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Whether you’re looking to clean out your closet for some extra cash or want to give reselling a try, Poshmark is the perfect place to get started!
Before You Get Started
Poshmark is a fun, easy-to-use secondhand resale site where you can list your gently used items like clothes, shoes, accessories, home decor and more. Signing up for an account is free and only takes a few minutes!
Before you get started, though, it’s important to know that while there are no fees to list, Poshmark does take a 20% commission from each sale or a flat fee of $2.95 for sales under $15. This fee is one of the highest of all resale platforms, but there are a couple of great features that really make it worth your time.
First, shipping on Poshmark is a breeze! Each shipping label will cover any package up to 5 lbs, so there’s no need to worry about weighing most items before listing. Sellers also don’t need to stress about packing orders. You can use any recycled boxes, including ones from places like Amazon and Target, as well as the free Priority Mail envelopes and boxes provided by USPS.
Second, I love the payout process. Once a buyer receives their order, they have three days to let Poshmark know if there is a problem. This can only be due to damage or the item not being as described. Once those three days pass, the order is automatically marked complete and you are paid out.
Lastly, a big feature that makes Poshmark a great reselling platform is bundling! Buyers have the ability to add multiple items from your closet to a ‘bundle’ and purchase them all at once. This increases your potential for sales and allows the buyer to only pay one shipping fee — a win-win!
Now that we’ve gone over the basics of Poshmark, let’s break down each step and get you closer to your first sale!
Finding Your Inventory
As you are just starting out, save some money by looking around your home for things you could sell. This could be anything from clothing and accessories to home decor and kid’s toys. You could also ask friends and family to donate anything they no longer need, too!
Once you’ve gone through your own space, there are several options to find more inventory that can work for your budget, location and time:
- Outlet Stores: By far the most budget-friendly option, sourcing from places like the Goodwill Outlet, where items are sold by the pound, will give you the most bang for your buck. Do a quick Google search to see if there are any other outlet style stores near you that sell overstock, out-of-season or returned items from popular stores at a steep discount.
- Thrift Stores: The most popular sourcing spot for a reason, thrift stores have a lot to offer! New items are put on the floor every single day and the thrill of the hunt it just too fun to pass up shopping here at least every once in awhile. Perfect for resellers of every kind!
- Resale & Consignment Shops: Local consignment and resale shops like Plato’s Closet, Buffalo Exchange and Uptown Cheapskate are perfect for anyone looking for new or gently-used clothing and accessories in a more curated space. While you may pay more, you’ll likely find items more organized and in better condition than the thrift store.
- Garage Sales & Local Marketplaces: Garage sales are probably the most hit or miss sourcing spot on the list, but they can be a great place to find unique, vintage or collectible items at a lower cost. If spending your Saturday morning driving around town isn’t your thing, grab your computer and check out sites like Facebook Marketplace! You can do all of your browsing and negotiating before even leaving your home.
- Online: Don’t have a lot of extra time in your day or live too far from a good sourcing spot? Try shopping online! Secondhand resale sites like Poshmark, eBay, Mercari and ThredUp can be gold mines for good deals. Also, keep an eye out for mega sales at places like Nordstrom Rack and other online retailers.
*Tip: Source items you love searching for! The more you enjoy it, the more knowledgable you’ll become about the items you are looking for and the easier the whole process will be!
Listing
Now that you have some inventory, you’re ready to start listing!
When it comes to photos, you can model your items, make a background, take flat-lays or use any other creative setup you’d like. Just make sure you are taking well-lit, clear photos for your buyer! Edit any photos, if needed, to increase brightness or clarity, but don’t alter the image so the product is not accurately portrayed.
Poshmark allows up to 16 photos in each listing and you should absolutely be taking advantage of it! Not only does it provide trust for a shopper in understanding what they are buying, but it can help prevent false return requests down the road.
Here’s what you should be including in your photos:
- every side or angle
- a close up of detailing, patterns or printed words/images
- brand & size tag
- material tag
- measurements
- damage
To go hand in hand with your photos, your description should be very detailed and list those same things including measurements, condition and any damage. The more descriptive you are here and in your title, the higher chance of your item being seen by the right shopper. Your listings will also come up in Google searches, so keep that in mind and take the time to fill these out accurately.
The last part of the listing form is pricing. If you don’t know the original price, that’s okay. Just put $0. For the listing price, I would suggest pricing a little bit higher than you would like to sell the item for. Poshmark is big on offers, so whether a buyer makes an offer or you send one out, you’ll want to leave a little room to still make the profit you want.
Making Sales
Poshmark is a social selling platform — they want interactions on their app and with this comes the need to share the items you have listed in your closet. But it’s not for nothing, as sharing bumps your item to the top of the search and gives you a better chance of making a sale. So, try to share your closet at least once a day if not more.
A few ways you can also help yourself make sales includes sending out offers to people who have liked your items, accepting an offer someone has sent you (or countering to a price you are comfortable with) and dropping your prices during Closet Clear Out days where any likers are notified and given discounted shipping covered by Poshmark.
After The Sale
Congrats, you made a sale!
Pack your order securely, with bubble wrap or packing paper if needed, then place it in a poly mailer or box. Like I mentioned at the beginning of this article, you can re-use store branded boxes, just make sure to remove any old labels.
A shipping label will be e-mailed to you, just print it off and tape it to your package!
In the event that you sold a large bundle and think it may be over 5 lbs, you will first need to find out the total weight of the package including the box, then pay for an upgraded label. You can do this by going to the order page, clicking on “need new shipping label”, then “need heavier weight label” and choosing the new weight. The extra fee will be deducted from your earnings.
Take your package to your nearest USPS and drop it off inside or in one of the blue boxes outside.
Again, buyers have three days to accept your order or open a case with Poshmark. After those three days, you will automatically be paid out! You can cash out your balance to your bank, Venmo or PayPal account.
You’re ready to make your first sale on Poshmark! Check out these articles for more info:
