If you’ve got clothes in your closet you don’t wear any more, or are just looking for a way to earn some extra cash, here’s some basic info you need to know about Poshmark!
If you’ve taken the time to do a closet clean out, you know that you’re often left with bags of clothing that are still in great shape but just aren’t being worn for whatever reason. While consignment stores can offer a great return on your investment, I’ve found an app that lets you sell your clothes and also decide how much they’re worth (unlike consignment stores who simply make an offer).
Poshmark is quickly becoming one of the most popular ways to empty your closet and make a little cash on the side!
How Poshmark works:
Poshmark makes it pretty easy to sell your items. They take a flat commission of $2.95 on all sales under $15. For sales of $15 or more, they keep 20%. (If that sounds a little steep to you, remember, you control your asking price!)
Once your sale has been delivered and received by your buyer, the earnings are yours. You can spend it within the app or have it go straight into your bank account. Buyers pay a flat shipping fee of $5.95.
To get started on Poshmark:
- Download the Poshmark app. While you can shop from their website, view your profile and check messages, you can’t do any selling without the app.
- List your item. Take some photos and upload them to the app, or you can take directly from the app.
- Describe and price. Give a good description of the item including anything the buyer should be aware of (including any garments defects or issues- stains, tiny holes, etc.).
- Ship your item once it sells. Poshmark will email you a prepaid shipping label. Box up your item(s), attach your label and put it in the mailbox! Once your item has been delivered and there were no issues, your payment will be released.
I’ve only been using Poshmark for a couple of months and have only had a good experience. I’ve sold three items and made a little over $60. I like that you can sell new and used items, edit your items whenever you’d like (including making price changes) and that you can communicate with the buyer/seller with any questions you might have. Getting a prepaid shipping label emailed to you once an item sells is a great service too!
A few tips:
- Take good photos. You can model your items, throw them on a dress form, hang them on the back of a door, etc. Whatever you do, make sure you have good lighting and edit your photos to ensure they look as accurate as possible.
- Be honest. If you claim an item is “brand new with tags”, you better have a tag on it! Same goes for sharing any tiny hole or stain that a garment has. Buyers will still pay for a gently used item IF they know in advance what they are getting! If you sell an item and it doesn’t match your description the buyer can report it to Poshmark and cancel the sale.
- Get involved in the community. Follow other members and hopefully they’ll share your items too! Poshmark also hosts “Posh Parties” often. If you’ve got items that match the party theme, share them! Plus, it’s a fun way to see (and buy!) from other closets!
- Offer great customer service. Instead of just stuffing your garment into a padded envelope, take a little time to fold it nicely, wrap it in tissue and add a thank you card to the buyer. This can be a great way to earn high reviews and find repeat customers!
- Offer deals and discounts – Because of the flat rate shipping fee ($5.95) that buyers pay, sometimes they’ll make a lower offer on your merchandise. Many successful sellers find that by offering discounts you’re more likely to move clothing quicker. (Ex. Give a discount of 15% off if you buy more than one item, etc.)
If you think that buying and selling on Poshmark seems like something you’d like to try, download the app for free here and use code BPJFY (my code to share!) to receive a $10 credit toward your first purchase! Have some own thoughts to share about Poshmark? Let me know!
Originally published February 19, 2016