getting started on poshmark

I know, I’m tired of hearing me talk about it too. But I’m down 99 136 142 143 items so far and I’m feeling really evangelical about it.

So, if you’d also like to get rid of things in exchange for a little bit of cash then let’s get started!

NB: Everything I know I learned from people who are better at this than me. My friend Tracy (@PolishedTwo) is a phenom and when I grow up I want to be like her. I’m still pretty new and learning things every day.

let’s roll:

download the Poshmark app.

 

create an account, pick a name for your closet that you think translates into a good shop name. I started off as a buyer on poshmark in 2016 under ershyn, but I changed it last month to shopmyfeelings.

 

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have a spot to take good, consistent, photos. I have a bright blank wall in my bedroom that I have put 2 command hooks on – one at a good height for dresses, and one for skirts/pants/etc.

 

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I also made myself a slapdash photo-box for photographing shoes, bags, cosmetics, smaller things. I used a white foam-core trifold board from Target. I cut off about 15 inches of one end (badly) and I use that as the base of my “box”. I was going to tape the whole thing together but I like being able to fold it up and put it away when I’m done taking pictures.

 

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pick 2 hangers that you like and use just those – one for skirts, etc and one for everything else. I started with a black plastic hanger and a broken clippy one. It doesn’t make a huge difference, this might be me being a little too picky, but I like how things look when photos are consistent and part of that is the hanger. After I’d sold 40 things I made my first poshmark investment – I bought a vintage 1960s clothing hanger from the Disneyland Hotel and a cool telescoping clip hanger for skirts, both on etsy. I spent about 30$ total – I’m not suggesting you do that. It just worked for me.

 

do a minute or two of research on the thing you are selling – what was its original selling price? what is that thing selling for right now? sometimes I gank a stock photo of the thing to use in my listing. I think technically this is frowned upon but it is widely practiced.

 

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measure the thing. armpit to armpit, waistband, and shoulder to hem are the big ones. cover your ass a little bit and put a disclaimer- I use “measurements are approximate and unstretched”. because they are. Keep a cloth measuring tape with your poshmark gear and know where it is all the time. people will want to know random measurements and it’s good to be able to get back to them quickly without having to go to target to buy a whole new tape because you have no idea what you did with the last one. (Yup, I speak from experience and I still haven’t found the first tape…)

 

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open the app – select “sell”- and start taking pictures. if you think they are too dark you can lighten them using the basic photo editing software on your phone. take pictures from different angles, take one of the tags, take one of the heels and soles of shoes and of any flaws in the clothes. sometimes the flaws make me decide that the item is going to goodwill, sometimes I list it anyways and just make sure I cover it in the description…

 

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write a good title and description – include the brand, size, color, type, style name, any imperfections at all with the item and anything that you’d want to know if you were shopping for that thing. Include measurements. Does it still have tags? Adding details through the app is very easy, it will lead you through the whole thing.

 

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Choose the price – good rule of thumb (that I read and follow but your mileage may vary) is to set your price at 50% of what the item originally sold for. Your GAP jeans that you paid 68 dollars for are now worth 34 dollars AT MOST, and likely will go for much less. That 68$ is a sunk cost, you’re not going to get it back, and that is ok. Sometimes you might sell a thing for more than you paid for it, but I’m talking about poshmark as closet clean out, not as a resale situation for thrifters. Lots of people DO make a living at reselling thrifted clothes on poshmark. It is a tough gig but if you can do it then more power to you. For me this is very much a side-hustle. (even though I don’t currently have a full-time-hustle…)

 

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or 11a. Poshmark takes 20% of anything over 15.00 and 2.95 flat fee for anything under 15.00. So keep that in mind when you consider listing everything at 5.00 to get it the heck outta your house. (not a terrible strategy but a limited one, especially if you want to lower prices or field offers.)

 

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fill your closet and share, share, share.

 

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When you make a sale- and you will if your photos are good, your prices are reasonable and your responses to potential buyers are timely and helpful… you need to ship within 3 days. Use up all of the boxes in your house first- from all of the online shopping that you’re NOT doing anymore and then turn to the good old USPS who will provide you with free priority mail boxes and envelopes.

 

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I spend money on the paper and ink to print my shipping labels, packing tape, tissue paper for wrapping the items and cute inexpensive thank you notes which I include in every package. It works out to less than .40 per package. Other than paper and printer ink don’t buy things yet! I’m positive you have a stash of cards somewhere that you never send, or pretty stationary or interesting post-its, and tissue paper or wrapping supplies from holidays and birthdays. Use all of that up first. The whole idea is to get all of this shit out of our houses, right? Plus, when else are you going to use that minions wrapping paper?

 

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*Don’t use newspaper* I know you know that, having at least purchased one thing from ebay at some point in your life. Newspaper is a terrible idea for anything other than packing dishes for moving or reading the obituaries.

 

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Is there more? Yes. Did you actually read this whole thing? Questionable. Do you need to? Probably not. Will you find it helpful? Hopefully.

I really think that it all comes down to common sense, and you’re all super smart so you probably didn’t need any of this. So thank you for indulging my need to write this.

And thank you for Re-homing your clothes instead of throwing them away, and thank YOURSELF for all of the room you’ll be making in your closet so that the things you actually wear can hang all neatly with room to breathe.

You rock.

xoxo