You piled up some old clothing, you want to sell it but yikes! You realize that you don't know where to start or how to do it. Doing something for the first time is always hard because it feels like you have no clue what to do. I know that this was my experience trying to sell on Poshmark and Mercari for the first time. Since then I have made a few sales and my confidence grew to a point that now I'm pretty comfortable posting and selling my items.
Below is a guide to how to get your items from closet to buyer so that you can feel comfortable to make your first sale too.
Starting on the app
The first thing to do after you have some items to sell is downloading the selling apps. The two that I will be focusing on and recommend is Poshmark and Mercari. There are lots of different apps like Relovv and Depop, but I've found that these two platforms are the easiest to use.
So go ahead and download the apps onto your phone. You can only post from your phone, so no the online versions aren't going to work unfortunately.
When you download you can use my Poshmark referral code AMEALS12 and my Mercari referral link here. The link doesn't just help me but also when you use them you get perks like a $10 coupon!
Posting your first listing
Once you picked what you'd like to post put it somewhere with a non-distracting, plain background. This could be your bed, a carpet, or even the back of a door. Below are some key shots that I recommend getting of your item because it allows for potential buyers to get a complete view of the item. You don't want to hide anything, and it's likely that you'll be answering people's messages if you forget to include something like the materials tag.
The same type of thing can be done with all types of clothing items. If you're unsure of what angles you should get just search that type of item on the platform. Find some items that have sold and the aesthetic you like and replicate it! Go ahead and upload your photos to your listing once you're done.
Next you will make a good descriptive title for your item and make a useful description. Tell people what the fit is like, what they can wear the item with, what season it's good for, etc. The more target keywords you can hit, the more likely it is that people will see it.
I recommend doing your listing on Mercari first, and then copying and pasting it to Poshmark once you're done. I do it in this order because Mercari has a lower character count so you won't have to worry about removing things when you are copying and pasting. Also posting on both platforms just makes it more likely for your items to sell.
Now what?
Just wait! Be sure to quickly respond to any questions that people have and respond to any offers people make. You can also drop the price if it's not selling as fast as you'd like.
I wouldn't spend hours of your time following people on Poshmark and sharing their items. I know that the platform really emphasizes the social aspect, but I really haven't seen a difference when I share versus when I don't. Just remember that if you're not trying to make it a full time job, you don't have to put in lots of effort to get rid of your items. People are going to find and buy the items that they want regardless if you share 5x a day or not.
Prepare for your first sale
In the meantime you can prepare for making your first sale so that it's easier for when it happens. One of the best things that you can do is to order some free shipping supplies from USPS that you can use on your Poshmark orders. For Mercari orders you can start collecting some boxes from other things you are ordering because the USPS Priority boxes will not work. If you don't order or save boxes, you will have to go to Walmart or another store to buy some boxes once you sell something. These cost about $0.60 each at Walmart.
Poshmark will recommend doing really well put together packaging once you make a sale, so you may be tempted to purchase a whole bunch of decorative packaging to use. You by no means need to do this. For me I just wrap the item in some Dollar Store tissue paper and place a piece of washi tape onto it to keep it together. Just make sure that the package looks presentable, and that it'd be something that you'd be happy with. No need to buy lots of cards and fancy items to make it look like a boutique item.
What to do once you made a sale
Congrats! Now all you need to do is pack your item into a box (make sure that there isn't too much space in the box), tape it closed with some packing tape, print out your label, stick it on the box, and take your package to a post office. I take my items to my school's post office so it's just a short walk for me. Otherwise, go give your local post office a visit and give it to a worker or put it in one of the slots. Once you're done confirm your shipment and wait for your buyer to rate you, and that's it! You've successfully made your first sale and now can feel more confident to sell more of your items that you don't need anymore.
I hope that these tips help you to get through the process of selling. Once you make a sale you should feel empowered that you essentially have begun a small side income for yourself, and you have allowed the cycle of fashion to be drawn out just a little more. This is good for your pockets and the planet. So get to it! Post your first item.
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