What It Actually Costs to Start a Depop Reselling Business
Starting a Depop reselling business requires less capital than most retail ventures, but success depends on where you source inventory and how you operate. Your startup costs break down into three categories: inventory sourcing, photography and listing tools, and shipping supplies. Unlike dropshipping, you’re buying real products upfront, so your initial investment directly ties to your inventory strategy.
The good news: you can start with as little as $200-$300 if you’re sourcing from your own closet or thrift stores. The realistic path to sustainable income requires $800-$1,500 to build enough inventory and professional presentation tools to generate consistent sales.
Three Ways to Start
Bare Minimum Start ($200-$400)
This approach works if you’re testing the market with minimal risk. You’ll source inventory from your existing wardrobe, local thrift stores, and garage sales. Your tools are basic but functional.
- Initial inventory: $100-$200 (20-30 items from thrift stores at $3-$8 per piece)
- Smartphone with decent camera (you likely already have this)
- Depop seller account: Free
- Shipping supplies (labels, mailers, tape): $50-$100
- Simple scale for weighing packages: $15-$30
- Basic lighting setup (natural light or one clip lamp): $0-$20
Best for: Testing whether you enjoy the work, validating demand in your local market, or selling items you already own.
Recommended Start ($800-$1,200)
This is the realistic entry point for building a part-time or full-time reselling business. You’ll have enough inventory to generate consistent sales, professional presentation, and proper operational tools. Most successful resellers start here.
- Initial inventory: $400-$600 (80-100 quality pieces from bulk sourcing, wholesale lots, or curated thrift shopping)
- Camera or smartphone tripod: $30-$50
- Lighting kit (ring light + stands): $40-$80
- Backdrop and staging materials: $20-$50
- Shipping supplies in bulk (boxes, mailers, labels, tape): $100-$150
- Digital scale (postal or kitchen): $25-$40
- Initial Depop fees and ads budget: $50-$100
- Photography editing software or app subscription (optional): $0-$15/month
Best for: Building a serious side hustle or transitioning to full-time reselling with professional-quality listings.
Full Professional Setup ($1,500-$2,500)
This tier includes optimized sourcing relationships, professional photography equipment, and marketing tools. You’re positioning for high-volume sales and potentially hiring help or outsourcing tasks.
- Initial inventory: $800-$1,200 (150-200+ pieces from wholesale relationships, bulk estate sales, or consignment partnerships)
- DSLR or mirrorless camera: $300-$600
- Professional lighting kit with softboxes: $100-$200
- Backdrop and staging setup: $50-$100
- Shipping supplies (bulk discount): $150-$250
- Commercial postal scale with USB integration: $40-$80
- Computer or tablet for inventory management: $200-$400 (if needed)
- Depop Shops feature (if available in your region): $0-$5/month
- Marketing and ads budget: $100-$200
- Business insurance or LLC filing: $150-$300 (one-time or annual)
Best for: Full-time operators, multi-channel sellers, or those managing high inventory volume.
Ongoing Monthly Costs
- Depop transaction fees: $0 (Depop takes 10% of sale price, built into your pricing)
- Payment processing fees: 0% (Depop handles this; you pay nothing separately)
- Shipping supplies: $50-$150 (mailers, labels, tape, tissue paper)
- Photography/lighting replacements: $0-$20 (bulbs, backdrops, occasional upgrades)
- Sourcing costs: $200-$800 (depends on inventory volume and sourcing strategy)
- Phone/internet: $50-$100 (portion of existing bill for business use)
- Photography software subscriptions: $0-$15 (Lightroom, Canva, or free alternatives)
- Marketing/ads (optional): $0-$200 (Depop ads, Instagram, TikTok)
- Business insurance (optional): $20-$50
- Storage/workspace rental (if needed): $0-$300
Realistic monthly baseline: $300-$500 for a serious part-time operation. Full-time resellers typically spend $800-$1,500/month when scaling inventory.
How to Price Your Services
Depop reselling isn’t a service business—you’re buying and selling products. Your profit comes from the markup between your cost and the market price. The standard formula is: Cost + (Cost × Markup %) = Selling Price. Most successful resellers target a 100-200% markup on sourced inventory (buy for $8, sell for $16-$24). Designer or vintage pieces can command higher markups (200-400%).
Your pricing depends on category, condition, brand, and local demand. A basic graphic tee sourced for $3 might sell for $12-$15. Vintage Levi’s or branded jackets source for $5-$15 and sell for $30-$60. Luxury or rare pieces ($20 cost) can reach $80-$200. Always check sold listings on Depop for comparable items to validate realistic prices—overpricing kills sales, underpricing kills profit.
Common pricing mistakes include ignoring shipping costs (Depop is buyer-paid, but shipping speed affects competitiveness), underestimating thrift sourcing time, and setting prices too high when building your initial reputation. New sellers often need to price 10-15% lower than established accounts to generate initial reviews and traction.
What the Market Actually Pays
Entry-level resellers (0-3 months): Average sale price $15-$25 per item, with 20-30% conversion rate on listings. Monthly revenue typically $300-$800 on 5-10 hours/week of effort.
Experienced resellers (3-12 months): Average sale price $20-$35 per item, with 40-50% conversion rate. Monthly revenue ranges $1,200-$3,500 on 15-25 hours/week, depending on sourcing skill and inventory size.
Professional/full-time operators (12+ months): Average sale price $25-$45 per item, with 50-65% conversion rate on optimized listings. Monthly revenue $3,500-$8,000+ on 30-40 hours/week. Top performers in major metros (NYC, LA, London) reach $10,000-$15,000/month.
Break-Even Analysis
If you invest $1,000 in your Recommended Start setup and source inventory at an average cost of $8 per item with a target selling price of $18, you’ll source 125 items. Assuming a 40% conversion rate (realistic for established accounts), you’ll sell 50 items per month at an average profit of $8 per sale ($18 – $8 – $2 for supplies/fees). This generates $400/month gross profit, meaning you break even on startup costs in approximately 2.5 months.
Entry-level resellers with slower conversions (20-25%) and lower margins ($5-$6 per item) typically break even in 4-6 months. Full-time operators with higher-value inventory and 50%+ conversion rates break even in 30-45 days.
Common Pricing Mistakes
- Ignoring Depop’s 10% fee in your pricing calculation, cutting profit margins by 10-15%
- Underestimating sourcing time value—if sourcing costs $3 but takes 30 minutes, your real cost is higher
- Overpricing based on original retail value instead of current market demand on Depop
- Setting prices too low initially to build reviews, then struggling to raise prices later when customers expect lower rates
- Not accounting for buyer-paid shipping (helps you, but slows purchases if final price is too high)
- Pricing identically across categories; high-turnover basics need lower margins than unique/vintage pieces
- Neglecting seasonal demand—summer clothes sell slower in winter, even on Depop’s global platform
Moving Forward
Your startup investment directly determines how quickly you reach profitability. The Bare Minimum approach validates the business model with minimal risk. The Recommended Start builds sustainable income. The Full Professional Setup positions you for scaling or managing this as a full-time operation.
Once you’ve planned your budget and sourcing strategy, the next step is securing funding if you need it. Explore options like personal savings, small business loans, or alternative financing that fits your timeline and growth goals.