eBay vs Depop: Where Does Your Item Actually Sell for More?

Ask anyone in a reselling community which platform gets you better prices on vintage and streetwear, and most people will say Depop without hesitating. It's become received wisdom — eBay is for electronics and appliances, Depop is for fashion, and Depop buyers will pay more.

We decided to actually check. Over several weeks, we pulled sold listing data for the same items across eBay and Depop — not asking prices, but actual completed transactions — and the results were more complicated than the conventional wisdom suggests.

The items we looked at

We focused on four categories that come up constantly in reselling communities: Carhartt workwear (specifically the Detroit jacket), Levi's 501 jeans, Nike Air Max 90s, and Von Dutch trucker hats. These are all items with enough transaction volume on both platforms to give us meaningful data.

For each item, we collected the last 60–80 sold listings on eBay and cross-referenced with active and recently sold listings on Depop. We filtered for used condition and excluded obvious outliers — deadstock pieces, rare colourways, items with significant damage listed well below market.

What the data actually showed

The Carhartt Detroit Jacket was the biggest surprise. eBay sold listings averaged $142, while Depop active listings averaged $89. That's a $53 gap — in eBay's favour. The conventional wisdom said Depop would be higher. The data said the opposite.

Levi's 501s told a similar story. eBay sold at an average of $39, Depop listed at an average of $18. Vinted came in lowest at $28. Again, eBay outperformed.

Nike Air Max 90s: eBay $63, Depop $35, Vinted $44. The pattern held.

Von Dutch trucker hats were the one item where the platforms converged — eBay and Depop both averaged around $25–28, with Vinted slightly lower.

Why eBay might actually be winning on price

There are a few plausible explanations. First, eBay has a much larger buyer pool. Depop skews heavily toward the 18–25 demographic in major cities. eBay's buyer base is broader — older, geographically wider, and includes people who are specifically searching for something and willing to pay to find it.

Second, eBay's search is more intent-driven. When someone searches "Carhartt Detroit jacket large brown" on eBay, they're usually in buying mode. Depop's discovery model means buyers are often browsing rather than searching for a specific item, which changes their price sensitivity.

Third — and this is important — we were comparing eBay sold prices to Depop listing prices. The gap in actual sold prices might be smaller. Depop doesn't make sold prices easily accessible, which means many sellers on that platform are flying blind when they price.

What this means for your listings

Don't assume Depop is always the answer for streetwear and vintage. eBay's buyer base for specific items can be deeper and more price-inelastic than Depop's. For workwear specifically — Carhartt, Dickies, Wrangler — eBay consistently outperforms.

For genuinely trend-driven pieces — things currently appearing in editorial coverage, being worn by influencers, or having a specific cultural moment — Depop's audience might pay more because the item carries social currency that eBay buyers don't respond to in the same way.

The short version: check both before you list. The 10 minutes it takes could be worth $40 or more per listing.