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Want to sell your stuff on Poshmark with success? If you’re not already familiar, Poshmark is an online social marketplace where members can buy and sell items (mostly secondhand).
On the platform, a user can create a Poshmark “closet” and list unwanted possessions as a side hustle. While most items listed are in the women’s fashion category, you’ll also find products for men, kids, home, tech, pets and beauty.
If you’re a seller, it’s a great way to make a few bucks. If you’re a buyer, it’s a great way to save. And regardless of which you are, it’s an awesome way to live a little more sustainably; less waste in the world is a great thing! In this article, we’ll walk through how to get started, plus some expert tips from a successful Poshmark seller.
What Is Poshmark?
These days, when you search for a specific product on Google, you’ll see secondhand and resale marketplaces to buy from — like Poshmark, Mercari and eBay — in addition to your standard retailers like Nordstrom, Macy’s and Walmart.
While those who want to buy something brand spankin’ new might find this experience littered with irrelevant options, those who are OK buying gently used can save big; plus, live more sustainably. And bonus: Many Poshmark sellers also offer up items that are perfectly new. Sellers even have a “Boutique” marketplace where everything sold is brand new, never been used, with original tags — and in many cases, still priced significantly lower than its original.
In addition to new items, other requirements for listing in a “Boutique” include: items purchased by the seller wholesale or from a distributor, and sold to the public on Poshmark for the first time. That means, stuff you’ve bought from a mall, outlet or retailer don’t count.
So whether you’re looking to buy or hoping to sell, Poshmark can be your purveyor of savings.
Currently, there are 7 million sellers on Poshmark and 70 million users. Both buyers and sellers interact on the platform by sharing, liking and commenting on listings. Poshmark has built a robust community beyond its marketplace.
How To Set up Your Poshmark Store
The first thing you’ll need to create your Poshmark shop or “Closet,” as Poshmark calls it, is to start an account. You’ll need:
- An email address
- An image or avatar to use as your profile picture
- A background or header image for your store
- A payment method (which can be PayPal, a credit card or debit card)
Once your account is set up, then it’s time for you to sell! Take multiple pictures of your merchandise, including any flaws for transparency. As you list items on the Poshmark site on desktop or app on mobile, tap “Sell on Poshmark” (positioned top right on desktop or bottom center on mobile). There, you’ll need to populate the following fields about the product you’re selling in that listing:
- Title
- Description
- Category
- Quantity
- Size
- Whether it’s new with tags or not
- Brand
- Color
- Style Tags (which are surprisingly important, as you’ll read below)
- Original Price
- Listing Price
When adding photos, you can also use the app directly to crop, zoom in to resize and even apply a filter (on mobile only) to make your merchandise shine!
What To Sell on Your Poshmark Store
As I wrote this story, I decided to create my own Poshmark store. As I searched my closet for items to sell, I curated what truly has value. There’s no point in wasting shoppers’ time to showcase actual junk. You want to cherry pick items that are worth someone’s money, plus the $7.67 flat fee shipping cost (one- to three-day Priority Mail via USPS).
Think: handbags you no longer need, clothes your kids outgrew, stuff you wore a couple of times but don’t want to keep and gifts people gave you that you truly will never use. (Sorry, gifters!)
If there are too many imperfections or if the item looks quite worn, odds are, it doesn’t hold as much value as it once did and you should just drop that off at your local Salvation Army.
Another important thing to consider is to see what brands and product types are already trending on Poshmark. This platform thrives on search. In a sea of over 4 million sellers, you’ll want to list items that are already being searched for in order to be discovered. You can see this in your Poshmark feed under “Trending Brands” or “Today’s Trends.” Knowing what’s already selling for the audience can help narrow down what merchandise makes sense for this market.
According to a Poshwatch, a platform that helps sellers improve their Poshmark listings, the most popular brands on the platform include:
- Louis Vuitton
- Chanel
- Free People
- Gucci
- lululemon athletic
- Coach
- Nike
- Kate Spade
- Adidas
Poshmark Seller Tips To Follow
We caught up with Heather Rubacky, the Poshmark seller behind @heatherunfolded, which has garnered over 51,000 followers and +500 listings. The Chicago-area “posher” (what Poshmark calls its sellers), with a day job of her own, started her Poshmark account in late 2018.
“I had considered trying reselling for awhile, but hesitated because I had never done anything like that before,” explains the mother of two. For Rubacky — who’s not big on social media and isn’t a fashionista by her own definitions — decided to go for it. At first, she started selling things her kids outgrew, and slowly, she started thrifting with her daughter to find things to flip for profit.
We picked Rubacky’s brain for some impactful tips to help make your Poshmark business thrive …
Image: Poshmark1. Be an Over-sharer
Rubacky’s number-one tip is to “share the heck out of your closet.” By sharing your own listings, it makes them more visible for other Poshmark members and shoppers beyond the Poshmark ecosystem. “Each time a listing is shared, it gets moved to the top of all the listings and search results in that category,” adds Rubacky. “Sharing is essentially the basis around which the platform operates.” You’ll also get more follows from other Poshmark members. Having more followers also gives your listings more visibility.
“You can share your listings to your other social media platforms,” adds Rubacky. That includes: Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Tumblr.
2. Take Super Clear Photos
Make sure your photos are top-notch. In addition to framing your products well and considering lighting, Rubacky suggests you also give your listings transparency and be thorough. “Include photos of any flaws that your item might have. Be clear and detailed when writing the descriptions for your listings, as well. Include ALL the information,” she says. You may also want to mention if your home is smoke-free or pet-free. Rubacky also includes fabric content, care instructions and sometimes measurements.
While interested buyers can comment on your listing to ask questions, providing more info upfront will make selling easier for you in the longrun.
3. Be Transparent
Rubacky cautions that you should be as specific and honest as possible with your listings. “One thing I have learned to make a point of doing is to go over each piece you are selling with a fine-toothed comb. Check every zipper, button, seam and pocket,” she says. “If your item has a flaw that was not disclosed, the buyer can open a case and return the item to you which reverses the sale and your profit.”
4. Mind Your Prices
Rubacky suggests being strategic with pricing. “Poshmark does take a percentage of all sales, and people will sometimes make really low — almost offensive — offers,” she explains. “Keep these things in mind when determining your selling price.”
Rubacky points out that people may bid on your products, where they attempt to set their own prices. “You have the option to accept, decline or counter the offer,” she says. If you decline an offer — don’t worry — doing so doesn’t seem to impact your account within Poshmark’s algorithm.
5. Care About Your Style Tags
When you create a new listing, you can add three style tags that you can make up yourself. “These allow you to add keywords to your listings,” Rubacky points out. These tags (which are like hashtags on social media) improve your search results. “Think about what people might search for that would describe what you’re selling.”
6. Use All the Tools
“Poshmark offers so many selling tools to help you out so take advantage,” advises Rubacky. Poshmark’s platform allows sellers to obtain their sales reports, inventory reports and closet insights.
Rubacky says you can also “style” people who have liked things in your closet by creating personal bundles — essentially giving them product suggestions as if you’re a personal shopper or stylist.
Among Poshmark’s other features, you can offer shipping discounts, open a boutique or sell in their wholesale market. There are even ways to enter contests and other incentives like virtual parties to sell. All of these options give you plenty of special ways to market your products.
7. Have Some Fun
Rubacky reminds that selling platforms takes some time and diligence — not to mention, a little extra storage space! “But what you put into it is what you’ll get out of it,” she says. “Get creative, make it yours and own it! You’re gonna love it!”
Is Poshmark for Everyone?
The short answer is, no. From what Rubacky tells us and my own short experience as a Poshmark seller, Poshmark is great for clothing, and specifically, designer fashion. If you’re looking to sell large furniture that can’t be shipped, Facebook Marketplace is the best route. If you’re selling electronics, eBay seems to be where buyers go.
If you’re looking for a shopping community and have the commitment to share, like and post regularly, then Poshmark is for you. With the dedication of growing your following on the platform, you can become a very successful seller. But just like any small business — which you’d essentially be operating on Poshmark — you have to invest time into your store to see meaningful return.
The post How To Sell Your Stuff on Poshmark appeared first on The Real Deal by RetailMeNot.
