No Wire Hangers – A Guide and Tribute to Poshmark

By Bethany Sugg

February 03, 2020 

THE SCOOP

Overwhelmed, exhausted, and crunched for time – These were the words that described me every time I went in my closet to pick something out to wear. I had too many items that I didn’t wear and not enough that I did wear. I was running out of space, money, and time to look through hundreds of pieces of clothing. I heard of Poshmark one day in a random conversation between two coworkers but never thought it would be my wardrobe problem solver! I logged in and gave it a try one day for giggles and was immediately impressed. I was awestruck by the sellers who sold hundreds, even thousands, of items in their virtual closets, as well as intrigued by the items up for sale. Some were very nice, valuable items for more than half off the original prices, and some not so nice items for ten dollars or less. The latter had me especially baffled. How could anyone sell something with stains or holes in it? They do and very successfully. Also, this triggered an idea. I could sell all my expensive, name brand dresses, shoes, and jewelry that had either never been worn or only worn once from the comfort, privacy, and convenience of my phone. I had found a pastime love for virtual thrifting. 

SELLING FROM POSHMARK

The first thing I did after creating my account was stalk other closets to scope out inspiration. I discovered that sellers were trying to make a little money from unwanted items, and buyers were trying to find a bargain on luxury and non-luxury items. Also, it was fun and attractive, because it was platformed like social media with a feed of selected goods and followers as well as a comment feature and a heart button to mark special interests. After looking at dozens of closets from poshers all over the country, I came across a few trends that caught my eye. 

• PICTURES DEFINITELY MATTER! First thing’s first. How your items are presented can be a determining factor in whether you make a sale. You don’t need to go out and hire a professional photographer, however, you do need good lighting and a quality camera. Some poshers even had manikins for their clothing pieces and props like matching accessories, flowers, and decorative promotional signs. Some people devoted their creative, selfie-taking talents to a signature pose. I strolled across a few poshers that modeled their items on themselves while standing in front of a mirror but keeping their faces hidden. Was this a new online thrifting trend? Were they shy? Was it for privacy reasons? Not sure, but this unique trend seemed to work. They had sold hundreds of items.
• THE MORE THE MERRIER. Take pictures of everything you don’t want and post them. You can’t make a dime with the items sitting in your closet. Having a large variety is always beneficial. People are more likely to buy from a posher that has more items to offer. Perhaps, they sell more items, because they offer more?
• LET’S BE HONEST. After thorough observation in an array of closets, I noticed that not only the quality and quantity of pictures mattered, but also, the technical details. Some sellers had tape measures with the items to show inseam lengths, waist widths, and so forth. People like integrity. If your items have holes, discoloration, and flaws of any kind, take a picture, price accordingly, and post. It is thrifting, after all! Your potential buyers already expect less than perfect items, so preserve your credibility. It will come in handy with future sales. You want your buyers to return, right?
• 

• AIM FOR PRAISE. This bullet goes hand in hand with the previous. Reviews seem to have an impact on sales. We live in an online word of mouth world where almost every website has a review option. Make sure your items are packaged attractively and with care. Some sellers include protective stuffing, garment bags, gift wrapping, and a personalized thank you note with the item. 

• COMMUNICATION IS KEY. Here’s where your customer service skills, or lack thereof, will come into play. If someone comments on a picture of an item, it would be wise to answer them courteously and promptly. If you cannot ship your items for a couple of days, let your buyer know. Also, a simple thank you for browsing can go a long way. 
• SHARING IS CARING. Share as much as you can at least daily to your feed. If there is a posh party that is being hosted, then share the appropriate items. This is a great way to promote items that are of particular interest to buyers. Share items from other closets as well. This will prompt other poshers to share your items on their feeds, which will increase your selling chances. 

In late December 2019, after I gained a plethora of posh wisdom and motivation, I started posting pictures of my unwanted, ignored items with very little expectations. A couple of days passed by and BAM! It happened. I sold my first item! It was a pair of Charlotte Russe Boots that I’d hoarded for ten years! I had never been so ecstatic about making $12.80 before. The boots were originally forty dollars. I priced them at $16.00, which the buyer accepted. My Poshmark fee was $3.20 (20% of sale), and sales tax was $1.83. The buyer is responsible for shipping costs unless the seller offers free or discounted shipping. After the purchase, Poshmark emailed me a USPS priority shipping label. I packaged the boots very carefully, attached my thank you note, and mailed them out that day. I patiently waited for my first buyer to receive her package. She received it in two days, however, I noticed that she had to hit the “accept” button for the funds to be credited to my Poshmark account. Despite my subtle efforts, which consisted of a thank you comment on her profile picture and a kind reminder to click accept, she did not click the accept button until a week later (along with a five-star rating.) In the case that the buyer does not click the accept button, the seller has to wait a full three days after delivery for the funds to be available. It also takes another three days for the funds to be deposited into your bank account unless you choose to keep your Poshmark account credited in which case funds are immediately available after the accept button is clicked. If you are a buyer and are reading this, be kind to your Poshmark seller and click the accept button promptly after receiving your purchase.

BUYING FROM POSHMARK

Brace yourself. Although your husbands/significant others may not be as thrilled about the following information as you may be, it is solid advice. Purchasing from Poshmark is addictive. You can find hidden treasures for 50% and more off original pricing. Pricing is completely up to the seller’s discretion. Enormous amounts of money can be saved on luxury and designer items, as well as regular name brands. However, the shipping that the buyer is responsible for paying can creep up when purchases are made from multiple shippers. My advice on dodging this nuisance is to find a posher’s closet that you really love, and bundle as many items as you can as to avoid multiple shipping costs. Some poshers will offer bundle discounts advertising their “bundle and save” option, so you’re not only saving on shipping, but also on the items. 

Poshmark allows sellers to advertise items that are new with tags (NWT) or boutique. Boutique items are sold straight from a boutique, and NWT items must have the tags attached. If a seller advertises NWOT in the description of the item, this means new without tags. I’m notorious for taking the tags off my garments, so I can relate. You can find unused items for dirt cheap on brands such as Fendi, Prada, Louis Vuitton, and Michael Kors. The list goes on. 

When you are ready to get your wallet out and click the buy now button, hold that thought and think about making an offer. A little haggling may take place, but most sellers are more than willing to accept reasonable offers. You can also negotiate on discounted or free shipping.

A FAREWELL NOTE

As I leave you, my posh-inquisitive readers, I hope you have gained a little insight on online thrifting with Poshmark. I’ve enjoyed both the buying and selling aspects in a short amount of time. Now with all your newfound Posh wisdom, I encourage you to test the waters and post a couple of neglected items in your closet. You may find that in time you’re swimming in the deep end. Who knows? You may even find an item or two from someone else’s closet that you want to snatch up.  

My user name is bkwilliams171 if you are interested in checking out my closet! You can also find me by searching: look@thatbigpackage