Recently my sister-in-law asked me if I could help her partner learn how to resell clothing. I was ecstatic! I love teaching what I know.
We decided to have a zoom meeting when she returns from out of town. That still hasn’t happened but I put together a Trello board with tons of info in anticipation of the meeting.
In thinking about all the aspects of reselling used clothing, I decided to strongly suggest that she start with Poshmark. Poshmark is the simplest platform to use and a great place to start for anyone who wants to sell online.
That led to this blog post. I thought there might be people interested in reselling or buying used clothing who have never heard of Poshmark. So I decided to put together an informational post to explain what Poshmark is and why I think it’s a great platform for reselling and buying used items.
Okay, let’s get started.
What is Poshmark?
Poshmark is an online marketplace that helps users buy and sell clothing, shoes, accessories, beauty products, and even household items. In this post, we’re going to take a closer look at what Poshmark is, how it works, and why so many people use it to buy and sell used clothing.
Poshmark was founded in 2011 by Manish Chandra, and it’s based in Redwood City, CA. The platform has over 100 million registered users in the United States and Canada, and it’s quickly expanding to other countries.
Poshmark touts itself as a social marketplace. I don’t use it that way and don’t really know anyone that does, but it’s Poshmark’s goal to have their users build relationships with other users.
The platform allows you to follow, like, and comment on other user’s listings. They hold regular “Posh Parties” where you can shop for specific items or themes and they encourage you to join. They like to think this social aspect of Poshmark is a big part of what sets them apart from other online marketplaces.
How does Poshmark work?
Okay, I’m sure you’re wondering how Poshmark works. Here I’ll start at the beginning and cover at a very high level both how to sell and how to buy on Poshmark. In my next post I’ll go deeper into what’s involved in using Poshmark to sell used clothing for an income.
Selling on Poshmark
- Download the app: First, you’ll need to download the app. I mostly use the website on my desktop but when I’m away from home, I use the app.
- Create an account: Once on the app you’ll need to create a Poshmark account. You can sign up with your email address, Facebook account, or Google account.
- List your items: To start selling, you’ll need to list your items on Poshmark. You can take photos of your items and upload them to the app or website, along with a description and price.
- Sell your items: When someone is interested in buying one of your items, they can make an offer or purchase it outright. You’ll receive a shipping label from Poshmark via email, then you just package and ship the item to the buyer.
- Get paid: Once the buyer receives the item and confirms that it’s as described, you’ll receive payment from Poshmark. The platform takes a 20% commission on sales over $15, and a flat fee of $2.95 for sales under $15.
- So much more to know: Yes, that was a very high-level overview and there is so, so, so much more. But for now, I’m just keeping it simple, I’ll dive in on my next post.
Buying on Poshmark
I’ll repeat 1 & 2 for those who skim…
- Download the app: First you’ll need to download the app. I mostly use the website on my desktop but when I’m away from home or watching tv, I use the app.
- Create an account: Once on the app you’ll need to create a Poshmark account. You can sign up with your email address, Facebook account, or Google account.
- Browse listings: To start shopping on Poshmark, you can browse listings by category, brand, size, and more. You can also search for specific items or follow your favorite sellers.
- Make an offer or purchase: When you find an item you’re interested in, you can make an offer to the seller or purchase it outright. Before purchasing Poshmark requires you to enter your credit card. It is kept on file for all future purchases. All offers are binding if accepted and Poshmark charges your credit card immediately.
- Shipping: All items are shipped via USPS Priority mail and the buyer pays the shipping cost (at the time of this post it’s $7.97) unless the seller has made an offer with discounted shipping. If you buy more than one item from the same seller, you are allowed to bundle and all the items ship for the same shipping cost. There is a 5 lb. limit to how much can go in a bundle and it’s up to the seller to determine whether they will allow more and want to pay for extra pounds.
- Receive your item: Once you’ve made a purchase, the seller will ship the item to you. You’ll receive a tracking number and can track the item’s progress.
- Rate the seller: After you receive the item, you can rate the seller and leave feedback. This helps other buyers know what to expect from that seller in the future.
- No returns: Poshmark does not allow returns for size. The only way you can make a return is if the item you purchased does not match the description on the listing. Poshmark must approve all returns and will send you a shipping label if your return is approved.
When it comes to buying on Poshmark, be sure to carefully read the item description and look at all of the photos before making a purchase. Since most items are sold by individual sellers rather than professional retailers, there may be some variation in the quality or condition of items. And since they don’t allow returns, make sure you’re confident in your purchase before hitting the “buy” button.
Why is Poshmark So Popular?
So why has Poshmark become such a popular choice for buying and selling used clothing? Here you go:
- Sustainability: By buying and selling secondhand items, Poshmark helps reduce waste and contributes to a more sustainable fashion industry. Many users like the platform for this very reason and are proud to support a more environmentally friendly way of shopping.
- Affordable prices: Since Poshmark is a marketplace for secondhand items, you can often find great deals on designer and high-end items that would be out of reach at full price.
- Convenience: Poshmark offers a hassle-free way to buy and sell items without the need for physical stores or in-person meetings. As more and more people start to prefer buying online to physical stores, platforms like Poshmark become more popular.
- Income potential: Poshmark offers an opportunity for people to earn extra income by selling items they no longer need or want. A lot of users (like me!!) have turned Poshmark into a full-time business, sourcing items from thrift stores and reselling them on the platform for a profit.
- Variety of items: With millions of users and thousands of new listings added daily, Poshmark offers a wide range of items to choose from. Users can find everything from high-end designer clothing to vintage accessories to household items making it a one-stop shop for used goods.
So, if you want to use the platform for buying, this post gave you most of the information you’ll need. You might need to figure out the social aspect and how to bundle multiple items from one seller, but most people are savvy on their apps and can figure it out, so I’m done with the explanation on buying.
However, selling is another thing, it’s my jam and I want to give more info about that.
In my next post I’ll go over:
- Why Poshmark is the best platform to start with if you’re a new reseller and how it compares to other platforms like Ebay and Mercari.
- Some of the basic negatives about reselling.
- Things to consider before you start reselling on Poshmark or any other platform.
Until next time~
Reba
