When I go home for the summer, I naturally look forward to seeing friends and family and getting a chance to relax. But I also look forward to the opportunity to start up my favorite summer gig, selling old things on Poshmark to make some extra cash.
What is poshmark?
Poshmark is a resale app with over 80 million users who buy and sell secondhand clothing, accessories, toys, home goods, and more. It has been called an “online flea market” that offers affordable and convenient purchases and sales, with sellers shipping their secondhand items directly to their customers.
What can you sell?
Almost anything can be sold on Poshmark that is able to be shipped through the mail, with obvious exceptions of prohibited items like medications or food. The site started as a clothing resale but has expanded to accessories, electronics, home goods, bathroom supplies, and more. I have had a lot of success selling old clothes, books, jewelry, and collectible items like Funko Pops. Items don’t have to be in perfect condition, but you will be able to make more money the better they are.
How does it work?
As a seller, you’ll make listings for each item you want to sell. Shoppers will be able to purchase your listings outright or send you offers of lower rates that you can decline or accept. Sellers can also send offers to people who like their listings. Once your item has been purchased, Poshmark will email you a shipping label, and then you simply have to pack up your item, tape on the provided shipping label, and drop off the package at the post office. Once the buyer receives the item, the money from the purchase will be automatically deposited into your Poshmark account, which can then be transferred to your bank account or sent to you as a check. (Poshmark takes a 20% commission on sales of $15 or more and a flat $3 commission on sales under $15, which is automatically deducted from your profit).
What do you need to do?
The first step to selling on Poshmark is to go through your closet and old things and find items that you want to sell. Then you can make listings for each item. The primary element of the listing is the photos you will take of your item, which should be well-lit, simple, and taken from multiple angles to show all parts of your item. Good photos take practice, but it’s worth it because they are what make people want to buy your item. You will also create a title and a description for the item, that will include things like its brand, name, style, color, and condition. You can then set the price you’re asking for your item, which will be based on the item’s original price and its condition. Often, items are listed at a 60% discount from their original price, but you can also look up similar items being sold by other people on Poshmark and price yours at the same rate.
Once your listings are posted, you can share your listings so that they are boosted on searches. Buyers can like your listings and you can send them discounted offers. People can also comment on listings with questions, which you should respond to promptly.
If you’re fairly active on Poshmark with sharing your listings and creating new ones, you’ll make sales in no time.
What other apps are out there?
Poshmark isn’t the only resale site out there. Mercari is also an excellent site with an even broader range of items sold, as well as eBay, Depop, Letgo, and more. They all follow similar processes as Poshmark, and once you start on one, it’s easy to transfer listings to many sites to up your chance of sales.
Happy summer and good luck selling!