How I Sell My Clothes on Poshmark
So, by now I'm sure you can tell that I'm a little obsessed with Poshmark. I joined Poshmark my freshman year of college because I had a closet filled to the brim with clothing and an empty bank account. It took me a while to get the hang of it, but I made about $400 during my winter break alone, and I was selling things I would make literal pennies off of so you can only guess how many items I sold.
Because I was on a break from school, I didn't have much time and was desperate to keep clearing things out. Now that I am in one place for most of the year with slightly more storage than a dorm room, I can play the long game and actually make some money! I am by no means an expert, but I have definitely grown my knowledge of how to make a little extra dough online.
If this is your first time selling clothes online, I would start by Marie Kondo-ing your clothes and just piling everything you own on your bed. Once you've been doing it for a while, you'll get a pretty good sense of the amount of clothing you have and can skip this step. Then, I would divide your clothes in to three piles; Donate/Toss, Keep, Sell.
The Donate/Toss pile will be things that are damaged or too used for someone to pay more than a few dollars for. I perfect example I found recently is a super cute Old Navy jumpsuit I got on sale for $1.87 (I know right!!) a few years ago. It's since shrunk in the wash and the seams are fraying hard core. It's still wearable, but I think a buyer should be able to try it on and expect the imperfections in person since it's a little more than usual- so I'm sending it off to the thrift store! I'm not here to advocate throwing your clothes away, but I also cannot advocate for you donating used underwear or a single holey sock to your local Goodwill.
Depending on the size of your wardrobe and your commitment to selling, you can divide your Keep pile into two sections; a 100% keep and a be aware of section. I know I'm going to keep my favorite purple ModCloth dress, but I haven't worn this Tommy Hilfiger shirt yet and I've had it for three months. I might decide to keep that Tommy Hilfiger shirt this time, but if it hasn't been worn (or if I wore it and didn't like it) the next time I clean, it's got to go. You can keep a list or switch the hanger around to indicate those you're watching. The process of clearing your belongings is not to have three shirts and one pair of pants left. It's simply to know what you have and acknowledge what is simply taking up space in your life.
The Sell pile might actually be the hardest pile to do. Some people have a hard time letting go and might end up with one t-shirt they're willing to part with. And others might just dump everything they have in the pile and end up having to rebuy things because they sold all of their winter clothes. Both are equally bad in this situation, again. Focus on what you actually use or has intense sentimental value. You should also be on the look out for things that have resell value. So again, avoid things that are damaged (a stray hole or hidden stain can be ok depending on the item but remember to disclose it!), things that are super out of style that have not come back yet, or are from places like Wal-Mart. There are obviously exceptions to every rule and if you think something might sell, go ahead and list it! Good condition and great style can be way more important than brand.
Once you have a rough idea of what you're going to be listing, it's time to take pictures! I personally think taking bulk photos of pieces and listing them when you can is the way to go. You can always list while waiting for the subway but you can't take pictures there. Your backdrop should be clean and light. I have a command hook on the back of my door where I hang my towel and it's perfect for photos! I also use my bed for items like pants or things that look better laying flat. I experimented with my furry rug, but the lighting just did not work down there. I start with experimenting with flash and no flash, depending on time of day, weather, and fabric color I might post both. I usually take one of the front of the piece, a close up on the the fabric or pattern, a close up of any buttons or embellishments, a close up of the tag and fabric description if I feel like the fabric might be unexpected or if it required special laundering, and then I also take a picture of the back. I also started doing this trick where I will tape one sleeve out so you can more clearly see the shape of the piece and any sleeve detailing, but can also just bring some life into your listing. I also like to brighten my cover photo a little, I usually just use Instagram editing but you can use any app that works for you.
Then I try to research a bit about the items I'm listing- stock photos, retail value, specific name of item. You'll be more likely to sell something if you list it as the "Gal Meets Glam Kathleen Coral Dress" than "Pink Dress". This is also a great time to look up comps on the item so you know how to price it. Make sure you look at the available and sold listing. Sometimes expensive brands do not have high resell value, so just because a bag retails for $250, some people may list it at $200, but the people listing it at $75 have actually sold it. This is not to say to price super low, because you want a little wiggle room for offers or bundle discounts. Poshmark really emphasizes bundles and offers so you don't want to price it at your absolute lowest right away.
As for posting, I like to spread it out and do a handful a day, as the Poshmark algorithm rewards those who are super active, and that means posting pretty much everyday. As for the post themselves, it's pretty easy. Just keep things simple and clear. Include brand name, style name (if applicable) and as many descriptives as possible- Madewell Red and White Thin Striped Sweater. That way those who are looking for specific pieces or are using Google can find it.
After posting, you want to share your listings as much as possible and share other seller's listings too! Sharing pushes your listing to the top of search results and will result in more sales. Poshmark runs like a social network, so the more active you are the more you are rewarded! You also will want to answer any questions shoppers leave on your listings! Now, I'm not saying you have to be glued to the app, but it does help to have your notifications on. Some questions will be super annoying, but worth it to make sales! Also, you will get millions of questions about measurements, I've personally only put measurements on a listing if I knew the sizing was not standard. But some people do it for every single listing so it is up to you! I would rather have a quicker photographing and listing time and provide measurements as needed.
After a little elbow grease, you should have made your first sale! Be sure to get it out ASAP and package it properly. Poshmark allows you to use the USPS Priority Mail boxes that are free, but I've had too many workers say I can't use it (even though you totally can) and have sworn them off. I just reuse boxes from things I buy online or buy padded envelopes at the dollar store. I also like to wrap them in tissue paper or put them in a plastic bag (from packages I had shipped to me! Reduce, Reuse, Recycle babes). Print the label Poshmark sends you, drop them off at the PO and ship it off! In a few days your funds become available and you can splurge on a Venti Starbucks instead of a Grande.
Hope this helped! I would love to hear your selling stories, and stay tuned for more posts about my selling adventures xoxo.
If you haven't downloaded Poshmark, feel free to use use this link and use emilyspence17 as your invite code at registration for $10.00 of your first order!