How I Made $100+ in One Week With Poshmark

Before I dive into how to make money using Poshmark, I want to share a little story of how I happened upon it. If you aren't interested in why I use Poshmark, skip to the next section!

Why I use Poshmark

In early 2020, Emma Watson announced that she was partnering with ThredUp, an online consignment and thrift store, to launch their Fashion Footprint Calculator. Now, you're probably asking yourself, "Why is she talking about another online thrift store when this post is clearly about Poshmark?" Trust me, I'm getting there.

Anyways, in her Instagram post announcing the new tool she expressed the desire to mitigate the ongoing climate crisis by reducing people's fashion footprints. While I would consider myself environmentally conscious, the simple fact that ThredUp was being endorsed by Emma Watson was enough for me to give a try. As I began to browse the inventory at the time, I was impressed by the staggeringly low prices. I made my first order and was once again pleasantly surprised at the quality of the items I received. Then, things turned south.

As a buyer, I love ThredUp and the ability to shop by brand, style, size, and almost any other detail. As a seller, I was disappointed. After my first order, I decided to send a massive box of clothes (and I'm talking massive!) to make some money. Not only did it take months for my first shipment to process, but they valued my clothes at an offensively low rate. No wonder they could get away with selling their inventory at such low prices. Anyway, after that fiasco I figured there must be a better way to make money from resale. My clothes were good brands and in great condition. Enter Poshmark.

I'd heard of Poshmark before but was always too afraid to attempt it. Poshmark is a website and app (I personally prefer the interface of the website) where you can independently sell fashion and home decor. It started out as a women's fashion app in 2011 but has since expanded to include men's, kids, and home decor. There was something about going through a third party seller like ThredUp that I liked, but I eventually bucked up the courage to create an account and begin selling on my own. Over a few days, I listed 156 items from both mine and my mom's closets, ranging in size, style, color, etc... The most time consuming part is setting aside a few afternoons to take your pictures and list your items. But after that PRESTO! You have passive income. In just one week, I made over $100! Poshmark is a great platform where you can clear out your closet, make a little money, and reduce your fashion footprint.

How it works

When you create your account, there are no upfront fees! You list your items for free and will not get charged a fee until the item sells. Once an item sells, Poshmark will take 20% for items over $15 and $2.95 for items under $15 as its fees. After an item sells, you won't receive your share until the buyer has marked it as delivered on their end. As you list your item, Poshmark will offer a suggestion of how to price your item based on items that have previously sold on the website and calculate your profit after fees have been taken out. Its very user friendly!

What sells on Poshmark

Since expanding its inventory, you can sell almost anything on Poshmark. Because the categories other than women's fashion are still fairly new, though, listings under "Women" tend to perform better. I initially listed a good mix of luxury brands as well as your more modest everyday brands, including Gap, A New Day (Target), and more. I found my lower priced items tended to sell quicker, but I had just had to be patient for the rest.

How to sell on Poshmark

When you start selling, the process may seem a bit daunting. But don't worry because you'll get the hang of it!

1. Take quality photos

After you've gathered what you want to sell, begin taking photos. Make sure to take lots of photos from different angles. As best as you can, use a clean background with good lighting. Another tip is to take photos with a measuring tape beside the item. While you include the size (if applicable) and brand, buyers will want to see every detail of the item since they can't return it. While they don't have to be high quality photos, they should still be aesthetically pleasing. Your best bet is to look through Poshmark yourself and see what you look for when shopping.

2. Give a detailed description

When writing your description, offer as much detail as possible. Include the:

- Brand

- Size

- Style

- Color

- Fabric

- Condition, including wear or flaws

If you're looking to make your closet into a brand, keep a consistent formatting with the descriptions of each item in your closet. Most importantly, be honest in how you're describing your item because this will affect your reviews at the end of a sale. Including keywords and SEO terms could also help you sell items from your closet quicker, though this isn't always the case.

3. Price your item strategically

Because buyers can (and most likely will) make an offer, I tend to price my items at about 15-20% higher than I would actually want it to sell for. Also, this gives you some room to offer a shipping discount to make your offer appear better.

4. Share, share, share

With followers and a feed, Poshmark is a social app! You're more likely to make sales if you follow more people and share more from their closets. The algorithm is more likely to make you a suggested user if you are active in the Poshmark community.

5. Be active

While you don't need to be glued to your phone, it might be a good idea to leave notifications turned on. Upload new listings or re-share your own frequently to stay at the top of the feed, participate in "Posh Parties," and respond to questions people may post on your items. Once your item sells, ship it as quickly as you can. Poshmark suggests you ship* between two to three days after making a sale because a buyer can back out for a full refund within three hours if they made an accidental purchase or after seven days if the item isn't marked as "shipped."

*Shipping tip: embrace the environmentally friendly aspect of the app and recycle old boxed

With just these five tips, you'll be making money in no time. Best of luck!