Imogen Coates, also known on Depop as babyimox, might be one of the newer Depop HQ employees, but she’s been buying & selling on Depop longer than almost everyone else in the company! Since downloading the app in March, 2014, Imogen has amassed over 206K followers on Depop, and sold over a thousand items. Outside of Depop, she loves: margherita pizzas, watching thriller films with friends, chocolate, and wishes she could be 19 forever (don’t we all?!) on the beaches of Ibiza — which she fondly remembers as one of the happiest summers of her life so far. Below, read in Imogen’s own words how she discovered Depop, moved from Derby to London, and became a dance-off queen.
When did you first join Depop?
Maybe, like, 2 years ago on Instagram. I saw my friend was using it, and I was like, “I want to do this too.”
What do you like most about Depop?
It’s fun, It’s easy, and it helps you be creative and make money.
Have you made a lot of money on Depop?
*laughs* yeah, I have.
What have you been able to buy with the money you’ve made off Depop?
Designer handbags.
Which designer handbags?
A.P.C. That was my first treat. And just clothes. More clothes. Shoes. Trainers.
Do you then go and re-sell the clothes you’ve bought once you’ve worn them a few times?
No, I keep the clothes that I buy, because I’m quite particular with my wardrobe. Then I just buy to sell. I’ll go to charity shops or warehouses.
What do you do outside of Depop?
I go out a lot. Get drunk. Is that what you mean?
Yeah! How drunk do you get?
I get too drunk.
Do you have a funny drunk story? What’s the craziest thing you’ve ever done when you’ve been out drinking?
I don’t think I should probably go into it *laughs*. I had a dance off with this russian girl in a club once in shoreditch. She was a bit diva-y and all this, and so I went over…
Did you win the dance off?
I did win, yeah. She thought she was going to win, and I was like, ‘noooo’.
So dancing and getting really drunk?
Yeah, I enjoy going to the cinema, and just generally relaxing and having fun.
What’s your favourite movie? Do you have one?
That’s a hard question.
Or is there a type of movie that you like more than others?
Thrillers.
Do you like to be scared?
No. Excited.
When was the last time you had a job that wasn’t Depop related?
I’m a hairdresser. I’ve done hairdressing for like eight years. So I’ve been doing that up until I started here!
So up until then you’ve been doing Depop on the side and hairdressing full time?
Yep. I’ve been doing part-time hairdressing and part-time Depop.
Did you study for hairdressing?
Yeah, I’m a colourist so there’s a lot to it.
Is this your natural hair colour?
No. It’s pretty light but not quite as light as it is right now.
Did you see any crazy things going on while you were working as a hairdresser?
No, not really, but it can go wrong. I worked at a salon where all of the footballers wives would come to, and this woman was having her extension done and her colour done and all of that, and her hair just fell out completely because of the process, and she was really distraught because she was this big glam woman.
Where’d you grow up?
Derby
When did you move?
When I came to Depop for the job, so around May. So I’ve been here nearly six months.
How are you finding London?
It’s fun. In the beginning, I think I was like, ‘what the fuck?’ but I think it just keeps getting better. I’m enjoying it. Yeah, it’s good fun.
Did you come down much before?
Occasionally. My friend lived here so I would come up and visit her, but not a lot really. I didn’t really know where I was going.
Could you think back on a moment, the happiest moment when you were really happy and you felt really alive. What were you doing?
I did a hairdressing competition, and I won it. That was a really great moment. I was really happy with that.
What did you win?
Well *laughs* my prize was a year’s worth of education with L’Oreal, but I left to start my job at Depop…so I didn’t get the prize. It was, like, decision time.
Why did you decide to work for Depop then?
I was proud that I’d won the competition and all, but I felt like it was kind of time for me to move out of Derby and take the next step. I couldn’t have standed being in Derby for another year. I prefer to be here.
And you’ve lived in Derby your whole life?
Yeah.
How old are you?
24
Right now in life, is there anything that you really want to do or really want?
I want to make my Depop good again. I want to work on that!
Has it not been since you started working here?
No. No. Yeah, so I kind of just want to work on that.
Have you found it easier to source stuff for your Depop shop since you’ve been in London?
Um…I keep saying to myself that I’m going to do it, and I’ve been to a few charity shops which has been good, but I used to go to a warehouse in Birmingham which was really good, and I could just drive up there when I wanted, so…I’m pretty limited with transport and getting places since i’ve moved here.
Yeah, it must be a bit of a struggle to do a big shop somewhere and have to take it back on the tube.
Yeah, it really is.
So you used to go to a warehouse and get clothes…what’s the deal there? What was the warehouse?
It was just a nice, big warehouse full of everything.
Was it open to the public? How does that work?
No, you need to know the guy and then you contact him and he’ll arrange a date for you to come. I was going there for probably two years, and we were quite good friends so he would just let me come whenever.
How did he have a warehouse full of stuff?
That was just his job. He sources all of this stuff for people to sell.
So other people who were buying to sell, like you, would go too?
Yeah, I started bumping into Depop sellers there and I was like, ‘for god’s sake, why are you here? This is my place!’
How did you get into that? How did you find out about that?
Me and Mellow Hill used to go there, and we just found it.
If we’re to put a link into anything, on this page that we’re working on, what would you want us to link to?
Maybe my Instagram?
What is the last lie that you told? Make it a good one?
Um…I don’t know…
The best answer to questions like that is like, ‘This one.’
*laughs*
Ok, never mind. What is your perfect pizza?
I think I’m going to go standard margherita. You just can’t beat it.
Would you be willing to eat a bowl of crickets for £40,000
I’d have to, yeah.
If you could be any age for a week, what age would that be and why?
Probably nineteen, because it was a funny age. I had a lot of fun.
What were you doing when you were nineteen?
I did a season in Ibiza. I lived there for the summer.
Do you remember it at all or just have a general idea that it was fun?
Yeah *laughs* I remember it.
You know that you were there because you have the tickets!
Yeah *laughs* I have the tickets. The pictures.
You have the tattoo…
*laughs*
Do you have a tattoo?
I have three tattoos. There’s not really any stories behind any of them. I got them when I was around eighteen-nineteen and probably wouldn’t get them again now…but you’re just stuck with them.
What would you get now?
Mmm…something very different. More like small and dainty.
What do you think people think about you that you think is wrong?
They probably think I am a bit vain, which I am probably vain, *laughs* I don’t know…people judge without knowing people and they probably just think I’m a bit stupid and blonde, which is wrong.
Have you ever tipped a cow?
Do you mean milked a cow?
No, like tipped a cow over. It’s a thing.
Oh my god. No!
Yeah, that’s how you know you’re from the countryside. You go cow tipping.
That’s absurd.
If you could spend a day with a celebrity, who would it be?
I’d say Kylie Jenner, she’s the first person who came to my mind, but she’s quite shit. I wouldn’t actually want to spend the day with her.
Why’s that?
Ugh. She’d just talk about herself all day, wouldn’t she.
Ok, last question, if you could eat one food for the rest of your life, what would that be?
Chocolate. I do really like chocolate.
