Interview: Decoding Depop with Richmond-Based Reseller, Roseann Albano

By Audrey Garrett

Photo by Audrey Garrett

Roseann Albano has bought and resold items on the trendy shopping app, Depop since November 2020. Her store ShopRVArose gained traction immediately. She talks with Quail Bell Magazine on what it is like being an instant entrepreneur.
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​Depop, the online consignment shop and shared closet has become one of the top apps on Gen Z iPhone 11s. The mobile shopping app takes from Instagram sporting a popular explore page, square photo collages, and vitally, millions  of Gen Z and millennial buyers and sellers using the app to  buy thrifted crop tops and oversized knitted sweaters. 

The virtual flea market of Depop supposedly eliminates fast fashion hauls by recirculating already purchased items with in its over 13 million users. The app has proven problematic as unethical pricing and purchasing of bulk items from China and other poorly paid textile laboring countries have been resold and promoted on the app. More problems arise as some sellers use the app to make hundreds of thrifted $2 tank tops. To navigate the blurry ethical actions of Depop and its users, Quail Bell Magazine talked with seasoned Depop reseller Roseanne Albano to discuss her career as an online seller. 

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 22-year-old Roseann Albano uses Depop as a third income source. Photo by Audrey Garrett

How did you start selling clothes online?
I had a lot of clothes. And they weren't ugly. I just wasn't wearing them. I decided to do a closet purge one day and realized I could be making a profit. I was introduced to Depop a few years ago and reselling was always something in the back of my head, but I kept putting it off because of school and the pandemic. When I started cleaning everything out I was like, ‘This is like the perfect time to do this’. 

What is your favorite part of the reselling process? 
When stores started to open back up, I realized I just really liked shopping. A really great way to explore your fashion sense but on a budget is thrifting. I was going thrifting a lot and I would see so many cute things I would want but didn't need. It’s great. It’s a hobby. I get to shop for other people. 

What surprised you most about starting your own small business? Was it overwhelming? 
Luckily when I started my little business, it took off. Every drop I did I would sell at least half my inventory within the week, sometimes the day. In the beginning, it was easy. You get this adrenaline rush. You're like, ‘Oh my god, people actually like the stuff I'm putting out’. That was really fun for the first month or two. But, especially with me working two other jobs, it got hard to schedule. I always ship out my stuff within the week. So yeah, It's overwhelming. They're a bunch of steps to reselling that has to be done. I would love if I could just pay someone to package things and go to the post office. For me that's the hardest part-- I still work two other jobs. But the creative process of taking pictures and modeling is super fun.

"My shop is, trying to get people to get out of their comfort zones and try pieces that they normally wouldn't"- Roseann Albano.   Photo by: Audrey Garrett

What's your perspective on people over pricing used or thrifted items on Depop?
Know who you're buying from and make sure they're pricing ethically. On Depop, girls buy $2 shirts, and price them at $70. That insane. That's a problem. But buyers also need to take into account that resellers are spending time, money, gas, and energy, to be just putting out these products for people to buy. The days I have to schedule a clothing drop, I have to wake up at seven, take pictures, write out a description, and then calculate how I'm going to price my stuff. A lot of resellers will try to package their stuff really nicely. I buy poly mailers -- extra little cute things to make my packaging look nice. So there's just a lot that goes into it. My whole stance is to make sure you're buying from someone who's reselling ethically.

What's your marketing strategy for selling clothes? 
On Depop, they have the ‘Explore page’ where people who work with Depop pick out pieces they think are really cool. The Explore page is great exposure. You can get over 1,000 likes on one single item, and gain a following from that. Everyone's goal on Depop is to get on that one page and to do that, you need to know how to market. You need a clean cut background, and try-on photos, rather than just layouts. You also have to just have that aesthetic. It has to look nice, and it has to look a certain way. You got to know, your angles to make your product look appealing.

Photo by Audrey Garrett

How did you find your own style? 
Thrifting has helped my style change. I think I'm a lot bolder now with how I dress now. I think fashion is something that I can express my confidence. On my shop I try to make outfits with each piece I sell, I'll pair a funkier piece with basic clothes, just show off that you can still tone it down. I think like a huge part of my shop is, trying to get people to get out of their comfort zones and try pieces that they normally wouldn't. Fashion is all about being experimental. 

What are the cons of Depop for people who wouldn't think of them?
The problem that most people have with resellers is the idea that resellers are upper middle class. People will bring up the fact that upper middle class white girls are gentrifying thrifting by upselling their clothes, or upselling like $5 clothes for $100. I'm not going to say that people don't do that, because people do. But most of the time resellers are lower end middle-class people. I started reselling, because it gives me extra cash, for bills for grocery shopping. It's another way for me to fuel my living. I am middle class, but I'm not up there. Reselling really does help me get through. The cons are mostly focused around a lot of people who say, ‘You're stealing from poor people’. But stores have an endless supply of clothing. And the US specifically is one of the number one polluters in textiles. So we waste so much. People also have a problem with upselling children's clothes, which is a big thing on Depop. Kid clothes at thrift stores are always going to be cheaper. But when you have a little girl's shirt on Depop and you're trying to sell that 99 cent shirt for $50? That's insane. 

Are scammers successful on Depop?
Yeah, absolutely. On Depop you have people who like to drop-ship. And basically, that's people who buy from companies like Shein or Zapple, where you can buy cheap, fast fashion products in bulk. And then you can use that as inventory for your shop. That's against Depop guidelines. Some people try to rationalize that drop shippers by saying, Zaffull and Shein take months to ship out their products, because they're shipping from China. Drop-shippers will upsell the hell out of those products. They're fast fashion. They're not durable products. You shouldn't be buying them.

Photo by Audrey Garrett

​How do you price your items?
I saw this online class for resellers and one of the sellers said ‘multiply how much you buy the items times five’. Sometimes I'll do that, but I'll also just eyeball it. Just kind of look at the product and see how much I would buy it for. I always do research on brands before I list anything. I also take into consideration, my time and my efforts, so I'm not underselling myself. Like I said, so much time goes into this. I want to [at least make] a profit.

Any advice for anyone joining Depop as a beginning seller?
Do your research on their funding, the gentrification of thrifting, and the community you're reselling in. It's better to be mindful of being an ethical seller. Make sure that you're not scamming people. If you're going to resell with the intention of wanting a bigger audience, you need to be on top of it. I jumped into it, and currently on a two-month break. A big part of reselling is being consistent. That's how you get a following. Even though it's fun. It's also like insanely stressful and takes up a lot of time. 
Depop is great to do on your own. Especially if you're someone who really likes fashion, really likes clothes. You get to work for yourself. You get to make the rules. But also, you know, you have to maintain that customer service face. So, it's fun.

​Rose Albano is an online seller on Depop and Instagram. She is located in Richmond, VA.