Vinted vs. Depop: Which is Better for Selling Jewelry? - Episode #175

[00:00:00] Welcome to the The Jewelry Reseller's Podcast, your go-to source for all things shiny, sparkly, and of course, profitable. I'm your host, Desiree, and I'll be your guide on this dazzling journey through the world of reselling jewelry. We'll be diving deep into the art and science of reselling, uncovering valuable tips, insider secrets, and sharing stories from successful jewelry resellers. We'll explore market trends, industry news, and even discuss the

[00:00:30] how to find those hidden gems just waiting to be discovered in thrift stores, estate sales, and beyond. So, if you're dreaming of turning your hobby into a hustle, or if you're a seasoned pro looking to stay at the top of your jewelry reselling game, join me each week for insights, stories, and more on the Jewelry Resellers Podcast.

[00:00:53] All right, so if you've been selling jewelry online, you probably are already familiar with sites like eBay, Poshmark, and Mercari. But what about Vinted and Depop? There's been a lot of talk about these two platforms lately. And so I wanted to do some research and discuss specifically how this can work for us as jewelry resellers. Now, I did discover some pretty interesting differences.

[00:01:21] When I was doing my research. So today we are going to look at exactly how both platforms work, the cost to sell, what the experience is for both buyers and sellers. And then we're going to see if this makes sense for your particular jewelry reselling business or your jewelry reselling goals. All right?

[00:01:49] So that's what we're talking about today, jewelry friends. Hello, my name is Desiree and I am your jewelry reselling bestie. And if you are interested in getting a free copy of the download I created, the 20 best-selling vintage jewelry brands that I think all resellers should know, then go ahead and head on over to jewelry resellers podcast.com where you can opt in and get a copy of that list for free.

[00:02:17] So the whole idea behind Vinted is to give everyday people a place to sell clothing, jewelry, and other belongings that they no longer want. It was a way to declutter, recover some money, and give those items a second life. Now, someone selling a necklace they no longer wear may be perfectly happy getting $5 for it. But a professional jewelry reseller would need to sell that same necklace for more in order to make the profit and the work worthwhile.

[00:02:47] Vinted doesn't charge sellers a standard fee. If you sell a necklace for $20, you generally receive the full $20, assuming that you haven't paid to promote your items. But buyers pay for shipping and also a mandatory Vinted platform fee. So let's say someone buys your $20 necklace.

[00:03:13] The typical Vinted fee would be $1.70, making the buyer's total $21.70 before shipping and any applicable taxes. And that brings up something worth remembering about all these so-called zero-fee marketplaces. Because even when sellers aren't paying any type of fees or commission, the extra charges that the buyers have to pay is something that we have to take into consideration when we're pricing our jewelry pieces.

[00:03:41] So shipping on Vinted is pretty straightforward as well. Buyers generally select and pay for an available shipping method. And then Vinted will send the buyer a printable shipping label. And you would ship it out just like you would when you make sales on any other platform. So once that sale is completed, well, then the money is in your Vinted wallet for you to either shop or to withdraw. So everything sounds pretty straightforward.

[00:04:10] But here's where things can get a little bit interesting. Vinted does have a policy that it is not a platform for professional resellers. So this is something that we have to take into consideration when we are structuring our business and when we are taking into account exactly what platforms we're going to use to move our jewelry inventory.

[00:04:37] Now, like I said earlier, Vinted is a platform for you to offload personal items. But if you are specifically buying items wholesale or in bulk in order to flip those items for profit, then that is where things can get a little complicated on Vinted. So as of this recording, Vinted Pro allows business selling activities.

[00:05:04] But Vinted Pro is not available in the United States, at least not yet. So if you're selling jewelry you just don't want, that is consistent with Vinted's purpose. But if you're buying jewelry specifically to flip for profit, that is something that is specifically prohibited on Vinted's platform. Now, Vinted has explained that someone selling hundreds of belongings from a personal collection

[00:05:32] isn't automatically considered a commercial seller. But what matters is whether those items were personal possessions or whether they were acquired with the intention of reselling them. So that's a pretty significant difference because a marketplace can have great fees and attractive buyers. But if its rules don't allow your business model, it really isn't a suitable platform for that business.

[00:06:02] Now, Vinted also prohibits counterfeit items, requires accurate descriptions and photographs, and places restrictions on certain types of body piercing jewelry for hygienic reasons. So while Vinted may be useful for selling pieces from your personal jewelry collection, I would be very cautious about treating it as a place to build a jewelry resale business, at least in the United States. Now let's talk about Depop,

[00:06:30] because this is where the comparison becomes much more interesting. Depop is also a fashion-focused resale marketplace. The experience is entirely different. While Vinted emphasizes passing along unwanted belongings, Depop has developed a strong identity around personal style, vintage fashion, streetwear, and independent sellers. And unlike Vinted Standard U.S. accounts, Depop explicitly supports people selling as a business.

[00:07:01] In fact, Depop has resources for established business brands and professional sellers, along with tools designed to help them manage their shops. So right away, that's a major advantage as a reseller when you are thinking about what platform you want to sell on, because Depop actually welcomes professional resellers

[00:07:25] and doesn't have any restrictions as it relates to operating your resale business in that manner. But what about the fees on Depop? Well, Depop eliminated its Standard Selling Commission for U.S. sellers, although sellers are still required to pay a payment processing fee. At the time of this recording, that payment processing fee is 3.3% plus $0.45 per transaction.

[00:07:54] It's calculated on the item price, shipping, and any applicable taxes. Now, Depop also charges U.S. buyers a marketplace fee of up to 5% of the item price, plus up to $1 per transaction. Now, remember, these are the fees that Depop is charging to the buyer. So just like Vinted, Depop isn't necessarily free from the buyer's perspective.

[00:08:24] And there's another cost to consider. Depop offers optional boosted listings. Now, remember, this is not required. But if you would like to promote your items on Depop, you do have that option available. And the fee is 12%, which is a bit steep for some of us who are used to promoted listings, according to eBay structure, where you can kind of choose exactly what percentage you want to promote your items at.

[00:08:52] On Depop, it's a flat 12%, and you don't have any option to adjust more or less depending on the price of the item. Now, another interesting thing about selling jewelry on Depop is the type of jewelry that appeals to shoppers. Depop has strong fashion and vintage identity, and its own trend reports regularly feature accessories, which is great for us jewelry sellers.

[00:09:21] People aren't necessarily shopping only for jewelry by brand or precious metal content. They're also shopping for an aesthetic or a particular decade or something that helps them create an overall style or look. And that creates an interesting possibility for vintage costume jewelry sellers. Now, that doesn't mean every vintage piece will sell quickly or that these categories are guaranteed winners,

[00:09:49] but it does suggest that Depop could be a place to experiment with more visually unique looking jewelry. And that brings us to something that I also wanted to investigate. What kind of experience are sellers talking about and discussing as it relates to selling on Depop, specifically jewelry?

[00:10:14] Well, based on seller discussions and experiences shared online, the results are definitely mixed. Some sellers report success selling vintage costume jewelry, sterling silver, and inexpensive fashion jewelry, while others say their jewelry gets very little attention or takes a long time to sell. One interesting difference is how shoppers approach these marketplaces. On vintage buyers are often looking for inexpensive secondhand items and good deals,

[00:10:44] and that can make it difficult for professional resellers who need to price their jewelry high enough to make a profit. Depop, on the other hand, has a stronger emphasis on fashion and personal style. Jewelry that fits a particular aesthetic may have more appeal to Depop's audience, which is actually, I want to say, an advantage to selling on Depop, because sometimes buyers are looking for a specific look.

[00:11:12] They don't care about the quality, the designer, the construction, the brand name. They don't care about anything. They just care about how the piece looks with the style they're trying to curate. Now, another strategy that comes up in seller discussions is bundling. Rather than selling inexpensive jewelry pieces individually, some sellers have found success by grouping items together,

[00:11:38] again, by style or aesthetic, or in some cases, even just by price. But here's something worth remembering. Just because a particular type of jewelry is popular, doesn't necessarily mean it's going to sell quickly or profitably. And while individual seller experiences can be helpful, they don't tell us which platform consistently produces better jewelry sales.

[00:12:07] So ultimately, the real test is whether the jewelry you're selling appeals to the shoppers on that particular marketplace and whether you can sell it at a price that makes the effort worthwhile. So now that we've looked at both platforms, let's put them side by side, starting with the fees. Vinted has the advantage if we're talking strictly about

[00:12:34] what the seller receives from a standard sale. There isn't a traditional selling commission and the buyer generally pays for shipping. Depop also has no standard U.S. selling commission, but it does charge sellers a payment processing fee. And there's something else to know about Depop's optional advertising.

[00:13:00] For eligible U.S. listings, Depop's boosted fee is 12%, like we talked about earlier, when a sale qualifies for that charge. So that could be a huge extra expense, especially if you are used to paying promotion fees. This may be something that could be a deal breaker for Depop. So I wouldn't automatically assume that Depop is a cheap place to sell

[00:13:27] just because it advertises no selling commissions. But fees are only one part of the equation. Because if we're talking about operating an actual jewelry resale business, Depop has the much stronger advantage when it comes to platform rules. Depop allows business selling. Vinted's standard U.S. accounts do not. And this is something that we need to be aware of,

[00:13:56] and this is something that we have to keep in mind. Because as far as the customer base goes, I think Depop is especially interested in fashion-forward jewelry pieces or trendy jewelry pieces. Now, Vinted may be perfectly reasonable for selling jewelry from your personal collection, particularly if you're looking to declutter and don't want to pay a selling commission.

[00:14:22] So remember the purpose and the intention for both platforms. Remember, Vinted is an affordable marketplace for you to offload some unwanted items. It's not structured or intended to be a place to run a reselling business. So I also want to cover another thing about selling more higher-end, fine jewelry, expensive pieces,

[00:14:49] because that's a question that people have been asking too. Like if you're selling signed vintage pieces or sterling silver or even real gold pieces, would one of these platforms work for that particular type of jewelry? And I'm going to say, if you are considering selling higher-end pieces, you may want to move to a platform like eBay,

[00:15:15] because I just think that the buyer on Vinted and Depop are not necessarily in the market to spend higher dollar amounts for better quality jewelry. Remember, there's very different buying behaviors when we're comparing the type of inventory that we're looking to sell and the type of audience or buyer base

[00:15:40] that a particular platform is bringing to us or that we are putting our products in front of. So that's why I think it's important for jewelry sellers to understand their inventory rather than simply just listing everywhere, you know, hoping for the best. Now, maybe in the past that strategy worked, but I think today, in today's resale market, we need to be a little bit more thoughtful and a lot more strategic.

[00:16:11] So let's talk about one of the things that comes up a lot as it relates to selling on Vinted, and that is account bans. Now, we have all seen so many videos on YouTube about resellers talking about having their accounts banned on Vinted for seemingly unknown reasons. And I think if we keep in mind everything we've talked about in this episode,

[00:16:35] we can see why some sellers may have triggered a Vinted's automated warning about particular sellers, what they're selling, and the type of items that they are selling or how many, the volume, whatever the case may be. I've come across resellers who openly acknowledge that they didn't read Vinted's terms of service

[00:16:58] before signing up and only discovered that commercial selling was prohibited after their accounts were suspended. And while I understand how frustrating that must be, violating a platform's selling policies can have consequences. And whether you were aware of those policies or not really doesn't matter. But there's a completely different situation from someone who, again,

[00:17:23] who was selling their personal items versus someone who is operating from a profit, or I should say a commercial business standpoint. So that brought me to the question of how does Vinted accurately distinguish between someone selling a large personal jewelry collection and someone operating a jewelry resale business because their listings could look identical.

[00:17:52] So this is where things get interesting for jewelry resellers. In September of 2026, Vinted published an interview with its senior director of trust and safety explaining how the company identifies commercial sellers. And according to Vinted, It uses automated detection tools, member reports, and human moderation teams to identify accounts that may be violating its rules.

[00:18:19] The company examines factors such as listing patterns, account history, and seller behavior. So how does Vinted actually know whether someone is selling jewelry from a personal collection or buying jewelry specifically to resell? Let's say you've been collecting vintage jewelry for 20 years and now you're ready to sell 300 pieces. Well, according to Vinted, that's generally allowed because you're selling items from your personal collection.

[00:18:47] But what if you're a jewelry reseller who purchased those same 300 items at estate sales or thrift stores? That's considered commercial selling and it is prohibited on standard U.S. vintage seller accounts. Now, Vinted even acknowledges that selling a large number of items doesn't automatically make someone a commercial seller.

[00:19:13] So Vinted, again, pays attention to particular patterns, behavior, and signals when making a determination about whether or not a seller is operating as a business or whether they're just selling items from their personal collection. Now, there is one complication I do want to say and remember I'm speaking from the perspective

[00:19:42] of being in the United States because there is an option called Vinted Pro that is set up for reselling specifically, but that option is not available to us here in the United States, at least not at the time of this recording. So when we are thinking about our options, remember to keep this in mind. We want to be compliant with the platform policies where we are selling our jewelry items.

[00:20:12] So American jewelry resellers don't have the option of simply upgrading their accounts to comply with Vinted's business selling requirements. And remember, Depop isn't immune to account restrictions or seller disputes either because it has its own rules, enforcement procedures, and account suspension policies. But there's a fundamental difference because Depop permits professional resale businesses

[00:20:39] while standard U.S. Vinted accounts do not. And that is a pretty significant consideration because when you're running a jewelry resale business, you're not just looking for a platform with low fees. You're actually looking for a marketplace where you're allowed to operate your business and where you have some confidence that your listings and sales won't suddenly disappear.

[00:21:07] And that's something that I would seriously consider before deciding where to invest my time and my inventory. So after looking at both platforms, would I recommend Vinted or Depop for selling jewelry? Well, I think a lot of it is going to depend on the type of seller you are. If you're simply looking to sell off your personal collection,

[00:21:36] then Vinted could definitely be worth considering because you don't pay the standard selling commission, shipping is generally paid by the buyer, and the platform is designed around selling secondhand belongings. But if you are a professional jewelry seller who regularly sources inventory to flip for profit, Vinted's U.S. commercial selling restrictions are a pretty big obstacle.

[00:22:05] And for that reason alone, I would not recommend building a jewelry resale business on a standard Vinted seller account. Depop, on the other hand, is a much more interesting option, right? At least from a business perspective, it allows commercial selling, has a strong fashion-oriented identity, and could potentially be a useful marketplace for vintage costume jewelry

[00:22:34] and pieces that fit particular fashion trends. And remember, Depop is now part of eBay, so that could eventually affect future rules and operations. But there are trade-offs. Remember, processing fees, optional promotion costs, competition, and low price expectations can all affect your bottom line. And based on the seller experiences that I found, jewelry sales can be inconsistent.

[00:23:04] Now, this is going to be true no matter what platform you're selling on. So would I recommend abandoning eBay or other established selling platforms to focus exclusively on Depop or Vinted? Absolutely not. But I would consider testing Depop with a small selection of visually interesting vintage jewelry to see how it performs. I'd start with pieces that have a strong visual appeal, take some great photos,

[00:23:32] and of course describe them accurately, and pay attention to the amount of interest that they receive. And more importantly, you want to track your actual sales and profit, not just views and likes. Because at the end of the day, we're all doing this to make money, right? We want to get the most that we can for our jewelry items. And at the same time, we don't want to be in violation of any platform rules.

[00:24:02] So now it's time for you to let me know your thoughts. I'd love to hear from you if you have sold jewelry on Depop or Vinted or both. Have you had success? What has your experience been? And if you haven't sold on either of these platforms, are you considering it now? Is it something that you may want to give a try?

[00:24:29] Or are you going to stick with the platforms you already know, trust, and love? Let me know your thoughts in the comments. You know I always love reading your feedback and also hearing about what's working and what's not working for you, especially as it relates to jewelry resell. Thank you so much for spending this time with me and I'll check in with you again really soon.