I officially became a Posher in early January, so yes, I’m a beginner, but I’ve certainly learned some things that might help you if you are thinking of selling items on Poshmark.
I set up my account as a way to clean out a lot of dress clothes (some still with tags!) in my closet that I no longer need since I work from home. My closet with Poshmark currently has nearly 125 listings valued at $4,000. I’ve only been doing this for a few months, so I am no expert, but as a beginner, I’ve sold 32 items and earned more than $1,000. I have a five-star rating and a fast shipper designation.
If you are on the fence about what to keep and what to donate or sell, a friend of mine who is a professional organizer recommends that you hang all of your hangers one way, and when you wear an item, flip it. At the end of the season, you’ll have a good idea of what you wear and what you don’t. I think that pro tip is genius, and I use it in my closet.
Because I had a lot of items to sell, and I didn’t want to misplace anything, I invested in a garment and shoe rack and put them in a spare bedroom. Every item that I put up for sale is put on these racks so I don’t lose track of them.
I also invested in good lighting since the overhead fan in this room gave off a warm glow that generated a lot of shadows in photos I was taking to sell my items. A good ring LED light will help you get bright images even in the darkest rooms.
To take photos, I hang garments on the door of my spare room, but I’ve seen some Poshers use a mannequin to display their clothes, and they look professional. I have one in my Amazon cart now.
You’ll also need a printer for your labels to go on sold items you ship, so be sure to have one of those ready to go before your first sale.
Shipping on Poshmark: My biggest mistake
I made some mistakes, shipping was the biggest one, and it’s possible this post could help you get off to a smoother start and avoid fees that cut into your profit margins.
My single biggest mistake was shipping the items sold by Priority mail.
When I made my first sale, Poshmark sent me a congratulations email with a link to a 2012 blog with more information on shipping, and unfortunately, the advice in the blog wasn’t current. I’ve since pointed this out to Poshmark, so as a new Posher, I hope they’ve corrected the auto reply and you don’t get the same link.
Following the advice in the blog, I shipped four packages by Priority mail before I realized I shouldn’t and got hit with $5 fees on my account for each package shipped this way.
As it turns out, USPS provides free packaging to Poshers by calling 1-800-610-8734 or emailing [email protected]. I opted to get the minimum of each.
In the email, you should include:
- Name
- Poshmark closet name
- Mailing address
- Phone number
- Email address
- The type of packing you need and quantity
The packages are delivered by your mailman right to your door.
Personally, I almost always use the Ground Advantage Box 2; it’s the size of a shoebox and fits pretty much everything I have for sale. Unfortunately, the box doesn’t fix in my mailbox, so I’m always using bungee cords to attach mine to the box and save a trip to the post office. I should probably just invest in an extra large mailbox.
Five tips if you are new to Poshmark
- DO download the app on your phone: It makes the product upload much easier. The AI is built in, but it does make some mistakes so be sure to doublecheck the details.
- DO set a daily goal: I try to add five new items per day. One thing I’ve noticed is that I get more attention on my closet when I am frequently adding new items to sell.
- DO use the Smart Sell feature: It uses AI to make counter offers to someone interested in your item. In this case, you might be selling an item for $50 but would accept $35. The AI will negotiate the price on your behalf instead of you dealing with the back-and-forth on offers.
- DON’T cut your prices too soon: If you aren’t in a hurry to sell your items, don’t rush to discount them. Stick to what you think is fair. There are lots of pushes for closet cleanouts and things of that nature, but in my experience, lowering the prices rarely led to more sales – it just meant that I didn’t earn as much on each item.
- DON’T pay for a closet boost: I tried the free one-week trial of my boosted closet, but it didn’t result in extra sales. Take advantage of the free trial. Maybe you’ll have more success than I did.
Shopping list
Here are some other items I recommend that will make your life easier and save you a few trips to the store.
I put every item I sell in a clear shoe bag to prevent any moisture that could potentially seep into the box. You could probably use an XL Ziploc bag too.
And trust me, have a ruler or fabric measuring tape on hand because potential buyers will ask for all kinds of measurements before they purchase the item.
My recommendations
- Shoe bags
- Lint roller
- Yard Stick ruler
- Fabric measuring tape
- Packing tape
- Velvet hangers
- Hangers for skirts
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