There comes a time when you find yourself willing to do almost anything for some extra cash. As a broke college student, this is exactly where I found myself last year. I couldn’t find the flexibility in my schedule to babysit or tutor on the side and I was already working a part-time job on campus. With the struggle becoming increasingly real, I had to find a way to keep up with my expensive coffee addiction. That’s when Poshmark answered my money craving prayers!
Image Source: Poshmark
So what is Poshmark? Well, aside from a God-sent, Poshmark is an app that allows people to buy and sell clothes from all over the United States. Now, this app isn’t like eBay or Craigslist. On Poshmark, you can only sell clothes, shoes, jewelry, accessories, and makeup. If you find yourself staring at a pile of clothes out of season or too big or small, then this might be the app you’ve been searching for.
Now, let’s break down how you use this ah-mazing app! First, you simply download the app. You will then be prompted to make a profile which includes information like your address and a short bio about yourself. All this information is used to create your “closet”; this is where you will upload any items you have laying around to sell! For example, if I want to sell one of my old shirts, I will upload several nice pictures of it (preferably at least one with the shirt on – as a model), I will then upload information about the shirt such as the brand, style, size, color, condition, and the original price of the item. Finally, I will price the item at the amount I want to sell it for and voila! I know have an item listed in my “closet”.
Image Source: Poshmark
If a buyer is interested in an item listed in my closet, they can send me an “offer”. As the seller, I can either counteroffer their original offer or I can decline/accept. Buyers can also “bundle” multiple items in your closet for a discount. As the seller, you can again decline or accept their offer. If you end up getting the hang of this easy-to-use app, you can become a “pro posher” and open up your own “boutique”. This is where it gets a bit more in-depth so we will just stick to the basics for now. Once an item from your closet has been sold, you will receive a confirmation email that contains a shipping label. All you have to do next is put your items in a package, print off the shipping label, and drop the package off at the post office or place it n a mailbox. Once the package is scanned, tracking information will be sent to the buyer.
Image Source: Poshmark
Now, you must be wondering about payment methods! If you accept a buyers offer or if they purchase one of your items at full price, that money will be sent to your Poshmark account but it will not be released until your buyer has received the item(s)! The buyer then has up to three days to “accept” the item(s) and give you a rating. Once this happens, you can submit a request to have your funds released to you and they will be sent to your bank account an about 24 – 48 hours. It’s that simple! Now, the only downside to selling your items on the Poshmark app is that they take off a percentage of your earnings as part of a Poshmark fee. For example, if I were to sell a shirt for eight dollars, I would make five dollars from that listing.
Of course, the better the ratings you have as a seller, the more people will want to shop from your closet. You need to make sure you are shipping your items within three days and that your items are as described. Poshmark will encourage you to add little notes and fancy packaging to your items to give your buyer a pleasing shopping experience as well.
Image Source: Poshmark
Overall, I would definitely recommend this app! Poshmark is very simple to use and with a little patience, you could be rolling in some extra cash. I’ve made about two hundred dollars using this app just from selling some things here and there! Obviously, better-known brands like Patagonia, Lululemon, Nike, and MAC Cosmetics are going to sell the fastest and at the highest prices, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t someone out there that really digs that old Mickey Mouse shirt you have!