Begin scrolling through Depop, a popular second hand clothing app, and you will surely soon see a mediocre item listed at an price usually reserved for designer pieces. These outlandish prices can be ascribed to Depop’s rise in popularity over the past 10 years. Depop has provided a creative platform for fashion enthusiasts to purchase unique pieces, a rise in more environmentally friendly clothing options, and a way for people to become more creative with fashion. However, it has also instigated outrage from buyers and people who used to rely on thrifting before the popularity boom.
Depop is a social online platform for buyers and sellers to exchange secondhand and vintage items. It operates like a conventional social media platform, making it popular among younger audiences. Started in 2011 by Simon Beckerman, the idea was to create a type of digital, interactive flea market. Since its founding, it has skyrocketed, becoming the 10th most visited shopping site among Gen Z. As it increased with popularity, sellers began to increase prices. One problematic strategy beginning to be used by some sellers is mislabelling non-vintage items as such. Berkeley High School junior Keller Greer is an avid Depop user and seller. She said, “(Secondhand selling) is people’s jobs and they find things I would never be able to find. So there are upsides and downsides.”
Depop is a convenient, and engaging platform. Its benefits include making vintage styles accessible to younger audiences, making closet cleanouts easier, and being an alternative to fast fashion. “You can find things you would never be able to find new in a store. There can be something you’ve been wanting for a really long time, and when you get it it’s fulfilling and exciting,” Greer said. BHS junior Maddy Kelly appreciates both the environmental benefits and the originality that comes with thrifitng. “My favorite part about secondhand shopping is the environmental impact, and also because I know that other people won’t have the same stuff as me,” she said.
Alongside its positive contributions, the app has played a part in popularizing secondhand shopping, which society did not previously view positively. Thrifting was often seen as dirty, or reserved for those with fewer means. Depop resellers of 10 thrift large quantities of clothing from cheaper thrift stores such as Goodwill, and resell them at much higher rates. Many thrifters have worried about whether this practice will negatively contribute to thrifting becoming inaccessible to the less financially privileged. Greer added that people frequently sell items in poor condition for much higher because of the brand or rarity. “If it’s something that’s not good quality but heavily sought out, in my opinion it shouldn’t be too expensive,” she said.
Despite these concerns, it is worth noting that too much emphasis placed on Depop’s downsides can detract from more pressing fashion concerns, notably fast fashion and the rise in dropshipping. Kelly said, “I think (Depop) is not actually that bad because I think that any thrifting is good thrifting.” BHS junior Ona Weiss also does not have any major concerns with Depop. She appreciates that it provides an alternative to fast fashion. Weiss said, “I like how you can get so many unique things. You’re more likely to get something you won’t see half of the school wearing.”
Depop has raised concerns about gentrifying thrifting and selling for equivalent, or higher prices compared to new items. Even while considering these worries, the impact is nowhere near as concerning as fast fashion’s human and environmental impacts. Depop remains a fun, creative, and accessible way to experiment with fashion.