2022-07-04
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Grow Your Wealth

How To Make Money On Poshmark

Money hacks for building a side hustle with Poshmark

The Poshmark logo surrounded by dollar bills
IN THIS ARTICLE:

It all started in 2019 as a platform limited to selling women’s fashion. Since then, Poshmark has exploded. You can now make thousands of dollars a month selling new and used stuff on Poshmark, with many eBay and Depop girlies who work full-time as resellers branching onto the platform as a source of income.

Poshmark has evolved into a  marketplace for women’s clothes, men’s clothes, kids’ clothes, home decor, and even untouched personal care items (things like that unopened foundation you accidentally ordered in the wrong shade). Search Youtube, and you’ll see dozens of sellers claiming to make anywhere from $1,000 to $10,000 dollars a month, selling from their own homes in their own time. 

We’ll admit some of these videos are a bit clickbaity (we watched them all so you don’t have to) - but it is totally possible to make reselling your main source of income using sites like Poshmark. Times are hard, so it is super smart to be looking to build multiple streams of income. 

Maybe you’re just looking to make a few extra bucks a month, or you have long-term plans to make reselling your full-time thang. Whether you already have a store and are wanting to optimize your selling, or you’re a complete newcomer. We’ve covered everything you need to know below in this step-by-step plan for makin’ monayyyy on Poshmark. 

First things first: building an inventory 

An inventory is a fancy word for all the sh*t you want to sell. 

Whatever your end goals are when it comes to selling - whether you’re just wanting to get rid of old stuff or build a solid stream of income, you’re going to want to start small. Ultimately (same as with Depop) it’s more profitable to build your inventory from thrift stores and flip items for a profit - in the long run. 

But. You need money to go thrifting. And you don’t wanna overspend before you’ve established yourself as a seller. So the best way to start is by having a Marie Kondo moment, and selling what you’ve got around the house. 

82% of the clothes in an average American's closet didn’t see the light of day last year. That’s ridiculous. And a super-easy way to start your business. 

👚 So start with what’s in your own closet 👚

Once you’ve made a profit on these items, you can start hitting the thrift stores. Keep your costs low at first. But be careful of:

🧺 Anything that’s too cheaply made. There’s a difference between finding a steal and trying to upsell something that’s just going to fall apart when someone puts it on. Prioritize quality. 

🧺 Don’t buy or sell damaged goods. Obviously, some second-hand clothes will come with wear and tear. Be honest about this in your description and you’re groovy. But don’t hide any blemishes. Otherwise, you’re on track for issuing a refund and losing money. 

Prepping your clothes to sell

We’re going to use this phrase a lot throughout this article: consistency is key. Making sure all the clothes you sell are clean and presentable is key to building a brand image. Get rid of any marks and iron out any creases. 

Once you establish a regular income from Poshmark, you might want to consider investing in a clothes steamer. Prices start as low as $30, and this is a much quicker and easier way to remove creases. 

It’s how they do it in vintage stores (written from someone who worked in a vintage store - I can also add that steamers are both incredibly satisfying and dangerous. Do not put your hand over the steam to see if it’s on. Steam is, like… really hot…lol)

Photographing your clothes 

If someone glances over your store and all of your pictures are unified and professional-looking, they’re going to subconsciously trust you more as a seller. It’s a split-second decision. So:

📷 Use natural lighting

📷 Take the pictures on a 1:1 ratio (a square) with the item central, so you don’t have any awkward crops when you upload

📷 Bonus points for if you take your pictures against a plain wall, and use an app like Canva to erase the background to white. Google prefers images like these, so it’s a sure-fire way to appease the Gods of the algorithm 

📷Add close-up pictures of any flaws or blemishes on your item

Listing your items 

You’ve got the pics. Now you need to give it a title, write the description, and set the price. 

✏️Start with the title. If it’s a branded item, this is the first word you’re gonna use. Then add any words that sellers might type in when looking for similar items. 

✏️The description wants to repeat any keywords such as the brand name, and an honest summary of the condition (reflected in the photos, as we mentioned). 

✏️Then, when you have a title, tap it into the search bar. See how other people are pricing similar items. 

✏️Keep it competitive. If you keep your costs low in the first place then you can afford to add 20% to the price. This means you can rapidly send out offers to people interested in your product at a reduction of 20%. 

And remember: never do business off Poshmark. Only sell within the app, even if someone claims to be willing to pay more. It’s probably a scam. 

The crucial bit: getting your items to sell 

Any successful seller will tell you it is all about consistency. No matter how great your products, how beautiful your pictures, or how big your profit margins are. 

The Poshmark algorithm is a hungry beast that likes to be fed every day. So list a bunch of items in your drafts, and post a certain amount every day. Whether that’s three or ten, just keep it up. 

Once they’re posted, keep sharing your items with your followers. 

Make offers on any likes you receive, preferably within the same day as you receive the likes. This is where having added 20% to the price comes in handy.

If people have liked multiple items from your shop, offer them bundles. 

Keep all of these things up regularly and you’re on the right track for building a successful Poshmark shop. Don’t worry: it’s not going to happen straight away, but your sales will eventually gain momentum. 

Final things to remember 

✨Keep track of your numbers - like any business, make lists of your ins and outs. 

✨Keep track of your time as well. Calculate how much time it takes you to process an item of clothing from start to finish, so you can set realistic targets for yourself. 

✨CONSISTENCY IS KEY - consistently delivering clean items of decent quality, creating a consistent visual brand image, and consistently posting and sharing your items. We can’t emphasize it enough. If you can do these three things, you’re gonna smash it. 

Looking for other side hustle ideas? Check out our 10 tips for selling on eBay and how to make money on Depop.

And now a product plug. We’ll keep it short: 

Our free money app is a great way to get on top of your personal finances, manage your ins and outs, and set budgets. It also has some pretty fun features, like roast mode. We think it’s the best money app in the world, but we would say that. 

Enjoy this post? Give it a share or send it along to a friend. You never know, it could make a big difference. Big love. Cleo 💙

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