How I made Thousands Reselling Things on Poshmark & Mercari 

I decided instead of holding onto things I don’t love anymore, I would start purging my clothes by donating/selling things. I’ve been slowly selling things on Poshmark since 2016 (at a small volume) and decided to start selling on Mercari in August (prior to that I had only sold one item there). I set a goal to be able to sell enough to buy a Louis Vuitton purse (Pouchette Metis) that was on my wishlist and met that goal in October. Jake and I are both savers and at this point in our life I would’ve never been able to justify buying the bag for fun without saving for it. I have sold hundreds of items and now have a few repeat customers on Poshmark. I’m so thankful I did start doing this because I finally no longer feel overwhelmed with my wardrobe. Also, now that we’re moving it will make things a lot easier. My rule is if I no longer love it or if it’s not flattering, it needs to go. I’ve shared on Instagram when I bought my new bag and have had a lot of questions on how I did it. This is a very overdue blog post!

What I sell:

Literally anything! I mostly have focused on clothes since I’ll admit I was a clothing hoarder. Now that I have really downsized my clothes, I have moved onto household things we don’t use. I have sold everything from a book I got as a bachelorette gift to some baby items like sleep sacks that weren’t right for us. It can be really random what sells fast and what doesn’t. I’ve had luck selling inexpensive things like Target/Amazon clothes too because people are really trying to become more sustainable or are looking for something particular that’s not available from the store. If it’s not a name brand, I usually donate because it’s not as easy to sell. Poshmark and Mercari have most brands listed though. Anything that doesn’t sell before we move will be donated. The clothes I sell are typically from a couple of seasons ago and are things I don’t find myself reaching for.

Where I sell:

I mostly sell on Poshmark and Mercari. I do occasionally sell on Facebook too. I included some tips and pros/cons for which ways I sell.

• Poshmark:

  • Poshmark is the easiest place for me to sell clothing I’ve noticed. I am now in the Posh Ambassador status, so I think this helps me a lot. It does require sharing a lot of other Postmark accounts, having a fast shipment average (less than 3 days), at least 50 available listings, having a high seller rating and more. I became a Posh Ambassador in the fall (I started selling on Poshmark in 2016, so it took me a while to achieve this status). I think being Posh Ambassador status helps customers feel safe purchasing from you.
  • Pros:They provide you with a flat rate 5 pound USPS shipping label (you can upgrade up to 10 pounds at your own cost). I love that they provide you a label because you can just drop the package at the mail counter and you don’t have to wait in line (unless you want a receipt, I only do this for items that are valuable so I have proof if the item gets lost in transit). It’s also nice that you don’t have to worry about shipping weight unless it’s above 5 pounds.
    • Clothes tend to sell quicker on Poshmark since it’s mostly a platform revolving around fashion. You can sell other things too though. I’ve had luck selling baby items and a few random household things.
    • Buyer pays for shipping: The buyer pays for shipping unless the seller offers to pay or pay for part of it.
  • Cons: They take the largest commission of any selling platforms I’ve used. It’s a flat rate of $2.95 for sales under $15 or a 20% fee above $15. I do find this to be the easiest platform for me though.
    • You need to share your items frequently for them to show up high in searches. This can be a pain when you’re trying to sell a lot, but I try to share all of the items in my Poshmark closet daily.
    • You cannot ship a package above 10 pounds: I had one time the person bought a huge bundle and I had to cancel the order and send it in 3 orders. Thankfully the buyer was very understanding.
    • You can’t pick which company you ship with: luckily USPS is very convenient for me.
    • If the package is above 5 pounds, you’re responsible for paying the additional shipping price. Sometimes bundles can add up in weight quickly, so keep this in mind before accepting an offer.

• Mercari:

  • Pros:They take less of a selling percentage: Mercari charges sellers a market competitive rate of 2.9% plus $0.30
    • Best selling for random things: I have sold everything from clothes to random things around the house.
    • You don’t really have to do much work: You have set smart pricing where it will automatically slowly adjust the price for you and boost it.
    • You choose which company you ship with: If you live somewhere where a certain shipping company is inconveniently located for you, this is a nice option.
  • Cons:You need to know how much the item weighs and include packing material in the weight. If you get the weight wrong, the item will likely be returned to you or you’ll have to pay for the additional shipping price. I use Scarlett’s baby scale to determine weights before I list items. I’ve had to cancel a few orders since I got the weight wrong and the buyer didn’t want to pay additional shipping or didn’t respond to the message.

• Buy, Sell, Trade Groups (BST)

  • Pro: Most BST groups don’t allow bargaining: on Poshmark or Mercari people almost always make offers vs. paying the full amount you’re asking for.
    • A Big audience of customers the group is usually by brand or style (Lilly Pulitzer, smocked childrens clothing, etc).
  • Cons:You have to pay for shipping/PayPal fees: One thing I don’t like about BST groups is that you have to make sure to include shipping in your prices (unless it’s a local group) and PayPal fees. This does add up especially if the item isn’t very expensive.

• Facebook Marketplace:

  • I don’t really sell much on Facebook Marketplace because I don’t like dealing with people (introverted problems). We use this mostly for big items like furniture. I always list things for higher because people almost always try to bargain.
  • Pros: You get to keep all of the money unless the person wants to pay with PayPal.
  • Con: People are weird and will send messages asking if the item is available or basically waste your time asking a lot of questions with no intention to actually buy.
    • You also have to meet up with the person or do a porch pickup. This kind of weirds me out, so I rarely use Facebook Marketplace. If we do, we really screen the person out.

Tips for selling:

• Crosspost (aka List items on both Poshmark and Mercari) : this gives you a higher chance of finding a buyer. I don’t necessarily list random household items (like a blender for example) on both sites, but I list clothes, accessories, baby items, etc. on both.
• Include a lot of photos: Being a blogger does make this easier for me because at this point I have photos in most of my clothes. If you’re not a blogger, you can always include retail photos if you can find them. I include a photo of me wearing the item (if I have one) and photos of the items hanging on my closet door. People want to see the actual condition of the item, so it’s important to include that. If there are any signs or wear or defects, make sure to show them in photos.
• Take measurements: People will most likely ask you for measurements, so I include measurements or a sizing chart if the item has one online. The more information you can provide, the easier it is to make a sale.
• Very detailed description: I almost over-describe to be on the safe side. I also include minor wear (if any) in most descriptions to play it safe unless something is literally brand new. If the buyer finds a flaw that is not listed/photographed then they’re able to return the item on Poshmark and Mercari.
• Price a little higher (people will almost always make offers): You do need to consider that people are paying a shipping cost, so you don’t want to price too high. Also you have to remember if it’s a used item, nobody is going to pay close to retail unless it’s rare/sold out/highly sought after.
• List a little at a time, I noticed when I list new stuff it helps me sell old stuff. I think you get boosted in the algorithm on Poshmark/Mercari.
• Share/lower prices: Poshmark requires a lot of sharing and lowering your prices helps make sales sometimes.
• Be responsive to questions: I know this sounds obvious, but I’ve had so many times I’ve asked someone a question on Poshmark and they didn’t respond, so I didn’t purchase.

My Selling Process:

1. Wash the item: I do this prior to selling so the item is ready to go as soon as it sells.
2. Take photos: try to clearly show any wear or defects.  I do add a very true to color preset to make the item show the best.
3. Detailed listing of descriptions: the more details the better. If you know style names, pattern names, etc. this can really help someone who is looking for an exact item. Measurements are important too.
4. Pricing: I price based on the suggested pricing. If it’s something I want to go quickly I will price lower, but if it’s something I am not trying to get rid of I will price a little higher.
5. Pack clothes away in plastic boxes (I always wipe the boxes down to make sure they’re clean): This also helps me stay more organized and declutter.
6. Share the item daily on Poshmark or promote the item (this lowers the price/boosts the item) on Mercari if it sits a while.

How to get a good review: This only applies to Mercari and Poshmark

1. Good descriptions and photos so the buyer knows exactly what they’re getting
2. Clean items: I always lint roll everything
3. Fully inspect before sending: I’ve had a few times I’ve noticed damage on an item that I didn’t include in the description. I am always honest and tell the buyer if I find something and offer to cancel or give a discount.
4. Use tissue paper: I do recycle boxes, but for small items I send them in cheap plastic mailers (I just got some cute pink ones on Amazon) with tissue paper.
5. Send quickly: I aim to send everything within 24 hours of selling. That isn’t always possible, but you can schedule pickups at your house via USPS too. However, I’ve had trouble with pickups lately, so I try to bring my packages when I’m on errands.
6. Good communication

What I’ve learned:

• Stuff is stuff: I have found I am very unattached to most of my clothes except my absolute favorites.
• I am much more careful about what I buy: If I don’t love something, I either don’t buy it to begin with or return it (if it was online clothing I didn’t get to see in person/try on first).
• Less is more
• I now shop secondhand more often: I rarely shopped secondhand before my big purge, but now that I’ve been reselling I have started shopping on Poshmark and Mercari. I have found some amazing deals on things I couldn’t find in retail.

Is Selling Worth The Effort?

I will be the first to admit that reselling things can be a lot of work. I’ve had a few people even say it was too much work for them. To me, each sale adds up even if it’s just a few dollars and I’ve been able to reinvest in my wardrobe. I love selling because Jake and I are really trying to focus on saving for retirement, investments, etc. so this is my fun money that I don’t feel bad spending (I am much more careful about what I buy now).

Do you have any questions? Please let me know! I know that was a long post and I will update it with any questions that come up.