If there is one collective factor that the coronavirus outbreak has ruined for most college students, besides our social lives of course, it’s our financial situation. Especially if you were one of those who had a job before everything went down, you have felt this burden even more. It’s like one day we went from working, having and maintaining our own apartments or dorms, almost quite finally getting the hang of the whole “adult” thing and then all of a sudden, we lost our jobs and were back at home quarantining with our parents (a lot of us at least). As if we were suddenly 16 and in high school all over again. However, one good thing did spur from being stuck at home for so long: I found myself getting creative with different ways to make some extra money.
The idea simply came from the mess I let grow in my room. Just looking at all the piles of clothes on the floor that I needed to pick up, I realized just exactly how many clothes and shoes I had and how many of it I no longer wore or was even interested in wearing. I mean, who wants to wear that ugly top from when you were 15 even though you swore it was the cutest thing at the time? And don’t even get me started on the prom dress that you spent so much money on just to wear for one night and never again. If your prom was anything like mine, it was a beautiful dress wasted on a lousy experience and even lousier date. The point is, I wanted to get rid of all that and make some cash along the way. So, I opened a Depop account, which is basically an online thrift store with a hip Instagram-like twist to it. I started posting literally everything I no longer wanted, cared about, or that no longer fit me. And the cool thing about Depop is that you might not think anyone would want your old stuff, but the truth is, nine times out of ten, anything is up for grabs and somebody somewhere will be interested in what you have to offer. Almost immediately after posting a couple of things, I made my first sale, which I still remember was a pair of Fabletics leggings that fit me way too tight. Once you get the thrill of your first sale (combated with the un-thrillness of going to the post office to ship it), you just want to keep making more sales and you will find yourself wanting to put more effort into your page. I started putting in a lot of effort into mine by making sure it was aesthetically pleasing, uploading quality pictures with detailed captions, interacting with other Depop users, and frequently responding to any DMs from potential buyers.
I also opened up Poshmark and Mercari accounts, which are similar online thrift stores. I also made some sales there, but Depop was by far my favorite to work with. With my Depop, Poshmark and Mercari accounts combined, I made about 53 sales and earned around an estimated $500. So no, selling your clothes on these platforms won’t make you a millionaire overnight (highly unlikely), but it is a great way to chip in some extra needed cash for whatever reason you need, especially in the environment of financial distress that COVID-19 has set for us. Even if you still were able to keep your job or if money wasn’t such a big stressor for you, this is still a great side hustle and teaches you a lot about the importance of marketing, good customer service and the value of money. I highly recommend getting started.
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