading clothes with a bunch of like-minded strangers.
How do Vinted and Depop work?
They’re both shopping apps that you can also access via your computer. You simply make an account and then get browsing. It’s easy to list products – just snap a few photos, se a price and add a short description. Transactions can be done via Paypal, card or Apple Pay making it v easy to use. Products are shipped usually within a week and postage can either be included within the price or added additionally.
How do you find the good stuff?
Search for a specific item: I started using both apps to hunt out a leopard print shacket from & Other Stories that I’d missed out on a couple of years ago and was being haunted by. Both apps work really well for this. I tend to leave the size blank and just scroll through as people tend to list with a variation of european and UK sizes.
Search for a specific brand: If you’re not in the market for a particular item but just want to have a browse then I’d suggest sacking off the newsfeed that both apps offer – I’ve not yet found anything decent (or in my size) on either. Instead I tend to search for brands I know I like and that last well so that if they’re secondhand they’ve likely got some life still in them. My top hits are Mango, Zara, H&M, Marks & Spencer and & Other Stories. I search for terms like ‘Mango L’ and then just scroll on through!
Search for a specific kind of item: There have been a few bits I’ve been on the hunt for in recent weeks – a leopard midi skirt, a leopard midi dress and a purple jumper. Again, both apps are great for this kind of search. I still personally tend to leave brand and size filters blank because I like to look at everything on there.
Which is better, Depop or Vinted?
They’re both fairly similar in my experience. I’ve bought double the amount through Depop but have had a lot of messages on Instagram from others who use Vinted more. I’ve found that Depop seems to have more mid-range stuff (& Other Stories, Topshop etc) whilst Vinted is great for bagging a real bargain from the likes of Primark and supermarket brands. I also love that Vinted shows you the size of the product whilst you scroll rather than having to click in on Depop (although slight eye roll that a 12 is a Large, a 14 is an XL and so on…).
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