How I Made $826 Selling my used clothes on Poshmark In one year
As of this month, May 2019, I have been re-selling my used clothes on Poshmark to make extra cash for just about a year and have made a total of $826.12!
Yep, you read that right! Over $800 selling the used clothes, shoes, and accessories that no longer fit or that I no longer wear. These are things that I just would have donated or given away. How awesome is that?!
So, what is Poshmark?
Poshmark is a an app and website that has a community of over 4 million users that are buying and selling used and new clothes.
My Earning Breakdown:
2018 (May - December): $555.40
2019 (January - May) $270.72
When I started selling in May 2018, it was very casual just listing a few items here and there. At the time, I got hit with a tax bill and was really trying not to spend money on clothes but it is in my DNA to shop (I get it from my momma!).
So my solution was that if I could sell clothes on Poshmark, then I could repurchase new clothes and shoes with whatever profit I made. My husband, Chris, liked my outside of the box thinking and was down for the idea.
Well to my surprise I made $217 in the first 2 weeks of re-selling my used clothes. I seriously couldn’t believe that I made that much on clothes that I just would have donated! I was so excited to do some shopping with my newly made cash and get some things that I had been eyeing!
I just want to say on record that I didn’t go bananas and spend $826 on clothes and shoes while I still had debt because that just wouldn’t be financially smart. Once I was able to buy some new things that I was really wanting, I then started using the rest of my cash to pay debts. Which is such a great feeling!
But I wasn’t always selling on Poshmark, I was actually a shopper first. So I will start there because even I wasn’t completely sold on this whole used clothes market and maybe you aren’t either.
How I first discovered SHOPPING on Poshmark
I don’t recall how I very first stumbled upon Poshmark but somehow the internet led me there. I signed up with a free $5 credit that I could put towards my first purchase. (Want $5 towards your first purchase? Then join and enter my invite code AMBERLOVECLOSET : https://posh.mk/uTwCEJsACV)
I wasn’t really sure if I would ever purchase used clothes at first because in general I am very thrifty with shopping sales as well as discount stores like Marshalls and TJMAXX. As I mentioned before, I got that skill from my mom who would take me shopping ALL the time growing up. It was our favorite thing to do besides going to the beach 😉.
But then an opportunity arose for my first Posh purchase.
My first purchase was for a 4-5 year old pair of jeans from Old Navy that were my FAVORITE jeans ever. Old Navy Sweetheart jeans had fit me better than any jean ever had. But unfortunately, Old Navy no longer carried the Sweetheart style and changed them to a style called Curvy fit which didn’t seem to fit the same.
Well over the years, my favorite pair of jeans had ripped and been patched at least 3 times and I just couldn’t see pouring any more money into those old jeans. So I searched Poshmark and found a seller who had a deal of 2 pairs of the same Sweetheart jeans for $23 with $6.50 shipping. So I jumped on it using my $5 credit. And BOOM, I was reunited with 2 pairs of my favorite jeans once again for only $24.50 and was able to throw my old worn pair out!
At that moment, I saw the value in buying certain items used.
AND then, I made another purchase.
For the last few years, I have been wearing this green parka style jacket that I originally purchased from H&M and later upgraded it by sewing on a real fur hood trim that I got off Etsy. Well very shortly after we moved to Denver in 2017, a black pen exploded in the pocket of my beloved jacket and there was no fixing it. I was devastated but I kept wearing the jacket while I searched the internet for a replacement.
I was having no luck finding anything that was similar in style and quality. So I started searching on and off on Poshmark for a few months for the same exact jacket. Finally, one day I got lucky and found the exact jacket in my size and in great condition.
I made an offer of $33 and paid $6.50 shipping and viola! I had replaced my jacket and all that was left to do was to sew the fur attachment on. Reunited again and good as new!
So after two great experiences with finding these discontinued pieces that I wanted for my closet, I was pretty sold on this used clothing market. I am still all about purchasing new items for a deal, but I also really love having the option to find pieces that I love but can no longer find in store. I actually shop Poshmark quite often for brand new items that still have the tags on them for a fraction of what I would pay in store.
Reasons you might want to buy used items on Poshmark:
To find items that are discontinued or no longer in production.
To recycle clothing and create less waste! Buying clothes on Poshmark and thrift stores are an excellent way to give clothing a new life rather than them going into landfills and junking up our planet!
To buy brand new items at a discount price - SO many people have brand new never worn items for sale on Poshmark at a much bigger discount than you could ever buy in-store.
To get designer handbags, clothes and accessories for a discounted price.
To replace old items in your closet that you love but are in poor condition.
To find unique items that you can’t find in stores.
How I got started SELLING on Poshmark
Last year, one of Chris’ buddies from college and his wife came to stay with us for a couple nights while they were moving from NYC to LA. While his wife and I were chatting, she started tell me how she had made over $700 selling her old clothes and shoes on Poshmark. Say whattttt?!?!
My ears perked up because I am all about the side hustle to make some extra cash. Plus I had already purchased the jacket and 2 pairs of jeans at this point, so I definitely saw value in the platform. She explained that you can even sell items with minor stains, damage and wear as long as you disclose that info on the listing and in the photos. At the time, I was baffled that people would buy old used shoes but apparently there is a market for that…and now I have even purchased a couple pairs of gently used shoes for myself - my how the tables turn ;)
So I decided to give it a try with a pile of clothes that no longer fit me and costume jewelry that I never wear mostly because I have a nickel allergy and also because I pretty much only wear gold these days.
I made my first sale in 24 hours and as I mentioned, I ended up making $217 in my first two weeks of selling my pre-owned clothing and accessories that were just collecting dust in my closet. SCORE!!
Things to note before starting to sell on Poshmark:
Most likely you won’t make back the amount you purchased your clothes for originally. That is just the reality of selling most things used. The exception would be if the item really holds its value or if you get lucky (which I have before!). So it’s important to keep that in mind especially if something is or was very important to you.
You have to pay a fee to sell on Poshmark. You have to pay a fee almost anywhere you want to sell online except on sites like Craigslist, OfferUp or Facebook Marketplace. So you just have to remember that the fee will take a little bit out of your sales. But the good thing is, Poshmark is super transparent with fees and pricing so you will ALWAYS know what you will take home once the item is sold.
Sometime brands sell fast and some sell very slow. I just sold a pair of non-branded earrings that I’ve had in my Posh closet for almost a year. Then again, you might sell some things super fast! It all depends on the item, brand and what people are looking for. Patience is key!
It does take a little effort to make the sale. Sorry to burst your bubble if you thought you could just set up your store and start raking in cash, but it does take a little extra effort to make that sale! I share my closet at least a couple times a day and often make offers to people who show interest in items in my closet. I go into detail on how to share and send offers below.
Poshmark doesn’t allow returns if an item doesn’t fit or if you just don’t like an item. This may sound like a hassle from a customer’s perspective. Trust me I get it, as I’ve purchased a couple things that just didn’t work and I had to resell them to get my money back. But as a seller, it takes a lot of hassle out of the equation. Imagine if you just sold something and thought you were going to make $50 on it, only to find out after you went through all the trouble of packaging and shipping it, that the person wanted to send it back. That would be a nightmare!
The exception to the no return rule: A customer can, however, return an item if they received it and it doesn’t match the description or photos. I have actually had to do this on 3 occasions with things I’ve purchased that came not as described. This would be done by opening a case with Poshmark, sending photos and description of the issue, then they would decide whether or not you can return the item.
How much commission does Poshmark take from each sale?
Poshmark takes a commission of $2.95 on sales under $15 and 20% for anything sold above $15.
So to give you an example of what I earned from selling a pair of old prescription Warby Parker glasses. I listed and sold the glasses at $36 and after the Poshmark fee, I took home $28.80.
Sometimes the fee can eat into your sale but honestly there aren’t many places where you can list and sell for free besides Facebook (for now at least) and remember, these are items you would have gotten nothing for if you had just donated them. So that is how I look at it. It’s a small price to pay for a platform that could potentially get 4-5 million eyeballs looking at your used clothes.
Things that I personally don’t think help boost sales in Poshmark:
Community shares and following other Sellers. Others out there may disagree with this comment but this is just my personal experience. Because Poshmark wants to build community, they encourage you to share items from other Sellers closets and follow them in hopes to become a Poshmark Ambassador.
In the beginning, I did take time to do those things on occasion but I saw no direct benefits from it nor do I now. From what I have heard, community sharing does not give your listing a boost in the search like it does when you share your own item. The only benefit would be in hopes that when another seller shares your item, someone in their audience would see it. But I personally only shop by searching for items or brands directly and rarely ever look at my main feed. I’ve heard from other Poshers that they also mostly shop this way. So I believe my time and most likely yours is better served sharing yours own items to give it a boost in the search.
Things that might help boost Poshmark sales:
Sharing your items in themed “parties” in the app. Each day there are themed party for categories such as athletic wear, preppy, summer styles, etc. Sometimes they are restricted to certain brands and sometimes it is open to any brand if the party has more of a vague theme such as “Wardrobe Staples”. I share at these parties often and I generally see an uptick in “likes” on some items when I do. So when I’m able or on the app, I participate. The app also lets you know a day or two before that a party will happen so you could always set a phone reminder to be able to take advantage of this.
Being a responsive when people ask you questions. Sounds like a no-brainer but I see sellers all the time who done respond to questions about their listing being asked in the comments. Questions someone might ask is about the fit, measurements, condition, etc. But if your listing has a good description, you may not have to worry too much about comments. But in general when people ask me a question, I respond back ASAP. Customer service is key and will make people feel more confident in buying from you. I have personally put offers or asked questions about items to sellers and they have flat out not responded missing a potential sale or have responded back A YEAR LATER. Who does that?! Super frustrating, so don’t be that person!
Don’t forget about your closet! When you don’t tend to your closet, you make no sales. This is definitely why I had a huge gap in sales for months since I stopped posting new items and didn’t share my items daily. I can only imagine that I would have made more money this last year if I had just stayed active.
These are the steps I took to make money selling used clothes on Poshmark:
Disclaimer: I am an amateur seller and this is just my own personal experience of how I made over $800 selling my used clothes on Poshmark in a year. There are sellers on Poshmark that have made selling their full-time job and that is AMAZING, but I am not that person…yet…. and so I can only speak to selling as a side hustle to make some extra cash. Everyone is different in how they make their sales and this is what I have found that works for me after many lessons learned over the last year. 😉
Let’s get started!
First, download the app and join Poshmark: Don’t forget to join with my invite code for a free $5 credit code, because I bet at some point you will end up buying something. And seriously, who doesn't want free money to shop for clothes and shoes! Enter my code AMBERLOVECLOSET : https://posh.mk/uTwCEJsACV. Set up your profile quickly and add a photo of yourself.
Start by gathering a few items to list each day: In the beginning, I decided I would list a handful of items each day so I wouldn’t get overwhelmed. It's also good for the algorithm if you post a couple items each day rather than all at once. BUT If you prefer to list everything at once because that will make your life easier, then do that! Another thing you can do is save your items as a draft and then post them later so that way you are still rolling out new items frequently. Posh seems to like when people regularly post.
To save as a draft: Upload your photos and fill out the listing information, then hit cancel at the top left of the screen if you are on mobile. Additionally you can just upload photos without the listing info and hit cancel. Once you hit cancel, you will get an option to save as a draft.
To post your draft: In the mobile app, hit the camera button on the bottom middle of the app screen. You be taken to the photo taking screen. Click drafts at the top right and there you can see all your draft listings.
Take good photos of your items in a square format: All Poshmark photos are in a square format so save yourself some time and take photos in the square setting on your phone. In the beginning, I photographed so many items without the square setting on, only to find out the hard way that my items wouldn’t fit after uploading them in the app and had to retake the photos or photoshop them.
Photo Tips: Try to find a well lit place to take your photos. Taking photos during the day in natural light is best. I almost never take photos at night since the lighting is so poor. If lighting in your home is an issue, brighten or remove shadows from your images on your phone using the photo settings. Just make sure when brightening your photo that you aren’t changing the color of the item too much. You want to be careful that you don’t misrepresent your item to your customers.
My photo set up in the beginning: I spent a lot of time on photography and maybe that is why I got burnt out after the first few months. I used a white foam poster board that I got at the dollar store as a background and would position the clothing or jewelry in a way that looked aesthetically pleasing and sometimes I would add some other design elements such as a faux fur blanket or gold arrow. It was beautiful but I honestly don’t think it is completely necessary to take too much time to photograph your items. Many of those very items are still in my closet! Taking out the board, photo accents, plus laying out the clothes and then putting everything away got to be a bit much. PLUS I have sold plenty of items without making my photos look all fancy, but really, how you want to do it is up to you!
My photo set up now: I have a little hook on the back of our bedroom door that I usually will hang a dress or top on the back of the door. Additionally, I will place the item on my couch, duvet or carpet since they are all neutral colors. Doing both of these methods have saved me so much time and allowed me to list items much faster. You can also model the item if it fits you well.
Photographing jewelry and accessories: I will place them on my white desk or dresser and occasionally add a small plant next to it or nothing at all. Again, you can use the brighten setting on your phone to make your accessories pop on a white background.
The main thing is to make it look nice without spending a ton of my time and I always ask myself “If I was shopping, would purchase this item based on these photos?” Let that be your guide!
Find stock photos of your item if possible: This is super helpful because buyers can see how the item is meant to be worn, which can be hard to translate in photos especially if you can’t model an item because of sizing. I will often use the stock photo as my main image and then add all the photos I took with my phone after.
How to search for stock photos: I do a quick Google image search to see if I can find a stock photo that was originally used to sell the item. This is pretty simple to do even if you don’t know the exact name of the item because most likely you will be able to find the brand from the inner tag and then describe the item.
So using the item above for an example, I would search “Express high waisted floral embroidered jeans” and look through the images. To narrow it down, you could add the color and try different variations such as “burnt red" or “red”. I often have good luck with this method. Sometimes it’s not possible to find the original photo and that is OK too! You don’t have to spend a ton of time on this.
**IMPORTANT NOTE: Do not use another Posher’s photos because that is a big no no since that person spent lots of their own time photographing their items and you could get called out for it.
Write a short but informative description and fill out required info such as brand, size, etc: I try to be as descriptive and honest as possible especially if there is a defect on my item. Give info on the sizing, color - especially if it looks different than the photograph because sometimes it is hard to get the exact color to show up in photos, the condition of the item - note any stains or imperfections. If there are stains, I will photograph them and usually point to the stain so that they can determine how big the stain is. I will then make a note in the description stating that the stain can be viewed in the photos. It relieves a lot of issues and questions. Mainly, you want to be upfront and honest about the condition of your items in order to avoid a return for misrepresentation of an item.
If possible you can add the measurements. Some people swear by this for their listings but a lot of the time I only do that if someone asks me because it takes more time and not every person wants the measurements. Plus I would say that a good bit of my sales didn’t list the measurements and still got purchased. I personally have never asked for measurements on any items I buy for myself but I also only buy clothes that I know fit me. Everyone is different!
A super EASY way to add measurements is to get a tape measure and lay it on your item to show the measurements. You can add a note in your description saying that the measurements are shown in photos. I do this occasionally.
Price your item. Before listing, I will usually do a quick search for my item in Poshmark to see what other sellers have priced similar items for. I will usually list for a similar price depending on the item and if I think the price is fair. Make sure to look at the prices of several items before choosing your price because some sellers will price very low if they are having a sale or they may just not know how much an item is worth.
I will also price an item a little bit higher than what I want to sell it for because most likely shoppers will make an “offer” on your item at a lower price than what you list it for. Not everyone does this but a lot of savvy shoppers will send an offer to get a better deal on an item they want. A seller can choose to sell at the offer price, counter offer, or flat out decline it. I certainly make reasonable offers when I shop! Another reason to price an item higher than you want to sell it for is because as shoppers start to “like” your item, you can send them a private discount which I will touch on below.
Don’t worry if it takes longer to photo and list your items the first couple times. Poshmark is a very simple and user-friendly platform so you will get the hang of it all soon and be listing things with ease soon!
Now you are ready to post your item and start making sales!
What to do now that you have listed your first few items in your Poshmark store:
Daily Practices:
Share each of your items, a BUNCH: You need to share your items every single day to get your item at the top of the search. This is what I meant when I said you have to put in a little work to make the sale.
Let me explain why: The way a lot of people, myself included, shop on Posh is by searching for a specific item by name or by brand. So for example, lately I’ve been buying several pair of jeans to replace my old jeans that no longer fit me. So I would do a search for “Express high waist jeans”.
The items that come up first in the search are items that were either newly listed in the app or recently shared. Older items that people don’t share regularly are pushed further and further down in the search which means it would be less likely for someone to find unless they REALLY dig. Most people don’t take the time to do the digging.
When sharing your item, it bumps the it up to the top of the search and shows your items to all your followers.
So each day, I make it a habit to go in 2-3 times a day to share my closet to give my items a boost. When I do this, I get a fresh pair of eyes and often new “likes” on my items. Likes = potential customer
The way to do this is by going to your closet and sharing each item individually (see the photo below). It only takes a few minutes so I will usually do this right when I wake up in the morning, mid-day and before bed.
Sharing daily is SUPER important! I think just as important as listing new items. I know first hand that when you stop sharing and listing new items your items, the sales slow down a ton!
When I first started Poshing in May 2018, I was sharing and listing frequently. I was making a pretty decent amount of sales from May to July, then August things started to slow down. I only got 3 sales in August, 2 in September, and 1 in October. I basically let my Poshmark store fizzle out because I had stopped sharing and listing new items.
So moral of the story: list when possible and share daily at least aim for once a day and more if you have time!
Send “Offers” and shipping discounts: When people “like” aka tap the little heart on your item, it saves it to their liked items and gives you the ability to directly send them a special private offer that only likers can see. The offer is good for 24 hours. A buyer can choose to accept your offer to get a good deal but this doesn’t happen all the time for me.
Offers for Bundles: Buyers can also add multiple items to a bundle so they can save on shipping and in hopes of getting a better deal. When someone adds your items to a bundle, you can send them a special offer on those items and decide if you want to send a shipping discount.
How to send an offer:
Step 1: Go to the item in your store where you want to send an offer to potential customers aka Likers. Select the “Price Drop” button on the bottom right of the screen.
Step 2: You will get a pop-up that says “Promote Your Listing”, select the bottom option: “Offer to Likers (private)”.
Step 3: Tap the calculator and choose 10%, 20% or 30% off. Additionally you can just manually type if your offer without doing a percentage. But this is the method I prefer. Then hit apply offer.
Step 4: Apply your shipping discount. You have to send a shipping discount of at least $1.80 or you can offer free shipping, but beware because this shipping “discount” is taken out of your earnings, not from Poshmark. There is no way around this if you want to be able to send an offer. Which stinks when your item is already priced super low because it means you will earn less. I personally always choose the $1.80 discount shipping when sending an offer.
Step 5: Take a look at your Net Earnings to make sure you are ok with that number. If so, hit Submit on the top right. This whole process takes 30 seconds to complete so don’t let this overwhelm you.
What to do after you have made a sale:
Package up your item. Poshmark sellers are known for wrapping their sold items in cute packaging such as tissue paper and adding a thank you card. This is nice but not necessary unless you want to go the extra mile. In the beginning, I did that for all my packages. Sometimes people would acknowledge it in their reviews but a lot didn’t. Now, I will just wrap my package in tissue paper only so it looks nice but doesn’t take too much time. But if you want to go the extra mile, you can buy note cards and tissue paper on sale at the dollar store for cheap, Michaels or Hobby Lobby with a coupon, or TJmaxx. I have gotten some really cute notes in the past from purchases that have made me smile, so it is a sweet gesture but just depends how much effort you want to put into it and if you think it adds value.
Box up your item. Because Poshmark ships priority, you can use any of the free Priority boxes from the post office. You can get loads of shipping supplies for FREE from the post office. I also save any boxes and bubble envelopes I get from purchases I’ve made online because it’s a great way to recycle.
Here is what I use regularly:
Label holders (this says it’s for customs forms but it fits the labels perfectly and saves me so much on tape!) https://store.usps.com/store/product/shipping-supplies/small-customs-declaration-pouch---form-2976es-P_FORM_2976_ES
Priority shoe shipping boxes (great for shoes, baseball caps, etc.) https://store.usps.com/store/product/shipping-supplies/priority-mail-shoe-box---oshoebox-P_0_SHOEBOX
Priority mail box (great if you have accessories that can’t go in an envelope or have larger items to ship) https://store.usps.com/store/product/shipping-supplies/priority-mail-box---1097-P_O_1097
Priority tyvek envelopes (These are great for clothing because they are so easy to use plus are rip and waterproof) https://store.usps.com/store/product/shipping-supplies/priority-mail-tyvek-envelope---ep14-P_EP_14
Priority labels (I use these if I am recycling a box that isn’t labeled Priority so they post office knows that it’s still a priority package) https://store.usps.com/store/product/shipping-supplies/priority-mail-sticker---label-107-P_LABEL_107
Ship your items quickly with the premade shipping label. One thing that got me hooked on selling with Poshmark is that you don’t have to fuss with estimating, weighing your items, or deal with creating shipping labels. That’s one of my biggest pet peeves with selling sites like eBay.
Poshmark takes all the hassle out of shipping by charging the buyer a flat shipping fee of about $6.79 for 2-3 day priority shipping. Once the sale is made, Poshmark immediately emails you the label so all you have to do is just print it, then slap that bad boy onto a box, envelope or free priority package from USPS, and drop it at the post office OR at a UPS store. So fast!
The goal should be to provide excellent service to your customers because that is how you build a good reputation. It is best to ship your sold item within 1-2 days. If someone were to look at your profile in the “About” section next to your profile photo before buying and see that you don’t ship quickly, then they might be less likely to buy from you.
Another way I like to look at it is if this were something I purchased, I would want to get my item as fast as possible. I have had sellers wait up to 5 days before shipping out my item and that is unacceptable! Also if you wait too long to ship your item, Poshmark will first send you a shipping reminder and then if it’s not shipped a few days after that, the customer has the option to cancel their order.
Drop the item at the post office. This is super easy because most post office lobbies are open 24 hours which means you can drop a package off at any time. I sometimes do this on the way to work before the post office is open. But if I can, I prefer to wait in line if it’s not too long and personally had the package to a clerk and ask for a receipt. You can also do this at the UPS store!! This gives me the peace of mind that the package is on it’s way and it starts tracking sooner which alerts Poshmark and your customer that the package has started tracking.
Mark your item shipped after you have successfully dropped off the package. To do this you will go into your Sales section, click the item and check off the 3 check boxes and click “Yay! I shipped it”. Make sure you do this so there is a record. Sometimes the post office doesn’t do its job and scan packages which is super frustrating. I have had many times when packages didn’t get scanned throughout the entire shipping process, so it makes it look like I never shipped the item. So now if I don’t physically hand a package to the clerk, I mark the item shipped like normal and then comment in my sold listing by putting the customers @username and giving them a quick heads up that I shipped the item. People love communication. It gives them peace of mind PLUS shows that you care!
Sit back and wait for your cash to hit your Posh account. Once the customer has received the item, they have to accept and review it in the app before the funds are directly added into your account balance. If they don’t accept the item, then the funds will automatically be deposited into your account after 4 days. You will find that many people do not accept the items which might freak you out at first, but honestly people are either lazy, forget or don’t realize they need to do that. So don’t sweat it!
Cash out your funds into your bank account. When you open the app, select your store at the top bottom right of the screen in the maroon strip. This is where you can find any info you need to know about your store and account. You will see a bright green circle with dollar sign at the top right of your account page.
For you balance: Select the green circle and there you will see your balance from your sales. Your “Pending” balance is money from sales that hasn’t been accepted into your store. The “Redeemable” balance is the funds that are ready to be deposited into your bank account. Once you have a redeemable balance, you can select that option and choose to either deposit the funds directly into your bank account or request for a check to be sent to you. Additionally, you can choose to leave the funds in your account it you plan to shop with your earnings within the app.