I don’t think of myself as materialistic, but I do have one vice: clothes.
I just feel so empowered when I’m dressed nice and know I look good.
Mall brand skirts and dresses and crop tops and high heels crowd my closet (and what I’ve stolen from boyfriend’s as well).
As a college student with aspirations for law school, it’s hard to warrant such luxurious purchases.
A Free People blouse is not worth a week without food — or, worse, a week without cranberry vodkas.
To mitigate the guilt of expensive clothing purchases, I picked up thrifting.
I would bring a bag of old clothes and donate it as well.
Gainesville has some absolutely fantastic establishments for in-person thrifting.
Unfortunately, coronavirus doesn’t exactly lend itself to the whole “in-person aspect.”
Thanks to COVID-19, I couldn’t thrift, and that meant no thrilling hunt for good deals, no adventurous escapades through unknown parts of the city with friends, and no way clear my closet of outdated fashions.
That is, until I remembered Poshmark.
Poshmark is a platform to buy and sell second-hand goods.
It might not be as engaging as thrifting, but it offers the same thrill of the hunt.
Through this medium, I have bought Lucky Brand jeans for $5 and Lululemon leggings for $13.
Through the app and website, you can easily sell your clothing as well.
Here are some helpful tips for funding your quarantine with Poshmark:
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Make use of your spring cleaning by separating outdated, name-brand clothes to be posted. Due to the search engine feature, only name brand pieces tend to get traction.
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Take lots of clean photos detailing each piece of clothing. Bright lighting and flattering backgrounds make for appealing photos. Customers are more likely to notice pretty photos.
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Post lots of pieces of clothing. Poshmark has a function called bundling where potential buyers can put pieces they like in one package for a discounted shipping. By having a lot to choose from, there’s more for a customer to like. Appeal to customers by offering additional bundling discounts such as 20% off.
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Don’t get offended by low-ball offers– your Lily Pulitzer dress from six seasons ago will not go for full price. Expect people to negotiate and don’t take offense if someone offers less than you want. Still, do not let yourself get taken advantage of. It’s a good idea to haggle the price to something that both of you will agree on.
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Make sure to keep your ratings up by including in-depth descriptions on all of your offering and shipping packages quickly. Also, wash all of your clothing before shipping to avoid loose hair and pet fur.
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Try to sell more than you buy. This one is especially hard for me. In order to turn a profit, you need to focus on selling and once the money comes, then you should begin shopping.
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Lastly, have fun! This is a great way to spend time indoors during quarantine.