Blog - From Pennies to Plenty (2024)

Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by Petite Studio. All content and opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links. This means that I may receive compensation when you click on a product link or purchase an item linked on this site. Click here for details.

Petite Studio is a clothing brand that makes fashionable clothing for petite women. It’s hard to shop for clothing when you’re smaller and shorter than the average person. That’s why I was excited when I first heard of the company and browsed their latest lookbook. Their clothes are modern and unique and promise a tailored fit for the petite person. Take a look at what I tried from Petite Studio.

1 | Estella blouse in pastel blue XS - $108

I fell in love with the Estella blouse online. It has several things I like - a light blue color, floral embroidery, and three-quarter-length sleeves. It pairs easily with different types of bottoms. It was just as pretty in person too.

The blouse fits true to size. The only issue is that the cuffs are a little too tight on me. The cuffs are fitted and close with a button.

Once I got them buttoned, the sleeves couldn’t move, so the whole shirt went up when I raised my arms above my shoulders such as to fix my hair.

This blouse will fit well if you have slender forearms. I plan to wear it with the cuffs unbuttoned or tie the cuff together with a makeshift extender like a blue ribbon.

I paired it with my own white pants and am ready to wear it on warm spring and summer days.

2 | Buvette pearl blouse in dusty blue XS - $108

The Buvette pearl blouse caught my eye as I browsed the Petite Studio basics. It’s the perfect top to wear to the office and then out to an after-work event or dinner in the evening. The two faux pearls at the neckline add a touch of elegance for a timeless look.

The blouse comes in three colors (navy, ivory, and dusty blue). I picked the dusty blue color because it’s more unusual than the other two.

The length is a little shorter than regular-size blouses, making it well-suited for a petite person. It has a loose, boxy fit through the shoulders and body.

The sleeves of the blouse are a little too long for me. The cuffs have an asymmetric design, so they angle downward to cover most of my hands.

I’ll have the cuffs altered to remove the extra material that makes them asymmetric. I think they’ll fit me better with a straight horizontal cuff.

The cuffs don’t seem to be an issue to other people who have reviewed this blouse on the Petite Studio website though.

The fabric feels nice to the touch. It’s 100% viscose, which is soft and comfortable against the skin.

The material is medium weight, so it drapes well over the body and is not too thin to be see-through in this color. The pearls are firmly attached at the neckline but can be taken off for laundering.

This is a solid staple piece that will last a long time and never go out of style.

3 | Alanis pants in black XS - $138

I chose the Alanis pants because they looked comfortable and versatile. They come in two colors (black and ivory).

The pants fit really well in the waist. They sit high on the waist, which gives the illusion of me being taller.

The waist is partially elastic at the back. I can move around, bend over, sit down, and eat a meal with these pants on and not worry that the waist closures are going to pop off.

The pants are a little too long on me, even when I wear heels. They would fit well if you’re on the taller end of petite. I’ll have to get them hemmed much like I do with other pants.

These pants will go well with the blouses I received and many other items already in my wardrobe. I most like pairing them with a fitted top or bodysuit to contrast a longer, flowy look on the bottom.

4 | Rowan shirt in ivory XS - $108

I first saw the Rowan shirt modeled as an overshirt and wanted to try that style for myself.

I was surprised when I first took the shirt out of the package. I thought it might not fit well because it’s oversize and crisp. But then I unbuttoned and rolled up the sleeves, unbuttoned the front, tied the front shirt tails together, and flattened the collar.

Voila! It’s a great overshirt! I paired it with the Alanis pants and admired the combination in the mirror.

Some thoughts on the shirt:

• I think it runs big. I could have fit an XXS as well.

• The XS is too big for me to wear as a normal dress shirt. The sleeves and length are too long when fully laid out but work well when rolled and tied.

• The material is crisp out of the package. I think it will soften with washing.

• This makes a great option for layering. You can cover up over a short-sleeve shirt or tank top when it gets cold or if you want some sun protection while outside.

5 | Emilee dress in ivory print XS - $138

The Emilee dress and Estella blouse tie for my favorite Petite Studio pieces. The Emilee dress also has many features that I like - a floral print, long sleeves, and a midi length.

The dress features an understated blue floral pattern that contrasts well against the white material. I like that the flowers are spaced far enough apart that the pattern isn’t too busy.

The midi length makes it versatile enough to suit people of various heights. This dress looks great no matter where the hem hits between the knee and ankle.

The fabric feels medium weight and substantial enough to avoid the sheerness often associated with white material. I didn’t have any issues wearing this outside in the sun.

The buttonholes are small elastic loops, so they’re more difficult to manipulate than regular buttonholes that are sewn into a fabric.

I prefer the elastic loops because there’s more give in the front of the dress. There’s also a side zipper so you don’t have to undo all of the buttons to put the dress on and take it off.

I was happy with the size XS. While the size chart says to order down one size, I found the dress to be true to size with a relaxed fit.

No alterations needed on this dress! It was ready to wear straight out of the package. It’s going to be an essential piece in my wardrobe that I can wear year-round.

Thoughts on Petite Studio

Fit

• The clothes fit mostly true to size. I wear an XS in most brands. I ordered all the clothes here in XS and felt I chose correctly. The Rowan shirt was the only item I felt was a little oversized.

• Petite clothing may be a better fit but not a perfect fit without alteration. Most petite clothes are made for people who are 5’4”, so if you are shorter than that, you will likely still need to alter the clothes. I will need to alter the sleeves of the Buvette blouse and the hem of the Alanis pants.

• Use the size and fit guides on the website to pick the right size. Petite Studio provides a table based on height and weight to help you figure out your size. Each item also has fit details that will tell you how it’s supposed to fit (e.g., relaxed or true to size).

Quality

I’m impressed with the quality of all the items I received. Unlike some clothes I've encountered in the past that were thin, uncomfortable, and didn't lay properly, Petite Studio's pieces feel just right.

They're made from materials like viscose and linen, feel medium-weight, and have a great drape on the body. I think they’ll hold up to many wears and a lot of activity, which is important to me because I want my clothes to last.

Price

I found Petite Studio clothing to be moderately priced. The items I selected were $108 to $138, which I think is typical for high-quality items from a company that specializes in petite wear.

Petite Studio focuses on slow versus fast fashion. Clothes are meant to be investment pieces that last for years.

The company outsources production to only one factory in China and controls each part of the production process, so there’s higher attention to the quality and detail of each piece.

Workers at the factory receive benefits including 40-hour work weeks, hour-long lunch breaks, health insurance, and vacation time.

The price of the clothing reflects the investment the company has made in the community of people who make the clothes and the quality of the clothes.

Shipping & return

Petite Studio’s shipping and return policies make it easy to try the clothes and see if they’re right for you.

Shipping is free within the US. The company offers free exchanges and $8 returns within the US as well.

Wrap Up

I really enjoyed trying Petite Studio clothing. The Emilee dress fit me perfectly and will become a wardrobe staple. While I had some fit issues like sleeve and hem length in other pieces, I could see the quality and attention to detail in each item.

I appreciate the brand's commitment to sustainability and ethical labor practices and their convenient shipping and return policies, which made trying Petite Studio hassle-free.

I'm looking forward to exploring more pieces from their collection, particularly the Sylvie dress and Lexi wool sweater, which have caught my eye for the upcoming seasons.

Have you tried Petite Studio?

You can get 25% off your purchase using the code arlene25 at checkout.

I recently learned about Helpsy, a company that sells new and second-hand wholesale inventory for resellers. I don’t have much time to go thrift shopping, so I like it when I can order inventory online and have it shipped right to me.

After hearing about other resellers being happy with their Helpsy purchases, I decided to order a few boxes to try it out for myself. This is my review of the Helpsy Deluxe & Designer Brands Women’s Secondhand Wholesale Clothes - 20 pack.

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. This means that I may receive compensation when you click on a product link or purchase an item linked on this site. Click here for details.

** On Poshmark, you can receive a free $10 bonus when you sign up with the code SFGIRL2015.

** On Mercari, you can get $10 when you sign up with the code JENMHM.

Update 1/1/24: I added information below about my sales after having items listed for sale for 3+ months.

What did I purchase from Helpsy?

I purchased three boxes (reviews linked below):

• Deluxe & Designer Brands 20 pack - Women’s Clothes Secondhand Wholesale - 20 pieces

• Tahari Women's Clothes Secondhand Wholesale - 40 pieces

• - 40 pieces

I purchased them all at once. The Deluxe & Designer Brands box and the Tahari box arrived at my doorstep 20 days later.

How much did the Deluxe & Designer Brands box cost?

The box normally costs $320 for 16 items. I purchased it during a 10% of site-wide sale so it was $288.

Shipping was free. There was no sales tax at the time I purchased it. Since then, I think Helpsy has started charging sales tax unless you show you have a seller’s permit.

$288/20 = $14.40 per item

Now normally I wouldn’t pay $16 or $14.40 for most items I find at the thrift store. I would if it’s an item that’s some combination of the following:

• guaranteed to sell well

• new with tag or looks new

• by a popular brand

• has high resale value

Why did I purchase the Deluxe & Designer Brands box?

I purchased the Deluxe & Designer Brand box for a few reasons:

• I want to try Helpsy’s best boxes. I’ve been looking for an online source that I can count on to repeatedly send me profitable resellable clothes. If I was happy with this box, I would buy it regularly, even at the high price.

• I want the largest profit margin per sale, which usually comes from selling higher-end clothing if you source it at a low enough cost.

• I want to sell designer brands in my closet.

• The box had good enough reviews that I was willing to take a chance on it.

• I could accept it if I didn’t make my money back or make a profit from this box.

What did I receive in the Deluxe & Designer Brands box?

1 ) Gentle Fawn dress M - okay condition. Didn’t sell.

2) Ganni purple floral maxi dress 40 - damaged with large holes. Sold for $12 on eBay.

3) Tibi New York print dress - good condition. Didn’t sell.

4) Rebecca Taylor floral blouse M - good condition. Sold for $30 on Poshmark.

5) Veda lamb leather midi skirt S - light wear and creases. Didn’t sell.

6) Frame Le High Straight denim jeans 31 - okay condition, light wear. Sold for $25 on eBay.

7) Acne Studios black jeans 26 - okay condition, light wear. Sold for $13 on Poshmark.

8) Reiss blouse 6 - good condition, no flaws except the inventory sticker. Sold for $44 on Poshmark.

9) Spyder athletic shirt - men’s shirt, okay condition. Didn’t sell.

10) Zadig & Voltaire white sequin tank L - two faint dark colored marks across the front. Sold for $16 on Poshmark.

11) Zadig & Voltaire Mili Bis Death's-head hawkmoth tank top XS - no flaw, possibly new? Didn’t sell.

12) Flynn Skye blue romper - damaged, broken zipper. Trashed.

13) See by Chloe print dress 2 - good condition. Didn’t sell.

14) 360cashmere black sleeveless cashmere sweater S - moderate wear. Sold for $8.50 on eBay.

15) Diane von Furstenberg wrap sweater L (not pictured) - heavily worn. Trashed.

16) Calypso blue silk wrap dress XS - old, worn. Sold as part of a bundle for about $8 on Mercari.

17) Comptoir Des Cotonniers mixed media blouse S (not pictured) - mild wear. Didn’t sell.

18) Ultracor black star leggings S - damaged with 4 holes. Sold for $13 on eBay.

19) All Saints Bernt jumper/sweater 6 - good condition. Didn’t sell.

20) Nila Lotan East Hampton Tape Pant 8 - mild wear. Didn’t sell.

Overall I received

• 6 tops

• 5 dresses

• 4 jeans or pants

• 3 sweaters

• 1 skirt

• 1 romper

Things I liked about this box

1 | New and decent brands

I would consider several of the brands I received deluxe or designer. When I thrift shop, I like to pick up Reiss, See by Chloe, Diane von Furstenburg, Calypso, and All Saints if the items are in good condition.

I hadn’t heard of the brands Ganni, Ultracor, and Nila Lotan. I’m always interested in learning new brands that resell well.

These brands have good resale value from what I saw sold online. It’s unfortunate two of these items (the Ganni dress and Ultracor leggings) were heavily damaged.

2 | Decent condition

Most of the items I received are in resellable condition.

Every company that sells second-hand items will tell you to accept some items with flaws. Flaws are significant damage or issues with the items. Flaws could be large rips or holes and large stains.

Helpsy says that a 15% flaw rate is expected in its boxes. That’s 3 items in a 20-item box, which is exactly how many damaged items I received.

Then there’s expected wear on items. This is not included in the 15% flaw rate.

These could be pilling, missing buttons, pulls and minor runs on fabric, small holes at seams, dust marks, etc.

Some of the items I received have pilling or makeup stains. Some of the items need washing, steaming, or some general touching up.

I probably wouldn’t purchase several of the items I got if I were shopping on my own for things to resell. I don’t like to do too much cleaning and repair of things I buy to resell.

I pass on items with missing buttons, small holes, and even pilling because I don’t want to deal with them. That means I buy fewer items to resell, and I’m okay with that.

In this case, I knew what I was getting with this box, so I’m not surprised that I got items that have wear and need some attention.

3 | Decent styles

Most of the items I received were modern in style.

Most of the items were plain such as the All Saints gray ribbed sweater or the blue/gray blouse from Reiss. You won’t be outdated with solid color staples like those.

I could tell one or two of the items were older. They had an odor, or in the case of the Calypso dress, the silk was very wrinkled and had white streaks that sometimes happens to older silk.

4 | Box shipped to my door

The best thing about this box is that the items were shipped right to me, so I didn’t spend any time out of the house sourcing.

I don’t have much time to thrift shop anymore. I might go to the thrift store if I get off early from work one day, but most of the time I have other errands to run or I want to do something else with my time.

It would take me a long time to find 20 items that I want to sell by deluxe and designer brands.

Things I didn’t like about this box

1 | Damaged items

I know that damaged items are a part of purchasing second-hand items wholesale. It’s expected to receive some items with flaws. But receiving damaged items still stinks.

Three of the items (the Ganna dress, Flynn Skye romper, and Ultracor leggings) had obvious large or multiple holes. These items aren’t wearable without repair or repurposing.

The cost per item is not really what is stated. Here the cost per item was $16, but it’s actually more if you remove the damaged items.

2 | Sticker residue

Helpsy uses large stickers with barcodes to track its inventory. The stickers are placed anywhere inside an item.

The problem is these stickers leave residue on the clothes. Some of the clothes were resistant to residue so the stickers came off without issue.

For the other items, I used a steamer and hair dryer to attempt to remove some of the stickers, but the residue remained.

One was the Reiss silk blouse, where the sticker was on the inside front right under the collar. The residue causes the blouse to pucker and stick together, which is disappointing because the blouse has no other issues.

I didn’t want to try to treat it more like using vinegar on it because I might stain and ruin the delicate fabric.

The adhesive stuck hard to the Comptoir Des Cotonniers blouse, I guess because of the type of fabric. The sticker also left adhesive and removed black coloring on the lamb leather skirt.

I wish they used another method for inventory management such as mini stickers on the size tags or placed hang tags through the size tags or at least put the larger stickers on the inside bottom hem where sticker residue is least likely to be an issue.

Asking for a refund

I requested a refund for 4 of the items: the Spyder men’s shirt and the 3 items affected by inventory sticker adhesive.

I asked because I purchased women’s clothes, not men’s clothes, and Helpsy damaged the other items. The resale value of those items is less now because I have to list them with those flaws.

I emailed twice and eventually got ahold of someone by direct messaging on Instagram. They requested pictures of the items. I sent a video of the items because the issues were difficult to show in pictures.

I received a refund for the 3 items with sticker adhesive and eventually for the men’s shirt as well.

Is the Deluxe & Designer Brands box worth purchasing?

It’s too early for me to say if the Deluxe & Designer Brands box is worth purchasing, but I’m leaning toward no. I’m lukewarm about the items I received and cautiously optimistic about making a profit from them.

When I looked up the sold items from some of the brands, some of the items showed a high resale value of over $50 and even over $100.

It’s possible I will make a profit, but I won’t be surprised if I break even or even if I take a loss. I think these items will take time to sell and may go for less than the comps.

I’ll update this post in a few months to let you know how the items from this box sell and whether I decide to purchase another one or not.

As for other sellers who have resold well with Helpsy, I think they mostly purchased boxes with NWT/NWOT or returned items by nice brand names, whereas I purchased second-hand goods.

If I decide to shop from Helpsy again, I would lean toward purchasing those NWT/NWOT brand boxes or manifested boxes.

How to get Helpsy items cheaper

There are a few ways to purchase Helpsy cheaper than the listed prices on the website:

• Check regularly for sales

• Use a referral code for a discount on your first purchase

• Work directly with a sales associate.

Sales associates can sometimes offer better prices on certain listings or items. I’d try contacting the company directly to talk to a sales associate and see what he/she can offer you, especially if you are already or are likely to become a repeat buyer.

Wrap Up

I was happy to learn about Helpsy, a new place to source inventory online. The Deluxe & Designer Brands box came with brands and items I wouldn’t have found thrift shopping locally on my own, but they had more issues than I had hoped.

Time will tell whether the box is profitable and worth ordering again. I’ll let you know in a few months, so stay tuned to see how these items sell!

Update 1/1/24:

How did this Helpsy box sell

As you can see in my listings above, many of the items did not sell and the ones that did mostly sold for fairly low prices. This is after listing and relisting items, sharing items, and sending offers to people who watched and liked items.

After having the items listed for 3+ months, I sold the items for approximately $169.50. That does not include seller fees and shipping fees where I covered some of it.

I estimate that I made about $100-$125 on this box after over 3 months of trying to sell it. That’s a far cry from the $288 I spent on the box.

I won’t make back the cost of the box much less make a profit from it. I don’t think this box was worth purchasing and wouldn’t recommend it to other resellers.

Have you tried Helpsy? What did you purchase? What did you think about the experience and the box you received?

It’s hard to find clothes that fit well when you’re shorter and smaller than the average person, so I was excited to return to Short Story, a petite-focused styling service, this month for a wardrobe refresh. This box is my favorite one I’ve received. Take a look at what I got in my box!

Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by Short Story. All content and opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links. This means that I may receive compensation when you click on a product link or purchase an item linked on this site. Click here for details.

What did I receive in my Short Story box?

Short Story sent me 7 items: 2 sweaters, a hoodie, athletic pants, jeans, a dress, and a jumpsuit.

1 | Recreation Bree Hoodie in Sage Green - Size SP - Retail: $54

This hoodie fit well and was so comfortable! The material is smooth on the outside and soft on the inside. It has a loose fit, particularly through the middle, which makes it easy to move around in and layer. The hood is a good addition too for covering your head in cold weather.

I could see myself wearing this out to walk the dog or run some errands. I decided to return it though because I already have a lot of casual clothes for those activities.

The hood part of the hoodie is also heavy relative to the body part. The hood pulled the body material backward, which I felt tugging along my collarbone. I fixed that with some adjusting, but I didn’t want to have to tug the sweater forward repeatedly while wearing it.

2 | Recreation Layne Pants in Sage Green - Size XSP - Retail $68

These were the matching pants to the hoodie. I like a color-coordinated set, and the matching set made for a nice put-together look. The pants were extremely comfortable because they were made of the same smooth material as the hoodie and had a wide waistband.

I returned these pants because I already have a lot of casual clothes, and they’re not the most flattering on me. They show underwear lines and the shape of any lumps and bumps if you have a good size butt, hips, or thighs.

3 | Skies Are Blue Elda Cardigan in Forest Green - Size SP - Retail: $64

This cardigan was so soft that I wanted to wrap myself in it for winter. It’s the perfect sweater to finish an outfit because it’s basic, dark, and loose-fitting. The info card says it’s forest green, but I think it looks black in color. It goes with almost everything.

I liked this sweater but returned it because I don’t wear cardigans very often. I subconsciously prefer pullover sweaters and find myself reaching for them more. I could see myself wearing this once in a while, just not often enough to justify purchasing or keeping it.

4 | Muse Petite Maxine Surplice Jumpsuit in Black Multi Floral - Size XSP - Retail $84

My heart jumped a bit when I realized this was a jumpsuit because I love jumpsuits! This was my favorite item in the box without a doubt.

The jumpsuit fit perfectly from top to bottom. It had the right proportions and the perfect length. The material stretches and there’s elastic around the midsection for an even better fit. The black clothing and floral print are spot-on for me too.

I didn’t feel any material pulling from the shoulder to the crotch, which can happen when the body portion of the jumpsuit is too short and/or you have a long torso.

This jumpsuit may be an issue if your top and bottom are two different sizes or if you have a large bust. The cross point of the material in front is low and may not provide enough coverage. You could try pinning or stitching the cross point so that the material stays crossed higher up.

This is one item I’ll wear again and again all spring and summer. It works as casual day wear and can be dressed up for the evening too.

5 | Short Story Nori Textured Sleeve Pullover in H Mulberry - Size SP/MP - Retail $64

This was another favorite item in the box. It’s an oversized, boxy sweater with a bit of a slouchy fit. The color is a soft purple that’s flattering on nearly everyone.

The only issue I had with this sweater was that the sleeves were too long (another petite person problem). I guess I have short arms even for a petite-sized person?

Sometimes overly long sleeves work because the sleeves can be pushed up or rolled up, but here the sleeves are loose fitting so it looked like too much material on my arms when pulled up.

Other than that, this sweater was perfect. I would reach for it all fall and winter if it fit.

6 | Democracy Ab Solution Ankle Length 26/11” in Espresso - Size 2P - Retail $88

I’m neutral about these jeans. I think they are good quality and have a lot of features that would make them fit nicely. They’re made to sit smoothly against the body fitting over curves. They have a thick elastic waistband and are a dark color.

The info card says espresso, which makes me think they’re brown. They looked like a gray or light black color to me.

They just didn’t fit me right, so I returned them. The jeans were a little loose in some places and tighter in others. I think they could fit many people well, just not me.

I mostly avoid buying jeans now because they’re hard to fit and I don’t find jeans very comfortable. I will probably ask for no jeans in future boxes.

7 | Grade & Gather Annabel Ruffle Satin Maxi Dress in Dark Orchid - Size XSP - Retail $78

I was surprised at how much I liked this dress. This and the jumpsuit were my favorite items in the box.

This dress is a beautiful purple color. It’s lightweight and loose-fitting, which makes it comfortable to wear. It’s a good length ending at my ankles, which means it doesn’t need to be hemmed.

It’s versatile too. I can wear it dressed down with casual flats or dressed up with heels or espadrilles. This dress is a keeper!

My thoughts on Short Story

1 | Great clothes & stylist collaboration

This is the best box I’ve received from Short Story after receiving three so far. I liked all of the items in this box and could see myself wearing all of them. I think I had great results with this box because

• I tried the service a few times so that I could better figure out what I like and don’t like, then edited my style survey to better indicate what I like and want

• The stylist at Short Story now has a better idea of what I like and want after creating a few boxes for me.

My stylist really tried to get to know me. She looked at my IG and blog to see what clothes and colors I wore previously.

On the info sheet, she mentioned selecting clothes that I could wear while working on my reselling and walking my dog. I appreciated the detail she put into selecting items I would like.

I tried a different subscription fashion service in the past where the stylist wasn’t nearly as thoughtful. That box was not tailored to me at all, and the clothes didn’t fit as well because they were regular size.

Building boxes to fit your style is a collaborative effort. If you don’t get what you like or want in the first box, give feedback and try again. It may take a few tries to get the best results.

2 | Reasonable prices

When you fill out your style survey, you indicate the price range for each type of item offered. The options are less than $50, $50 to $100, over $100, and the cheaper the better.

I picked $50-$100 for most of the clothes. That’s the price of the items they sent me.

I thought the prices of all of the items were reasonable for a fashion subscription service.

For example, the jeans were $88 and the jumpsuit was $84. These are typical prices for clothes from a regular retailer.

Jeans normally for that much and often more. I’m going to wear the jumpsuit again and again, so it’s worth it to me.

3 | Flexibility

Short Story gives you 5 days to review what you received before shipping back the items you don’t want. There was a delay in mailing my box to me, so I got it later than expected and the return lined up with a major holiday.

I asked for an extension and sent the clothes back a day or two later than expected. I’m glad Short Story is flexible with their returns because life, vacations, and holidays happen.

Wrap up

I’ve enjoyed using Short Story to find clothes that actually fit me. It’s exciting to have a stylist who specializes in fitting petite people.

I don’t have to spend time going to stores or browsing online to shop for myself. I’ve tried new styles that I normally would not have chosen for myself but ended up liking. It’s been a fun experience, and I’m looking forward to my next box.

What do you think of the outfits I received?

If you’re petite and looking for stylish clothes that fit, try signing up for Short Story. Use my referral link to receive your first styling free.

I recently received an email from a new Poshmark user who asked me, “What tips could you give a new seller on Poshmark to be successful?”

This is a great question because when you’re new to something like Poshmark, it can be hard to know where to start and what to focus on.

My response to that seller became this guide. After I wrote to her, I decided I should share my response with you because lots of new sellers are joining Poshmark every day.

The tips fall into three categories:

1 | Sell what people want to buy

2 | Showcase your items well

3 | Use Poshmark’s features to make sales

Let’s dive in!

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. This means that I may receive compensation when you click on a product link or purchase an item linked on this site. Click here for details.

***If you don’t have a Poshmark account, you can receive a free $10 bonus when you sign up with my code SFGIRL2015. Amount varies by promotion.***

***On Mercari, you can get $10 when you sign up with the code JENMHM.

1 | Sell what people want to buy

If you’re new to fashion and resale, it will take research and trial and error to know what to sell and what will sell well for you.

You might be surprised that many brands and items that sell for a lot at retail have low resale value.

The reverse is true too. Some brands and items that aren’t high-end or expensive can make for quick and profitable sales.

How do you know what people want to buy?

• Take note of the brands sold on popular sites like Revolve and Net-a-Porter

• Look at what celebrities like Meghan Markle are wearing

• Read marketplace news and notices. The Posh blog has sales and trend reports. Mercari will tell you what to list because it’s hot right now. Kidizen has a list of top-selling children’s clothing brands.

• Look at sold listings on Poshmark. Type something you want to research such as dresses into the search bar. Set availability to “Sold” items and filter to show only items $100 and over. Then look at the brands and styles that have sold recently. This is the easiest and fastest way to know what will sell.

• Consider selling non-clothing items. Some people do well selling primarily shoes, home goods, and beauty products.

Related post: 17 Brands to Sell on Poshmark

Now you might be saying, “That sounds great. I’d love to sell those items. But how do I get them!?!”

I always suggest to starting to sell by listing items from your own home. List items that you have that are new or in good condition but you don’t wear or use anymore. They don’t have to be the most popular or profitable brands.

It’s an easy way to learn the ropes of a new marketplace. Your items might even sell quickly depending on what they are.

The goal is to get started growing the number of listings you have for sale and making sales to show you’re a legitimate seller. You mean serious business!

Many sellers then source items specifically to sell for profit.

I mostly shop at thrift stores. I look for sought-after brands like Reformation, Mother, Lululemon, and Zimmermann. I mostly stick to thrifting because it’s convenient and fun for me.

There are many ways to source profitable inventory. Here are a common few:

• Retail store sales. Lots of sellers hit up places like Nordstrom Rack and TJ Maxx during their big sales.

• Outlet thrift stores like Goodwill bins

• Buy-sell-trade clothing stores like Crossroads and Plato’s closet

• Yard sales and estate sales

• Family and friends

• Offer consignment services

• Purchase liquidation lots and wholesale inventory

Related post: 26 Places to Get Clothes to Sell on Poshmark

Some final notes about what to sell:

• Many, many brands that will sell well for you on Poshmark and other marketplaces.

• Top brands can change as new ones pop up and gain popularity. Seasons and trends come and go. Remember the cold-shoulder top?

• While Poshmark shoppers tend to be brand-focused or style-focused, many sellers make sales with basic styles and typical mall brands like Old Navy, J. Crew, and Banana Republic.

• No matter brands or items you sell, keep your cost of goods low so that you make a profit.

2 | Showcase your items well

How you show or market your item can make a huge difference in getting it sold. Two sellers can list the same item and they’ll sell quite differently, both the amount of time required to make a sale and sold prices.

How do you show your items so they’ll sell?

Pictures

Background

Take a look at how companies like Banana Republic and Anthropologie show items. They’re often on a a light color or white background.

There are instances when a bright color or a scene is the right background such as when showcasing a white dress or taking pictures of evening wear in a party scene.

But for the most part, the white or light background shows an item without detracting from it.

You can use photo apps like PhotoRoom to remove backgrounds as well.

Display

How you decide to show your items will likely depend on the item and your situation.

Take pictures of items

• hung on a hanger against a plain background

• on a body form

• modeled by a person

• as a flat lay against white or light colored posterboard

• in a homemade or purchased light box (harder to do with larger items)

Many buyers like seeing how an item will look on a body. That’s usually done by using a body form or modeling the item. Those are relatively time-consuming compared to other display options.

My favorite display method is to hang items against a wall. It’s easy to set up and take pictures quickly.

Lighting

You’ll also need good lighting. Natural light is usually best if you can get it. This is hard in the winter or if you work on selling at night when the sun isn’t as readily available.

You can achieve a similar effect with box lights or a ring light. I’ve tried both and prefer box lights if I can’t get natural light. You can also use a photo editing app like SnapSeed or a background-removing app like PhotoRoom to get similar effects.

Titles

Put as much information as you can fit into the title. This will keyword your items to come up in Poshmark and Google search results. Here’s what to add and some examples:

• Brand name – Athleta

• Style name – Downabout

• Item type – puffer vest

• Size –

• Color – pink

• Pattern – striped

• Material – wool and silk

• Features – lace and rhinestones

There are character limits, so you may not fit all this information into the title. Try to have at least the brand and style names and item type. Then add the rest based on what you can fit.

Descriptions

A good description not only lets a buyer know what they’re getting, but also saves you from having to answer as many questions after posting. Try to be as thorough and descriptive as possible.

Common things to add to the description:

• Brand and style name

• Item type

• Item condition

• Details about the style or item

• Any flaws

• Color

• Measurements

• Fabric content

• How to clean the item

• Styling tips or seasonal info

My description might go like this:

NWT Tahari ASL jacquard floral jacket in pink and ivory
Size 12
Style 8180M851
Portrait collar, fabric-covered four-button front closure, shoulder pads, ruffle cuffs
Jacket only, no skirt
Measures 20 inches armpit to armpit, 22 down center back without collar
Measurements are approximate
Polyester, rayon, acetate
Dry clean

These are a few good examples I came across:

The seller above ended up being asked for measurements of the top in the comments and provided them.

Here’s another description that I thought was well written:

Use a template to speed up writing your descriptions and ensure you cover all details. It can be an actual template on your phone or computer or just one in your head.

You’ll find that many people’s item descriptions have the same format or sound similar to each other because they follow the same pattern each time. It makes listing faster and ensures you don’t leave out anything important.

Measurements

Measurements help buyers get a better idea of how an item will fit. They aren’t mandatory, but if you sell a lot of clothing and you don’t add them, you may find yourself answering lots of questions from potential buyers.

You might have noticed when shopping online that retailers often give the measurements of an item or the measurements of the model and what size she’s wearing. They do this because it helps people feel more confident in buying from them and selecting the right size.

Add measurements to your listings if you have the time and inclination to do it.

Pricing

It’s good to start with an idea of how much you want to earn for an item based on factors like how much you paid for it, how quickly you want it sold, and how much similar items are selling for.

Look up the comparibles AKA “comps” on Poshmark, other sites like eBay, or even on Google. Look at sold prices for rather than just how much items are listed for. There can be a big difference.

Once you have an idea of how much you want to earn, price your items above that. I tend to price my items about 20-25% more than my goal sale price. This allows for wiggle room to accept offers and to lower prices during sales.

Packaging

Poshmark promotes stellar packaging as part of the overall Poshmark experience. If you like decorating your packages with tissue paper, ribbon, and an extra gift , then go for it!

Don’t feel that you have to do that though. A clean and securely packaged item is enough.

• Clean, lint roll, and/or steam items if needed.

• Fold clothes or wrap other items so they’ll minimize wrinkles, keep their shape, and remain undamaged through shipping.

• Waterproof items with a plastic bag or Tyvek envelope if needed.

A thank you note is not necessary but a nice touch. If you add an order sheet to the package, you can write a thank you note on that. Other sellers add a business card or use a thank you sticker.

Shipping is easy on Poshmark. Print out the label that’s emailed to you or download it from the app. It’s good for shipping packages up to 5 lb. That’s enough for most sales of individual items. Stick the label on the package and ship it via the U.S. Postal Service.

Related post:

3 | Use Poshmark's features to help you sell

Every marketplace has its unique features to help you bring in more sales. Poshmark is no exception, having many that are easy to use.

Here are the main ones:

Sharing listings

Poshmark is built on the idea of a social shopping experience. Part of that is sharing your own and other people’s listings to your followers and virtual parties. This results in those listings being seen more often.

The most important sharing to do is of your own items. Focus on sharing your items in the amount of time that you have. Then share other people’s listings if you have time and want to do more.

Note that it’s not necessary to share items. You can make sales without doing that. But sellers generally find they have more sales when they sell desireable items and share them.

Nowadays many sellers use automated services such as Flyp to automatically share their listings.

Discount features

Poshmark has several features to offer discounts that encourage shoppers to buy.

Offer to likers

This is when you make an offer to someone who has liked your item. You have to offer the item at a lower price and provide a shipping discount as well. If I have a shirt on sale for $25, I might offer it for $20 with $4.99 shipping. The seller pays that difference in shipping cost, so keep that in mind when determining how much you’ll make from the sale.

Some sellers make an offer every time someone likes an item and get most of their sales this way. Remember to price your items a little higher than you hope to sell them for to accommodate the discounts.

Bundling items

You can make a bundle of one item or several items for someone, or they can make one for themselves from items in your closet. Once a bundle is made, even if it’s just one item, you can negotiate with the potential buyer regarding price. Some sellers offer an automatic discount for purchasing multiple items such as 10% off of 2+ items.

Closet Clear Out

During this event, you lower the price of an item by at least 10% from its historical lowest price. As long as the item is at least $10, it will receive discounted shipping. That’s usually $3.99 or $4.99 instead of $7.97.

This is my favorite feature because Poshmark covers the difference in shipping cost. I’ve made many sales this way because Closet Clear Out happens often, at least once a week.

Relisting items

Relisting can help you make more sales on most marketplaces, not just Poshmark. It’s exactly as it sounds, which is deleting your old listings and listing the same items again as new ones.

This allows you to raise their price if you lowered them at any point. This also changes your items’ ranks so they place higher in search results.

Remember that most people purchase items on Poshmark by looking for specific items. Right now, I’m looking to buy a Frozen outfit for my niece. I’m searching by typing in “Frozen dress”, “Elsa sweater”, and similar search terms.

Those items come up based on how well someone titled, described, and categorized their items. Poshmark defaults to showing items by “just shared” but buyers can change the order. I’ll often look for the items that are “just in” to see what’s newly listed.

I rarely purchase an item by browsing the feed. I’ve heard this from other buyers and sellers as well.

So make sure your items are optimized to come up in searches. The higher in the search results, the better they are for getting seen.

Live shows

Poshmark most recently added the ability to do live shows. Once you’ve signed up for Poshmark, you can apply for approval to host live shows.

Live shows can be

• You standing in front of the camera talking and selling items (like on QVC)

• Silent auction style. The show goes through a reel of the items you selected to sell at the show. You don’t have to be active on camera.

Many sellers report having great sales with live shows, especially if they have a good following:

• Be consistent with regular days and times for your shows

• Sell certain types of products that buyers know to expect and want

Wrap Up

Now you know the main components of how to sell successfully on Poshmark! I wrote this guide for beginning sellers, but it has all the essential parts for anyone to make sales.

Good luck with your sales and happy Poshing!

Let me know if you have more questions :)

Related posts:

• 24 Things to do when your items aren’t selling

• Via Trading wholesale clothing lot review

• 26 places to get clothes to sell on Poshmark

• How to model clothes on Poshmark

• How I made $3000 in Vendoo’s affiliate program

Updated 10/30/23

When I made my first sales on Poshmark, I tucked the items in Ziploc bags and sent them off. They were waterproof, but they were not pretty packages!

Since then, I’ve taken the time to package my items a little nicer and make sure they get to the buyer as soon as possible. So today I want to talk about how to packaging and ship your Poshmark sales.

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. This means that I may receive compensation when you click on a product link or purchase an item linked on this site. Click here for details.

** If you don’t have a Poshmark account, you can receive a free $10 bonus when you sign up with my code SFGIRL2015.

** On Mercari, you can get $10 when you sign up with the code JENMHM. The amount may vary by promotion.

1 | Double-check the item that sold

The first thing is to pull the item out and double-check that it’s what actually sold. You can do this by viewing the inventory number or taking a quick look at the item.

I once sold a children’s item by Ivivva. In my rush to get the sale packaged and to the post office before it closed, I grabbed an Ivivva item from the storage bin without looking closely.

I didn’t remember that I had two Ivivva items that looked similar and ended up sending the wrong one. Whoops!

I caught the mistake soon after shipping, messaged the buyer, and sent off the right one. Thankfully the buyer was understanding about it, and I only lost a few dollars on that mistake.

If you sell second-hand items as I do, double-check that the item is in the condition you described. There have been a few times that I’ve had to cancel sales because I missed a small stain or a hole when inspecting it the first time around.

It’s better to be straightforward with the buyer and let them know you found unmentioned damage.

You can also ask them if they still want the item or want you to cancel the order. I’ve had buyers who still wanted the items, and I sent them with no problem.

I give my items an additional lint rolling and steam items that have been sitting folded for a long time. One way around this to save time on the packaging phase is to lint roll and steam items before you put them into plastic bags for storage.

Another way around this is to store clothes upright or rolled so that they don’t wrinkle nearly as much. Store shoes in their boxes, then in USPS Priority Mail shoe boxes.

Then they’re ready to ship the moment the order comes in. Just pop the item in a box or mailer and stick a label on it.

2 | Package items properly

It’s easy to package clothing like sweaters and pants. They’re soft so they won’t get damaged even if they’re thrown around and left under a heavy pile of items.

I get my shipping boxes and mailers from USPS because they’re free for Priority Mail.

I frequently use the Flat Rate padded mailer and the Tyvek envelope because they’re waterproof and can bend to fit in people’s mailboxes.

They’re helpful during the winter when much of the country experiences rainy or snowy weather. The bad thing about them is that they’re not easily recyclable the way a cardboard box is.

Use a box for anything fragile, big and bulky, or that needs to hold its shape. You can order USPS boxes of different sizes for this.

Use the weight-based Priority Mail boxes and Priority Mail Flat Rate boxes to send items sold on Poshmark. Those all have red print on the boxes.

Note that Regional boxes are no longer made as USPS has eliminated this category of mailing, but you can still use the boxes if you have them.

Don’t use the USPS Express Mail boxes. Those are printed in blue.

If you use them, the post office may charge you more when you send the package or the unlucky buyer will be required to pay the difference before their package will be released to them.

Check out the USPS website to see the variety of boxes and have them mailed directly to you for free.

Be careful about shipping in paper such as paper envelopes. I’ve heard of buyers being upset because their packages got soaked in the rain. The contents got wet and were sometimes damaged beyond repair.

I keep boxes of all sizes on hand so I can box a sale of any item I have to be shipped out the next day.

Household goods like dishes and glassware can be a pain to package. Poshmark even shows you a warning when it thinks you’re selling something fragile like glass. They may not cover an item if it is damaged in transit.

Wrap fragile items well so they don’t move around in their boxes. If they do, make sure there’s plenty of cushion for them.

Many sellers use a double-box method. Put the items in a smaller box, surround it with padding such as peanuts or air pillows, and place them in a bigger box.

Do you have to use USPS boxes for Poshmark sales?

No, you don’t have to use USPS boxes to ship on Poshmark. You can use a plain box that you have on hand at home.

I save Amazon and other boxes I receive to ship items as well. Just be sure to remove or cover labels and markings that would lead to misdelivery.

I once received something I purchased packaged in a food box like a cereal or fruit snacks box. Some buyers won’t be happy about that, but others won’t care.

You can also ship in cute mailers like the ones below.

3 | Print the shipping label

Poshmark has a few options for printing a shipping label and packing slip.

For shipping labels, you can select

• 8.5’’ x 11” - This is for standard printers.

• 4’’x 6’’ - This is great for specialized label printers that use 4” wide paper or sticky labels.

In the app, you would go to

1) Your Account Tab (@username)

2) My Seller Tools

3) Shipping Label Settings.

4) Then select a page dimension.

Packing slips

You can also print a packing slip. I don’t print the packing slip because I haven’t felt it’s necessary and I like to save paper, but it’s helpful for ensuring you match the label with the correct item if you have many items to ship.

The packing slip includes

• Order #

• Listing Title

• Listing Image

• Buyer username

• SKU (optional)

• Price Sold

When you have the 8.5” x 11” setting on, the shipping label will print on one half of the page and the packing slip on the other half.

In the app, you would go to

1) Account Tab (@username)

2) My Seller Tools

3) Shipping Label Settings

4) Select ON or OFF next to Packing Slip

4 | Presentation

Should you do basic or fancy packaging? This is an ongoing Poshmark debate!

You’ll hear people argue for both sides. Poshmark considers packaging as one part of the whole buyer experience.

Just as the presentation of food on your dinner plate makes the food more appealing, nicely presented sales can be more pleasing to a buyer.

On any other platform, you’re likely to receive only the item you ordered. It may be wrapped in additional plastic wrap if it needs it. It may come with a thank you note or business card but probably not.

You’ll see pictures of Posh packages on social media with varying levels of fanciness. Some people go all out wrapping items in ribbons and adding small extra gifts.

I take a simpler approach. I wrap items in tissue paper or leave them in a small clear bag.

I add a thank you card or note on top. Sometimes I tack on a business card too. The item goes in a box or mailer, and it’s ready to send.

This process is simple and repeatable, which is important for packaging multiple items quickly.

How much detail you put into the presentation is up to you. As long as the item arrives in good shape, your buyer should be happy.

5 | Thank you note

My favorite thing is to add to packages is a handwritten thank you note on a cute card or piece of stationery. Some people attach a thank you sticker or thank you/business card, which is faster than writing notes by hand.

If you decide to send a thank you/business card, you can add a marketing bit to the other side of it such as:

• A return customer discount. Let the buyer know that if they’d like to shop from you again, to let you know by commenting on a listing or in a bundle and they’ll receive a certain amount like 20% off.

• Promote 5-star ratings. Let the buyer know that if they liked the item, you’d like it if they leave a rating for you on Poshmark.

• Social media. If you have social media accounts for selling/buying or anything related to that, shared those handles on the card.

6 | Ship it out ASAP

The last step is to ship your item. Schedule a pickup or drop it off with USPS. Buyers want their items sooner rather than later.

A family member told me the other day that his 5-year-old daughter recently demanded that he order something off Amazon using same-day shipping. She wanted it that day!

If the package is over 5 lb, it will require additional postage.

How do I upgrade a shipping label on Poshmark?

Packages over 5 lb. require an upgraded shipping label. While the buyer pays for the original shipping label, the seller pays the difference for the upgraded label. Shipping labels are available for up to 10 lb.

Go to your Account or your Profile picture —> My Sales —> Select the order —> Need New Shipping Label —> Need Heavier Weight Label.

Now you’re set to package and ship your sales!

How do you like to package your sales?

Related posts:

• 24 Things to Do When Your Items Aren’t Selling

• 26 Places to Get Clothes to Sell on Poshmark

• How Relisting Helps to Make More Sales on Poshmark

Disclosure: This post is sponsored and written by Vendoo.

In the ever-evolving digital landscape, businesses worldwide are relentlessly striving to carve their niche in the highly competitive e-commerce market. With so many e-commerce tools available, Vendoo Enterprise emerges as a game-changing solution. In this article, we will delve into the intricacies of Vendoo Enterprise, exploring its features and benefits and how it can revolutionize your online business strategy.

What is Vendoo Enterprise?

Vendoo Enterprise is not just your run-of-the-mill e-commerce platform; it's a comprehensive solution meticulously designed to empower businesses to unleash their full potential in the world of online marketplaces. With an array of cutting-edge features and tools at your disposal, Vendoo Enterprise takes your business to the next level.

Check out the immediate benefits you can expect from Vendoo Enterprise:

• Import your high-volume inventory from a CSV file, marketplace, or the Vendoo web app for resellers.

• Vendoo streamlines bulk crosslisting by enabling one-click posting to multiple platforms such as Poshmark, eBay, Depop, Etsy, and Mercari.

• Enjoy the convenience of a centralized inventory management system. Easily create labels and assign labels at import to categorize, sort, and filter through your listings.

• Save time and effort with Vendoo's Bulk Delist/Relist feature. Set reminders to identify items that require relisting and refresh old listings for improved visibility.

• Stay informed about your sales with Sales Detection & Auto-Delist. Receive notifications when you make a sale, and Vendoo automatically delists the same item on other platforms.

• Create rules to automate accepting offers by marketplace.

• Set shipping defaults for each marketplace.

• Gain insights into your business with Vendoo's Inventory and Sales Reports. Analyze your data and download editable spreadsheets of your inventory whenever you need them.

• Make data-driven decisions using Vendoo's Business Analytics. Access an intuitive yet advanced dashboard to compare marketplaces, categories, and brand performances.

Vendoo caters to all resellers, from small businesses to seasoned professionals, regardless of their size. But for high-volume sellers seeking an edge, Vendoo Enterprise provides premium services, including a dedicated account manager, custom white-glove services for crossposting all your inventory, and a seamless platform that allows you to manage your business.

Unleash the Power of Multichannel Selling

A key strength of Vendoo Enterprise lies in its multichannel selling capabilities. In the fast-paced world of e-commerce, reaching customers where they are is paramount. Vendoo Enterprise enables you to seamlessly expand your reach by selling your products on various online marketplaces like Poshmark, eBay, Mercari, Facebook Marketplace, and more. This not only boosts your visibility but also significantly enhances your chances of making sales.

Streamline Your Operations with Advanced Inventory Tracking

Efficient inventory management is the bedrock of a successful e-commerce business. Vendoo Enterprise simplifies this complex process by providing a centralized platform where you can track and manage your inventory in real time. Say goodbye to the perils of overselling with Sales Detection & Auto Delist, one of Vendoo’s latest game-changing features for sellers. With Vendoo, you are always in control.

Harness the Power of Data Analytics

In today's data-driven landscape, making informed decisions is crucial, and Vendoo recognizes this. It offers robust analytics tools that provide invaluable insights into your sales, customer behavior, and emerging market trends. Armed with this data, you can fine-tune your strategies and stay ahead of your competitors.

Elevate Your Brand with Listing Optimization

Crafting compelling product listings is both an art and a science, and Vendoo simplifies this intricate process with its listing optimization features. It not only helps you create listings that effectively showcase your products but also ensures they rank well on search engines. This translates to more visibility for your products and, ultimately, increased sales.

Seamless Integration with Your E-commerce Tools, Even Those Without APIs

Transitioning to a new e-commerce platform can be a daunting task, but Vendoo makes it a breeze. With Vendoo Enterprise, your dedicated account manager works with you each step of the way to ensure a seamless expansion into untapped markets. By simply providing a CSV or spreadsheet of your inventory, Vendoo ensures a smooth inventory migration process. This minimizes downtime and disruption to your business operations.

Vendoo Enterprise vs. the Competition

Now that we've explored the myriad benefits of Vendoo Enterprise let's take a moment to compare it to the competition. While there are other e-commerce solutions available, such as Sellbrite or ChannelAdvisor, Vendoo Enterprise distinguishes itself with its versatility, user-friendliness, and unwavering commitment to helping high-volume sellers thrive.

Enterprise is a white-glove solution for businesses, with a dedicated team that acts as an extension of your business to perform custom tasks.

Key features of Vendoo Enterprise include:

Marketplace Integration: Vendoo Enterprise provides seamless integration with several peer-to-peer online marketplaces, including eBay, Shopify, Poshmark, Etsy, Mercari, Vestiaire Collective, Facebook Marketplace, Grailed, Depop, and Kidizen, making it easier for businesses to reach a broader customer base.

Multichannel Automated Listing: Vendoo Enterprise provides white-glove listing services and will list items on multiple marketplaces in high volume, saving sellers valuable time and money.

Custom Rules: Vendoo Enterprise offers tailored services and listing practices to optimize your listings to your preferences. This includes incorporating custom rules for your pricing strategy, listing characteristics, business policies, and optimizing SEO.

Sold Order Management: Vendoo Enterprise handles the sale process, updating quantities and adjusting listings across marketplaces to reduce errors in stock and fulfillment.

Personalized Plans: With custom plans and personalized services, Vendoo Enterprise becomes an extension of your business. Vendoo works with clients to create a unique strategy tailored to the specific needs of each business. Vendoo also applies any custom rules for your listings based on strategy and preference.

Cost-Effective Pricing: Vendoo Enterprise offers a competitive and flexible pricing structure, making it a budget-friendly option for those looking to scale without breaking the bank.

Customer Support and Dedicated Account Management: Vendoo Enterprise clients receive a devoted case manager and live customer support to assist sellers in navigating the platform and resolving any queries promptly.

Transform Your Ecommerce Business with Vendoo Enterprise

Vendoo Enterprise is not merely an e-commerce platform; it's a powerful tool that can elevate your business to new heights. With its multichannel selling capabilities, advanced retail inventory management, data analytics, and comprehensive marketing tools, it provides an all-encompassing solution for businesses aiming to flourish in the digital realm.

Why settle for average when excellence is within your reach with Vendoo Enterprise? Take the leap, optimize your business, and watch your online presence soar. Embrace the future of e-commerce with Vendoo Enterprise, and stay firmly ahead of the competition.

For further insights into boosting traffic to your inventory, visit the Multi-Channel Listing Tool for High-Volume Sellers.

As a reseller, I would love to find a reliable online source of inventory that I can return to again and again. So when I heard about Helpsy, a company that sells new and second-hand wholesale inventory for resellers, I jumped at the chance to try it out.

I ordered three different boxes from the company. In this third review, I show what I received in my Helpsy Tahari Women’s Clothes Secondhand Wholesale box and my thoughts on the box. Check out the update below for how the box sold!

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. This means that I may receive compensation when you click on a product link or purchase an item linked on this site. Click here for details.

** On Poshmark, you can receive a free $10 bonus when you sign up with the code SFGIRL2015.

** On Mercari, you can get $10 when you sign up with the code JENMHM.

What did I purchase from Helpsy?

I purchased three boxes from Helpsy (reviews linked below).

• Tahari Women's Clothes Secondhand Wholesale - 40 pieces

• Secondhand Wholesale - 40 pieces

• - Women’s Clothes Secondhand Wholesale - 20 pieces

I purchased them all at once, and the Tahari box arrived 20 days later.

How much did the Tahari box cost?

The box was on sale for $100 for 40 items. I purchased it during a sitewide sale so it was discounted to $90. Shipping was free. There was no sales tax.

$90/40 = $2.25 per item

Why did I purchase the Tahari box?

I purchased the Tahari box for a few reasons:

• It was on sale at $90 for 40 items. I wanted to see what I would get at that low amount per item. I don’t find clothes at that price at the thrift stores I visit.

• I like Tahari clothes, especially the dresses. If I received something that I liked and fit me, I’d keep it for myself.

• Tahari has decent workwear and everyday wear.

• Tahari doesn’t have high resale value, but I could live with lower-dollar sales. I planned to donate whatever did not sell.

What did I receive in the Tahari box?

Oh goodness, where do I start? I received 22 blazers and jackets!

While unboxing, all I could think of was Melanie Griffith in Working Girl. Big shoulder pads and even bigger hair.

I started singing Carly Simon’s “Let the River Run” in my head as I imagined myself in 1980s office life.

Here’s a look at some of the blazers, jackets, and other items I received.

I actually received 42 items. Thirty-nine of the items were by Tahari. The other items were

• A Theory dress

• A Kimchi Blue dress

• A bra

The Kimchi Blue dress and the bra were in very poor condition, so I guess they were thrown in by accident.

Things I liked about this box

1 | A few of the items

I liked a few of the items such as

• The NWT pink jacquard jacket. It looked like something a mother of the bride would wear.

• One of the single-button blazers had a modern look and was in excellent condition

• The open-front black jacket also looked contemporary.

2 | A range of sizes

This box had a wide range of sizes from XS to 16 with plenty of the items in the medium and large range.

Sometimes when you order liquidation boxes or second-hand clothing boxes (or anything that’s not manifested) there’s a good chance you will get lots of items of the same small sizes that don’t sell well.

I like when boxes like these come with larger size items because they tend to sell better than smaller sizes.

Things I didn’t like about this box

1 | Older styles

Most of the items in the box were dated. Several of the blazers/jackets seemed to be styles from another decade.

I could also tell these were older because the size tags turned yellow. Some had care labels that were old or worn. I will list a few of them as vintage because I think they are.

2 | Limited variety of clothing

I received a large proportion of blazers and jackets - 22 out of 40 items or 55%! Blazers aren’t the best resellers. People often work from home and dress more casually these days.

If they do want blazers, they’re more likely to be modern or contemporary style versus these.

I was hoping to receive tops, sweaters, and dresses - things that people wear more often.

I did receive two items that were new with tags. One was a blazer/jacket I listed for sale and the other was a tank top with a stain on it.

3 | Inventory sticker residue

Helpsy keeps track of its inventory by using stickers with barcodes on the items. The stickers are large and sticky, so they often leave residue on items when they are removed.

It doesn’t leave residue on some material, but unfortunately, the lining of the blazers and jackets was a material that the sticker adhesive clings to.

I can sometimes remove the sticker residue by heating the sticker before removing it. I use a hair dryer or steamer to heat the area with the sticker and gently peel it off.

In this case, I didn’t feel like taking the time to try removing the sticker and scraping residue off of every item.Eventually I stopped taking the stickers off and started listing the items with the stickers disclosed as wear.

I requested a refund on some of the items in the deluxe & designer box because of the sticker issue. Here the items were low enough in cost that I didn’t feel it was worth requesting a refund.

Things I’m neutral about with this box

1 | Condition of the items

The items were mostly in decent condition. Unlike the clothes in thredUP rescue boxes, these clothes mostly had light wear.

Some of the items were in fair condition with noticeable pulls or pilling, small stains, and missing buttons. That’s to be expected in any secondhand clothing box.

Companies will tell you to expect flaws such as pilling, deodorant stains, small holes, makeup marks, runs in the fabric, and odors.

You can also expect a certain amount of severely damaged items, up to 15% of 6 in a box of 40 items.

The items in the box fell in line with the description. I wasn’t thrilled with it, but I knew what to expect and the description was accurate.

Is the Tahari box worth purchasing?

I don’t think the Tahari box was worth purchasing. I sort of guessed that the box was on sale because it wasn’t a hot seller and the items were only $2.25 each.

It’s still possible to make a profit on this box. Some of the items have gotten likes or been watched, so there is some interest in the items.

Maybe someone out there needs a good amount of 80s workwear?

Nonetheless, I haven’t found it worth the time it takes to sort the items, take pictures, write the listings, and everything else that goes into selling them.

Mostly I’m disappointed to have gotten so many blazers and what I think are outdated items.

The box wasn’t available soon after I purchased it. I wonder if I got the last of the Tahari clothing and ended up with all the blazers.

It’s not up for sale anymore, but if it were, I would probably pass on it.

Will I purchase from Helpsy again?

After trying out three different boxes from Helpsy, I’m unlikely to buy any of their secondhand or used items again.

While they were all accurate to their listing descriptions, I didn’t find any of them to be amazing and am uncertain if any of them will bring a profit worth their work.

Many other resellers have liked what they have received in their boxes, so it may just be me.

I think I am pickier about the secondhand clothing items I choose to resell. I like to sell items that buyers give 5 stars for.

When I thrift shop, I usually don’t buy items that have wear like missing buttons or have marks and stains that can’t easily wash out.

I’m also bothered by the inventory sticker residue. I consider it additional unnecessary wear on an item and disclose it as another flaw in my listings.

I hope that time and sales will change my mind about these boxes.

If I decide to shop with Helpsy again, I’ll buy boxes with items that are new with tags or new without tags. The brands would still need to be those that resell well and the cost low enough that the items are profitable upon reselling. I’ll write another review if I do.

How did this Helpsy box sell?

Update 1/1/24:

I listed about 14 of the original 40+ items in the box based on what I thought would sell given their style, type of clothing, and condition.

I sold 5 of the items after having them listed for 3+ months. I sold 5 jackets for $74 resulting in $59.17 after commission.

I still have a few items up for sale, but I’ve donated or thrown away most of the items that did not sell by now. I don’t expect that the few remaining items for sale will sell for much.

I won’t be making back the $90 I spent on this box. I was a disappointing dud, and I wouldn’t recommend it to other resellers.

Have you purchased anything from Helpsy? What did you think of it? How did it resell for you?

Related Posts

• 30 Things You Can Sell to Make Money Right Now

• 26 Places to Get Clothes to Resell Online

• 37 Thrift Shopping Tips for the Best Finds

• How to Make Money Thrift Store Flipping

Last month I purchased several boxes of secondhand clothes from Helpsy, a company that sells new and second-hand wholesale inventory for resellers. The second box I selected was the Vintage Variety Wholesale Men's & Women's Clothes Secondhand Wholesale. Check out what I got and my thoughts about the box below.

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. This means that I may receive compensation when you click on a product link or purchase an item linked on this site. Click here for details.

** On Poshmark, you can receive a free $10 bonus when you sign up with the code SFGIRL2015.

** On Mercari, you can get $10 when you sign up with the code JENMHM.

What did I purchase from Helpsy?

I purchased three boxes (reviews linked below):

• Vintage Variety Wholesale Men's & Women's Clothes Secondhand Wholesale - 40 pieces

• Tahari Women's Clothes Secondhand Wholesale - 40 pieces

• - Women’s Clothes Secondhand Wholesale - 20 pieces

I purchased them all on July 4th. The vintage clothing box arrived exactly one month later on August 4th.

How much did the vintage clothing box cost?

The box normally costs $300 for 40 items. It was on sale for $160. I purchased it during a 10% sitewide sale, so I paid $144. Shipping was free. There was no sales tax.

$144/40 = $3.60 per item

Why did I purchase the vintage clothing box?

I purchased the vintage clothing box for a few reasons:

• I like selling vintage clothes. Vintage clothes are often unique so you are the only one or one of the few people selling those items.

• At $144 for 40 items, it wouldn’t be a huge loss if I didn’t profit from the box. I could take the risk, although I hoped the box would be profitable.

• If I liked the box and it sold well, I’d want to buy it again, and the vintage box is regularly available.

What did I receive in the vintage clothing box?

1 | A Personal Touch floral top 2X - Sold on eBay for $14

2 | Additions by Chico’s black pants 2 - fading, donated

3 | Alex Evenings skirt S - visibly stained

4 | APPEL floral robe/wrap M - appeared brand new, listed for sale

5 | Athleta Girl tie-dye hoodie 14 (kids) - very worn

6 | Berkfield striped shirt L - small stains, donated

7 | Burberry’s jacket (no size) - Sold on Poshmark for $5

8 | Carmar black pants 25 (not pictured)

9 | Char tou denim jeans S (not pictured)

10 | Coastaoro plaid shirt S - listed for sale

11 | Donagain sweater M - listed for sale

12 | Donna Loren tank top XL - heavily stained

13 | Elizabeth McKay skirt 4 - stained

14 | Fleur Blue dress 2 - donated

15 | Free Planet print t-shirtS - listed for sale

16 | GiGio USA top M - donated

17 | HardCorps black ski pants 34 (not pictured)

18 | Hygrade Raiders sweater- like new vintage, listed for sale

19 | Impressions black sweater S - worn, donated

20 | Jacqueline Ferrar jacket M - fading and mild wear

21 | JC Penney men’s jacket - missing all the front and sleeve buttons, donated

22 | Jillian Jones wool jacket S - small hole, listed for sale

23 | Kavio Designs rhinestone T-shirt plus size OSFM - listed for sale

24 | Mahi Gold print dress M - heavily faded, sold on eBay for $12

25 | Mark Elliott pullover sweater L 16/18 (kids)- heavily worn

26 | MerryFun cold-shoulder top - good condition but donated

27 | Mott & Bow shirt M - good condition but donated

28 | NY Line turtleneck XL - heavily worn

29 | Official Sports soccer jersey- stained and dirty with pieces of dirt on it

30 | Old Navy striped T-shirt L - heavily worn

31 | Original Deluxe athletic pants M - like new, listed for sale

32 | Pink Girl Collection top M - nice top but donated

33 | Polarmax white pants - heavily worn

34 | Ritual denim jeans 30 (not pictured)

35 | Royalty for Me blue jeans (not pictured)

36 | Shoshanna strapless dress 6 - large inner stain, listed for sale

37 | Sweet Blondie rhinestone shirt 1X - good condition, listed for sale

38 | Tainadress tan pants 32L46 - okay condition but donated

39 | The Color Run XXL shirt - good condition but donated

40 | Yaerle panda T-shirt - heavily worn

Things I liked about this box

1) Some of the vintage items

I really liked five of the items in the box. I know that’s not a lot at 5 of 40 items or 12.5%, but these few items were nice to receive.

• Hygrade Raiders sweater

• Donagain black white furry sweater

• Sweet Blondie rhinestone T-shirt

• Kavio Designs rhinestone T-shirt

• APPEL floral robe/wrap

A few more of the items were clearly vintage. I could tell they were vintage from well over 20 years ago because of some combination of the following:

• They were made in the USA.

• Their brand and size tags were older print or font and material.

• They had old logos.

2) Accurate condition

The condition of the items matched the listing description. The items are both secondhand and vintage, so it’s expected that they will have some wear.

I wouldn’t normally purchase many of these items at the thrift store with the amount of pilling, stains, and missing buttons they had. But I knew to expect them because I read the listing description.

Helpsy doesn’t refund or replace items with light wear such as small stains, pilling, missing buttons, deodorant marks, pulls, and other small issues.

Anything more than that is considered severe damage. You can expect severe damage to 15% of the items in a box. That’s 6 items in a 40-item box.

Knowing this upfront, the box was as expected. The items were in used but mostly resellable condition.

I had at least three items that had severe damage. Some of the other items were worn while some were in great condition.

Things I didn’t like about this box

1) Non-vintage items

Vintage is technically anything that is 20 years old or older, so anything from 2003 or before. Several of the items were obviously not vintage. They had tags that stated when they were released.

• Athleta Girl hoodie - 2021

• Coastaoro shirt -2019

• Donna Loren tank top - 2020

• Free Planet T-shirt - 2021

• The Color Run - This run started in 2011.

Others I knew were not vintage because the brands were established after 2003.

• Free Planet - started in 2009

• Fleur Blue - started in 2014

• Mott & Bow - started in 2013

• Mahi Gold - started in 2008

I determined this through Google searches. I’m sure workers at Helpsy don’t have time to search every brand they come across, but these items did not appear vintage at first glance, which made me research them.

The listing for this box stated that items are retro and new/old style vintage, which means that the items are not necessarily vintage by definition, only that they appear to be.

But many of these items didn’t appear vintage. They seemed age-indeterminate, which made me question why they were put in this box.

I suspect that a lot of the items that were put in the box were not able to be sorted into other boxes and/or were junk and used as filler for this box.

If I’m being picky, vintage should also invoke the feeling of another era. The striped Old Navy T-shirt I received could be over 20 years old, but it looks exactly the same as T-shirts people wear today. I know that’s not how items were chosen for this box though.

2) Children’s items

Two of the items I received were children’s clothes. They were probably missorted as adult clothing. Nonetheless, the box was for men’s and women’s clothing.

Is the vintage box worth purchasing?

Right now I don’t think the vintage box is worth purchasing because I don’t think I’ll make a profit on reselling the items in the box I got. I’m open to changing my mind and purchasing the box again if I do make a substantial profit.

I had hoped that this box would be full of great vintage items like those I see at vintage secondhand stores or the vintage section of my local Goodwill.

Or I would receive more items like those pictured in the listing. That wasn’t the case.

The box turned out to be mostly full of mediocre clothes and some duds with a few great items that are worth reselling.

Maybe my expectations were too high at $3.60 an item (although this box was originally $7.50 an item).

This box reminds me of thredUp rescue boxes. Buyers knew that rescue boxes were likely to have lot of items that were junk and not worth reselling, but you hoped to get a few really good items that would make the purchase worthwhile. It’s a gamble.

In the future, I will skip purchasing used merchandise from Helpsy and only purchase new or new without tag boxes. This decreases my chances of getting damaged items, and I will have a better idea of what I’m getting.

Wrap up

While I hoped to receive better items in my vintage variety men's & women's clothes box from Helpsy, I’m glad I tried out the company and didn’t spend too much to determine that the box isn’t right for me.

I’m going to list the best items in the box and I’ll update this post in a few months to let you know how things sell.

Have you purchased the Helpsy vintage clothing box? What did you think of what you received?

Updated 7/18/23

Maybe you’re cleaning out your closet and want to turn your clothes into money quickly. Or you’re a reseller with stale inventory that you’re looking to move now. One way to earn money is to send your items to thredUP Resale-as-a-Service (AKA Partner kit). In this post, I talk about my experience using thredUP’s Resale-as-a-Service. Read on to see its benefits and how it can work for you.

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. This means that I may receive compensation when you click on a product link or purchase an item linked on this site. Click here for details.

** If you don’t have a thredUP account, you can receive a free $10 bonus when you use this link to sign up.

thredUP Terminology

You’ll hear several names used for Resale-as-a Service. I’ve listed several of the names below. For this article, I’ll call it a Partner kit because that’s how I’ve heard most people refer to it. This is the service I’m reviewing.

• Resale-as-a-Service

• Partner kit

• Partner bag

• Partner box

• [Brand] Clean Out bag

thredUP has another service, which is their more standard or traditional service. It also has a few different names of its own. For this article, I’ll call it a Clean Out kit. More on the differences below starting with the Clean Out kit.

• Clean Out kit

• Clean Out bag

What’s a Clean Out kit?

With thredUP’s standard Clean Out kit, you earn cash or credit for the women’s and children’s clothing and other items that you send in and are accepted for resale.

There is now a $14.99 service fee for submitting a Clean Out kit. This fee is deducted from your earnings. You are not charged upfront.

The payout structure is 100% consignment, which means you are paid a portion of the sale when the item sells.

thredUP accepts your items and lists them at their suggested prices based on factors such as brand, style, condition, and size. This is the current payout structure.

You’re able to change the price of an accepted item during a 12-hour window prior to the item going live. You can change the price after the item goes live as well.

You can increase the price of an item by a maximum of 10% based on thredUP’s original listing price.

Listings stay up for 30-45 days depending on the brand.

If you chose Return Assurance or Expedited Processing, those fees will come out of any earnings.

• Return Assurance is $10.99. thredUP will return the items they don’t select back to you.

• Rush Processing is $8.00. Your bag is supposed to be processed within 2 weeks of arrival at a warehouse but can take longer.

What’s a thredUP Partner kit?

thredUP partnered with several retailers to provide store credit for sold women’s and children’s items. thredUP used to partner with many companies, but some of the partnerships have ended.

These are the current partners that I could locate:

• Abercrombie and Fitch

• Athleta

• Banana Republic

• Christy Dawn

• Cuyana

• Fabletics | Yitty

• FARFETCH

• FRAME

• Gap

• Hollister

• M.M. La Fleur

• Madewell Forever

• Michael Stars

• PacSun

• Polarn O. Pyret

• Reformation

• The Container Store

• Vera Bradley

thredUP used to partner with many companies, but some of the partnerships have ended. The partnerships with Crocs and Toad & Co. ended in 2023.

Since the brands change from time to time, you can look up the current brands in a few ways:

• Check the Clean Out - Cash Out - Brand Credit section of the site when logged in

• Do an online search for “[brand] x thredUP” and see what comes up in the results.

You can send in women’s and children’s items from any brand, not only the brand whose gift card you want.

These items are now treated much like the regular Clean Out kits. You are paid for the items based on consignment.

The items are first selected for resale. They are listed for sale on thredUP for 30 days. You earn money to shop at the company you chose for anything that was sold and not returned during the return window.

This is a major difference from how this service used to run.

Prior to 2022, you were paid for the items that were selected soon after they were processed. It was not consignment-based, so you didn’t need to wait for anything to sell.

Since 2022, more and more of the companies have turned to a consignment model.

thredUP reports that Partner kits with these companies are now 100% consignment.

thredUp previously had a chart indicating the payout structure of items selected through Partner kits. It used to be that you earned 4% to 56% of the estimated resale value of an item.

I could not find this chart on their site anymore, which leads me to believe the payout structure is now the same as it is for regular Clean Out kits like shown above or lower.

One benefit of Partner kits is that some of the companies offer a bonus on your payout. For example, Abercrombie & Fitch and Banana Republic will give you an extra 15% credit.

Benefits of a Partner kit

1 ) No processing fee

thredUP has a processing fee of $14.99 for their regular Clean Out kits. Partner kits do not have a processing fee.

If you are accidentally charged a processing fee, contact thredUP customer service to have that sorted out

2) Availability of Partner kits

Many people who have sent regular Clean Out bags and boxes to thredUP over the years have found that they are limited in the amount they can send now. They click on a link on the site to get a regular Clean Out shipping label, and it’s not possible.

Some people are blocked for months or even years at a time. I have suspicions as to why:

• Previously sending in items with a low acceptance rate

• Sending in many regular Clean Out kits in a short time

• thredUP warehouses being full of inventory

• Wanting to give people new to thredUP a chance to send in their items

Some people are blocked from sending in regular Clean Out kits but are able to send in Partner kits. It’s worth a try if you find yourself unable to send in regular Clean Out kits.

3) Good for the environment

You’re recycling clothes by keeping them in use and out of landfills. You’re reducing carbon and waste created during the production of new clothes.

4) Fast processing

Processing times for thredUP’s standard Clean Out kits can be horrendously long. I’ve heard of people sending in Clean Out kits and getting them processed anywhere from 6 months to a year later.

Sometimes the bags are even lost! I don’t know anyone who wants to tie up their money like that and wait that long for a payout.

Partner kits are supposed to process faster. In 2021, I shipped my box on November 6, received an email on November 16 that my kit was received, and an email on November 18 that my kit had been processed. That was less than 2 weeks!

As of 2023, there has been mixed feedback about the speed of processing Partner kits. I think it’s hit or miss.

Negatives of a Partner kit

1) Low payouts

In 2021 when I first wrote this post, the payout for Partner kits was lower than for regular Clean Out kits. While the Partner kit chart is no longer available on thredUP’s site, I’ve heard from other sellers that the payout continued to be lower and remains so today.

You can see the charts below. At the bottom end of the charts, an 11% versus 15% payout for a $19.99 item is not a huge difference.

At the top end of the charts, 56% payout versus an 80% payout for a $200+ item is a big difference. That’s a minimum difference of $48.

It’s important to think about the resale value of the items you send in and how much you think you will receive for them. It may be worth trying to sell for yourself or using the standard Clean Out kit to earn more money despite the long timeline.

2) Lack of transparency

Starting in 2023, Partner kit details are no longer listed on your thredUP account.

When you sell using regular a Clean Out kit, you can see information or do things such as

• Each item that was accepted

• Listing price of item

• Change the price of an item

• Payout of each sold item

This used to be the case with Partner kits but not anymore. You should still be able to see the final payout you will receive as an e-gift card.

If you have questions about the details of your Partner kit, you will have to contact customer service.

How do you order a Partner kit?

Click on the names of brands listed above. Some of the pages have buttons that say “activate a kit” or “get a label”

When you click on a brand, most of them say “order a label” and “activate a label.”

When I tried this most recently, I was unable to get the buttons to work. If this is the case for you, I would contact customer service.

You can order a label and then activate it later when you’re ready to ship your bag or box.

I ordered a Banana Republic label and then took a month to prepare the items I wanted to send in. The label was still valid.

I’ve read that labels are valid indefinitely, but others have told me that they’re valid for 6 months or 1 year. If you have any concerns about an old label working, email thredUP to ask about it.

You can only use the label once. You can’t print the same label multiple times to send in several boxes. Every box or bag needs a separately generated label with its own tracking code.

Once your bag or box is packed, stick the label on it and ship it via USPS or FedEx. I had my mail carrier pick up my box at my door. There is a 30-lb weight limit per bag or box.

You can use any box or shipping bag. It doesn’t have to be branded for thredUP.

If you recycle a previously used bag or box, make sure to remove any old labels that might misdirect the package.

Cash out & receive an e-gift card

Go to the Clean Out - Cash Out - Brand Credit section of the site when logged in. You can select any brand that is available to get credit for it, plus any bonus that’s currently offered.

Tips and thoughts about Partner kits

1) You can earn money with Partner kits

Some people send in Partner kits regularly to turn a profit. How do they do this?

Sellers get their items for pennies on the dollar or even free. They shop at the Goodwill bins and thrift stores where they get their items for less than $1 each. I often hear of costs coming to $0.25 per item!

If you find the right items that have a high resale value, they will earn you more than $0.25 or $1.00 if they are accepted.

The sellers get even more money because the stores provide a small bonus of maybe 15% to 20%. The sellers either use the store credit to buy things from the company or sell the gift card to receive cash.

You can sell gift cards on sites like

• Cashcard

• Raise

• Gift Card Granny

While some people used to do this to earn money regularly, it’s much harder now because payment is by consignment based on what sells rather than upfront for all the items they accept. It’s still possible to earn money this way if you are selective about what you send in so that a good percentage of your items are accepted and in demand to be sold.

2) Send in items as the last option

If you have the time and inclination, try to sell your items yourself. You’ll make the most money that way.

If you’re tried everything like listing and relisting, dropping the price, and listing to multiple marketplaces, and your item still doesn’t sell, then send it to thredUP.

That’s what most resellers do. Some might source specifically to send items to thredUP, but most resellers try to sell the items first to gain the most profit.

3) Send in items you would otherwise donate

Similarly, I would suggest sending in items you would otherwise donate.

My friends and family members are not resellers. They have no interest in listing their old clothes online for sale. Their first thought after cleaning the house is to drop their donations off at the thrift store.

I mention to them that they should send their items to thredUP. At least then they have a chance to recoup some money.

After reading this, you might think that thredUP is going to be inundated with low-quality items, but I disagree.

• Some nice items from high-end brands are valuable but just won’t sell for you on Poshmark or eBay. It happens to every seller at some point. I almost sent in a beautiful $400+ BCBG gown that was new with tags because I couldn’t sell it myself.

• thredUP inspects every item that is sent in and only accepts items that pass their 12-point inspection criteria.

• People send in all sorts of things from their closet or elsewhere, even nice items, because they don’t want to deal with them themselves. How easy is it to pack them in a bag, send them off, and then just wait for credit?

My experience

I sent in 15 items and 11 items were accepted for resale. I received a $34.90 payout.

I selected Banana Republic which offers a 15% payout bonus. My earnings were $30.35 for the clothes and a bonus of $4.55.

I was happy with the payout considering that most of the items were things from my own closet. I didn’t wear them anymore.

I didn’t want to list them because I felt they had low resale value. A few were from thrift shopping and a few were from previous thredUP mystery boxes.

Overall, I was really happy with my thredUP Partner kit experience in 2021. I got rid of clothes I didn’t wear anymore and received money that I could use to purchase new clothes or a gift for someone else.

It’s now become much harder to earn the same amount of money with the Partner kit because payout is based on consignment sales.

At this point, I don’t see much benefit sending in items using a Partner kit versus a standard Clean Out kit except for the $14.99 service fee of the standard Clean Out kit.

If I still wanted the brand gift cards, I would cash out my earnings for those gift cards ensuring that I get a 15% or 20% bonus when it’s offered.

Have you tried thredUP’s Resale-as-a-Service AKA Partner Kit? What did you think of it? What items were accepted or declined for you?

Related posts:

• Poshmark vs. thredUP for Selling

• thredUP vs. Poshmark for Buyers

• thredUP Mystery Box Review

• thredUP Mixed Clothing Rescue Box Review

• 30 Ways to Get Clothes for Free

As a blogger and reseller, I’ve heard of many claims of intellectual property infringement over the years. I’ve tried to steer clear of claims by using my own pictures, writing, and videos. So I was surprised when I received an email from Nationwide Legal claiming that I used one of their client's images without authorization.

I figured out it was a scam within a matter of minutes, but that didn’t stop my heart from skipping a beat as I worked to confirm it. Here’s a look at the Nationwide Legal DCMA copyright infringement email scam and how you can protect yourself from similar scams.

What is intellectual property infringement?

Intellectual property infringement is the infringement or violation of an intellectual property right. Intellectual property includes copyrights, trademarks, and patents.

Some examples I’ve seen or heard about:

• A reseller wants to sell an item second-hand. She finds a stock photo of the item owned by the company that originally sold the item and uses it in her sales listing.

• A blogger uses a picture found on the internet on her website without receiving permission to use it. The picture belongs to the person who took it or who has the rights to use the picture.

• A YouTube video creator uses music or other people’s video clips in his video without authorization or proper attribution.

What happens if you commit intellectual property infringement?

Sometimes nothing happens to the person who infringes. The owner of the property may not know about it, may not do anything even if it’s known, or may decide to take action.

This is what I’ve usually seen happen:

• Resellers who use copyrighted images may have those specific listings removed. If they continue to post copyrighted images, they may be banned from selling on a marketplace.

• A blogger who uses copyrighted images will receive a request like the email I received asking him or her to remove the image or credit the owner. Some bloggers have faced legal action and have had to pay the owner for use.

• A YouTube video creator in a copyright dispute will have that video demonetized. The video may eventually be removed.

The Nationwide Legal email stated that I used an image that someone else had created without the person’s permission. I was required to give credit to the image’s creator or face legal action.

Receiving this sort of email can cause a content creator to panic. It plays on a major fear of having their work removed and having to pay huge fines.

Thankfully I had heard about this sort of scam from other bloggers, so I was suspicious about the email and decided to look into it first.

What are signs the Nationwide Legal email was a scam?

The email

• Addressed me by a specific blog post URL. It didn’t use my name, which is on my website.

• The email states that removing the image is not enough, only giving credit to the owner of the photo. That’s ridiculous because removing the image would solve the problem. I also know how important backlinks are for building domain authority, so the fact that the owner would only accept credit, basically a backlink, was fishy.

• The email states it is from Nationwide Legal Trademark Department. Copyright is for a piece of work like a piece of music, a book, or an image. Trademark is for the protection of a brand such as its logo. The use of an unauthorized image here would be considered a copyright issue, not a trademark issue.

• The email was signed by Lydia Houston, a trademark attorney. This would be incorrect as it is a copyright issue.I’d also expect her title to be intellectual property attorney to cover those two areas and more.

The company

• When I entered the address of the company into Google, the first result was from the Better Business Bureau. The BBB has an alert on the company page stating the company may be fraudulent. It has a BBB rating of F and is not BBB accredited.

• The photos of the attorneys all look sort of the same. The headshots look odd. Some of the people are looking off to the side away from the camera. That’s not the typical headshot of law firms.

• The names of the attorneys are so generic like Harry Sanders and Jack Moore. I’m sure many people have those common names, but all of them working together at one law firm?

• I did not find an attorney named Lydia Houston on Google or the State Bar of Texas.

• The website lists Lydia Houston as a real estate specialist. That’s a different area of law than intellectual property.

• The phone numbers listed on the website do not work.

• The website has errors and oddities in word choice and phrasing that you wouldn’t expect from a law company. For example, it states that Lydia Houston is licensed to work as a lawyer in Austin. It should say she’s licensed to work in Texas as license is by state.

The image in question

• I obtained the image from a free site such as Pexels, Pixabay, or Unsplash. Images from these sites can be used for free without giving credit or paying royalties.

  It’s possible that a photo on one of those sites was provided without the owner’s permission, but that’s very rare. More likely what happened is that the scammers selected a photo from one of those sites, did a Google search to see what other websites it was on (like mine), and wrote an email to everyone who had used the image.

• The aesthetic of the image I used didn’t match that of the website the email claimed it was from. The image looks polished whereas the website does not. The image is not on the page they said it was from (history of the rolling pin).

• The website that supposedly owned the image is unrefined. I think the page layout and the placement of the ads make it look unpolished.

  The writing reads like it was AI-generated. I’m not sure if the website is legitimate as it doesn’t load well for me when clicking around the site.

What did I do next?

I ignored the email and only kept it so that I could write this post to let other bloggers know of it too.

I didn’t want to write back and engage with scammers on the other side. That may lead to them attempting to gather more information from me or getting me to place other backlinks. The less contact, the better.

I took this email as a good reminder to continue using content that I have the rights to. A new content creator or reseller may not know this. I didn’t when I started posting things online. That makes them targets for email scams such as this one.

This was also a good reminder to vet any company I hire. A website owner may have hired a company to help him or her get backlinks to boost rankings in Google search results.

But this was a terrible and shady way to go about that. Or the website may be part of the scam.

There’s no shortage of scammers out there in every walk of life. I hope this makes you more informed so that you can avoid them.

Mercari is one of my favorite marketplaces to both buy and sell online. It's a place where both buyers and sellers can get or give great deals leaving both parties happy. One way to do that is to negotiate the price of items on Mercari. In this post, I'll cover how to negotiate on Mercari from the perspective of both a buyer and a seller including several important but often overlooked factors to consider.

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. This means that I may receive compensation when you click on a product link or purchase an item linked on this site. Click here for details.

** On Mercari, you can get $10 when you sign up with the code JENMHM. The amount may vary by promotion.

** On Poshmark, you can receive a free $10 bonus when you sign up with my code SFGIRL2015.

Ways to negotiate price as a buyer

There are two main ways to negotiate price as a buyer on Mercari. The first is to make an offer. The second is to message the seller.

1) Use the "make offer" option

On the website or the app, find the item that you want and click on "make offer".

This will bring up a place for you to enter a number, or you can select from Mercari's suggestions of 10%, 15%, or 20% off the listed price.

Note that Mercari lets you offer up to 25% off the listed price of individually listed items. If you try to do more than that, it will state that you cannot go lower than a certain number and will not let your offer go through.

Click "review your offer" to see your total including tax and shipping and confirm your offer.

The seller then has 24 hours to accept or decline your offer or make a counteroffer. Once accepted, an offer is binding and the buyer is charged the new price.

2) Message the seller

Another way to negotiate is to message the seller directly. You may have to do this if you want to offer less than 75% of the listed price of an item.

This is also a great way to ask questions or show additional interest in an item. Not every seller will be so keen to give more than 25% off an item. It doesn't hurt to express your interest and ask though.

I've had people message me that they would love some article of clothing for their child and ask if I would accept a certain amount. It may have been lower than I had hoped, but I would rather make the sale and a small profit than have the item sit there unsold, so I happily obliged.

Once you and the seller agree on a price, ask the seller to lower the price to that amount so you can purchase it.

Ways to negotiate price as a seller

As a seller, you have options to negotiate price as well. You can make an offer to likers or promote an item by lowering its public price.

1) Offer to likers

Sellers can make offers on an item once every 3 days. Once you offer a certain price, the next offer must be at least 10% lower than the listing's lowest previous price. This is true even if new people have liked the item.

For example, you have an item listed for $10. Two people like the item. You offer the item for $9 to the likers. Then three more people like the item.

Your next offer can only be $8 or lower, even though those new likers did not receive the $9 offer. That's just how Mercari works.

Be sure to list your items above your desired sale price to make room for offers.

2) Promote to everyone

You have the option to promote the item to everyone by lowering the public price of the item. Mercari gives you a new price that is 5% less than your lowest historical price.

Mercari boosts your listing in the search results and notifies people who liked your item. You can do this only once every 24 hours.

I like to combine the two strategies. I will send offers to likers usually several times until as low as I want to go. A few people may like the item after that. Then I'll drop the public price so they can get a deal too.

Negotiating bundles

Mercari launched the option to purchase bundles of items from the same seller. In the past, they didn't allow bundles, but you could message a seller to list several items all under one listing. Now you can use the handy bundle feature.

Add items by the same seller to your cart. Then go to the cart and hit "make offer" to make an offer on your bundle. It's so easy now!

You can also make offers for more than 25% off of bundles. There is no minimum amount on an offer on a bundle.

Things to consider

While you can ask for anything at any price, you'll want to make an offer that is likely to be accepted. Here are some things to consider when making an offer.

1) The item itself

If you're interested in an item, you probably have a good idea of what the item is worth. If not, take a look at the sold listings for the same item to see what past items have sold for.

2) The condition of the item

Items that are new with tags or new in boxes will generally be worth more than used items, and items in like new condition will be worth more than those that are in fair or used condition. You can filter the sold listings to get an idea of how each condition of the item sold in the past.

3) The popularity of the item

If you're a buyer making an offer on a hot item, the seller is going to want a reasonable offer or will wait to get a better offer. They may even be fielding multiple offers.

Offer what you're comfortable with but know that it's worth making an offer close to the asking price. A low offer will likely get you a counteroffer or declined.

You can see if someone else has made an offer because the item will show the highest offer in the last 24 hours. Unfortunately, you're not notified if someone else makes an offer on an item.

You only see that someone else made an offer if you click on the item to view the listing. So you either have to check the item frequently, make your offer, or buy the item outright.

Sometimes if I see something I really want at a good price, I'll buy it outright to ensure that I get it and to be fair to the seller.

4) How long the item has been listed

Look at the date the item was listed. If it has been listed for a long time, it's likely not popular and the seller will be more interested in accepting your offer. Go ahead and ask for a larger discount.

5) Shipping options offered

As a buyer, you may get lucky finding an item you want with free shipping offered. If the seller is covering shipping costs, he or she may not come down as much on price.

Mercari recently started the option to ship via USPS Media Mail. You may find media products such as books being shipped at First Class or Priority Mail rates because that was what used to be offered.

Ask the seller if he or she can switch the shipping option to Media Mail if it's not already set.

6) Use the cart option

Sometimes people put items in their carts just like people do while shopping in real life. They've taken a step closer to buying it, but they haven't checked out.

Whether you're a buyer or a seller, if you see that the item is in someone's cart, that means someone is more interested in it than someone only browsing or just adding the item to their favorites list. This would be a good time to make a competitive offer to get the item sold.

5) Coupons or credit

Mercari offers coupons from time to time. They may be something such as $5 off a $20 purchase or $20 off a $50 purchase. You can also earn credits on the site.

Both coupons and credits expire. Coupons related to promotions may have a very short window during which you can use them.

If your coupon or credit is going to expire, make an offer on an item while the coupon or credit is still good. I make sure the coupon or credit is still good for the next 24 hours. This gives the seller time to respond to my offer.

Sometimes I will favorite items until a coupon or credit comes along so that I can get it cheaper. The only problem with this is that you don't know when they will come.

If you take this approach, it's best to do it for items that aren't as popular. They're likely to still be available for weeks or months to come.

Note also that coupons cannot be used on bundles, only individual items.

6) Holding items

I've had potential buyers negotiate a price with me and then ask me to hold the item until they can purchase it. They're often waiting for one of their sales transactions to complete so they have money in their account.

In my case, I don't hold items because I've held them before and people don't return to purchase them. I respond to requests by saying that the item is still available to purchase if it's listed for sale and I'd be happy to sell it for the agreed upon amount.

But you may find a seller who is willing to hold the item for you. This will give you usually a day or two to come up with the funds for the item.

Q&A

What percentage off should I ask for on Mercari?

Mercari allows you to submit offers for up to 25% off the listed price. Most sellers would probably consider this reasonable. While you can message a seller to ask for more than 25% off, you'll likely receive a counteroffer or outright declination.

Can I cancel an offer I made on Mercari?

Offers on Mercari cannot be canceled. You can message a seller and ask him/her to decline your offer. If the seller has already accepted your offer, you can message the seller and request for the sale to be canceled.

Does Mercari allow returns?

It's best to be sure you want an item before negotiating the price or purchasing it outright because Mercari only allows returns for items that are not as described.

If the item did not come as described, open a return request and provide the necessary information and pictures. Then wait for Mercari to approve the return and provide a return label.

Wrap up

Mercari continues to be one of my favorite places to shop online because I often find things I like there at great prices. And if the price isn't right, I negotiate for it using Mercari's features. I hope you will follow the tips above to negotiate the best deals for yourself too.

Related posts:

• 13 Top Tips for Buying on Mercari

• How to Sell on Mercari

• 37 Thrift Shopping Tips for the Best Finds

While I write a lot about selling online, I love shopping online too, and one of my favorite marketplaces to shop is Mercari. Mercari has a wider variety of items both new and secondhand for sale than some other platforms like Poshmark. It also has features that are favorable to buyers. So if you're a Mercari enthusiast or you’re just getting started, take a look at these top tips to get the best finds on the platform.

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. This means that I may receive compensation when you click on a product link or purchase an item linked on this site. Click here for details.

** On Mercari, you can get $10 when you sign up with the code JENMHM. The amount may vary by promotion.

** On Poshmark, you can receive a free $10 bonus when you sign up with my code SFGIRL2015.

1 | Save searches

One of Mercari’s best features is the ability to save searches. If you are searching for something specific, enter it in the search bar and hit “save this search” on the website or the toggle at the top of the app to save it.

Mercari can send you an email and/or push notifications (depending on your settings) to let you know that your saved searches have new items. I receive an email late at the end of each day with new arrivals.

I usually don’t even wait for that email. The list of saved searches is easy to access and tap through. I pop onto my phone when I have a spare minute and look through my list of saved searches. That way if I see something that’s just listed and a great deal, I can be the first to buy it.

I currently have 19 saved searches for everything including cookbooks, beauty and skincare products, brands of clothing for children’s gifts, rare items no longer made, and things for work. I’ve found so many Christmas and birthday gifts this way, even ones for myself!

2 | Expand your search

If you’re looking for something specific, expand your search and run several searches because different things may come up in the results. People sometimes list things with incorrect information or missing information, so doing more similar searches will help you find some of them.

• Use more variety of search terms

• Increase search parameters (fewer filters)

• Sort searches in multiple ways (lowest price and newest)

For example, if I want a pair of new Crocs, I’ll look at both the new and used listings because sometimes people have new items that they forget to label as new. Also, Crocs are unisex, so I’ll look at men’s and women’s listings in their comparable sizes.

Mercari has limited brands and sizes available when sellers list their items. I recently sold poetry books by Pierre Alex Jeanty. I wasn’t able to enter his name as the brand.

I listed dress shirts that are sized by neck size. I entered the neck size in the title and description but had to select a corresponding size (S, M, L) from the drop-down menu in the size box. I would hope a buyer would search by neck size and the standard size.

3 | Check a seller’s feedback

This is one of the easiest ways to give yourself a good chance of a successful transaction. Seller profiles are full of information:

• Number of items sold

• Reviews of items - you can see if they’re a high-rated seller (5 stars)

• Seller verification - Mercari lets sellers verify their profile to let others know they are really who they say they are. This is done by giving your email, phone, and/or government ID.

• Year the person started on Mercari

• Badges - Members receive badges if they are a quick shipper, reliable, fast responder, and go-getter (met a selling goal).

4 | Negotiate the price

It’s expected to negotiate prices on Mercari. If you find something you love at a great price, go ahead and purchase it outright. But most sellers know that buyers will make an offer and set their prices accordingly.

On Mercari, you can make an offer for as low as 75% of the item’s listed price. When you click to make an offer, Mercari will give you suggestions for 10%, 15%, and 20% off. The most you can request is 25% off through this method.

If you want more of a discount, you have to message the seller to request it. The seller will then have to change the price of the item for you to purchase it.

Before making an offer, you might want to consider a few things that will make your offer more likely to be accepted.

• How much the same or similar items are selling for. Search for the item and click sold to see past sales.

• The condition of the item. New will be worth more than used.

• The retail price of the item. The retail price doesn’t always mean that a new item will sell for close to that amount, but you can expect that for in-demand items.

• How long the item has been listed. If an item shows an old listed dated like 2020 or 2021, the seller is probably more likely to accept any offer because he or she wants the item sold.

5 | Message the seller

Message a seller if you have any questions about items. Since many people selling on the site are not professional sellers, you’ll see all levels of photo qualities, product descriptions, and prices.

I’ve seen many listings that were missing information or questionable about

• Whether the item is new or not. The item is listed as new with tags but the pictures don’t show a price tag.

• The size of the item

• The condition of the item. A listing will state what the item is with no reference to its condition or if it has any damage or wear. If I’m buying something second-hand, I want to know that it’s in good condition.

• Shipping fees. I know that an item weighs less or could be sent with a cheaper shipping option. I’ll ask the seller if they can do it.

• Expiration dates. I buy beauty and skincare products on Mercari because some are really expensive at retail. Items like sunscreen have an expiration date whether opened or not. I ask for the expiration date on the bottle or packaging or the batch number to look it up online myself.

You can also message a seller who declines your offer. The seller may have reasons such as that the item is price firm or will result in losing money if sold at that price.

The item may no longer be available and about to be taken down. Ask why if you really want the item.

6 | Turn on notifications

You can turn on push or email notifications for things such as

• Price drops for items you’ve favorited

• Offers from sellers

• Direct messages from sellers

• Someone you follow listed an item

• Exclusive promotions from Mercari

• Coupons from Mercari

I like getting push notifications for items I’ve favorited. When the seller sends me an offer or lowers the price of an item I really want, I get the notification and purchase right away.

7 | Double check shipping costs

Mercari has changed its shipping options and prices multiple times in recent years. Check Mercari’s website for the most up-to-date information on this.

Mercari recently started offering USPS Media Mail as a shipping option. Older listings may not reflect this as sellers had to choose another more expensive option. If you’re looking to buy books or other media, check that Media Mail is the shipping method.

Other than that, shipping costs for items up to 1lb via USPS are cheaper than the retail rates, but not as low as some other platforms like Facebook Marketplace. I find shipping for items over 1 lb to be expensive at over $10 no matter which carrier it used (USPS, UPS, or FedEx).

In that case, I might look to see if the item is available elsewhere online with lower shipping costs. The seller might have the item listed on Poshmark, where shipping is $7.95 for up to 5 lb.

A seller also has the option to ship on their own and enter the information into Mercari after. Some sellers will use PirateShip or another service that offers cheaper shipping. I haven’t ever asked a seller for this, but you could ask the seller if he or she would offer this.

Reverse situation

Sometimes you’ll get lucky and find the opposite - something amazing with a surprisingly low shipping cost.

For example, I once bought a weekender bag that I thought weighed over 1 lb. The seller chose the shipping for items under 1 lb, which seemed low to me in comparison to the other listings on the site. The item was well-priced, so I went ahead and purchased it.

A few things could have happened:

• USPS could have returned the item to the seller, not enough postage

• USPS could have charged the seller the additional amount through Mercari. This has happened! Mercari will take it out of your earnings.

• USPS could deliver the item to me as is. USPS would take the loss

• USPS could ask for postage to be paid by me for delivery of the item. This has happened as well.

In my case, the item was delivered to me without issue on my side. I don’t know if the seller was charged the difference in shipping cost.

If you encounter a situation like this, weigh the pros and cons. You may get a deal on the shipping, but you might not receive the item either.

8 | Look for free shipping

Mercari lets sellers pay the total cost of shipping, giving buyers free shipping. You can filter items to list only the ones with free shipping. I’ve also accidentally listed an item or two with free shipping, so buyers ended up getting a good deal.

I like to search for items both free and not free. When I look for an item such as Crocs, I’ll look it up in several ways with multiple searches. I’ll

I’ll click on the heart to favorite every result that I’m interested in without regard for the item price or shipping fee.

After I’ve found all of my options, I’ll go to my favorites and look through all of them. Some may be more expensive but have free shipping while others may be cheaper with shipping not covered. You can figure out the best deal with a little bit of math.

9 | Look at the seller’s other items

Look at a seller’s other items for sale to see if there’s something else you might be interested in. You can bundle items by the same seller to save on shipping costs.

To do this, add items by the same seller to your cart. Go to your cart and select "bundle items and make offer."

You can bundle up to 10 items or $2000 worth of items. The seller has 24 hours to respond to your offer.

Bundles are great for things like

• Children’s clothing and shoes

• Beauty and makeup products

• Game or trading cards

• Sets of items like dishes

10 | Follow sellers

Some sellers specialize in certain goods such as games, electronics, or make up. When you find a seller that you like, click on the follow button to follow them.

Then go to the “following” tab on the app or website regularly to see what they’re listing.

I found a seller that sells his handmade stained glass work. I follow him and check on the new stained glass he has listed for sale every so often.

If you’re a repeat buyer from the same seller, it doesn’t hurt to point this out to build a relationship with the seller for future transactions.

11 | Use coupons and rewards

Coupons

Mercari runs occasional promotions where you can earn coupons such as list 10 items to get $5 off your next purchase or list 30 items to get $20 dollars off your next purchase.

There’s a first-time sellers coupon for $5 off a purchase when you list your first item.

There are limits and restrictions though. There’s always a limited time period or an expiration date to the coupons and a minimum purchase price. It’s usually $5 off a purchase of $20 or more and $20 off a purchase of $50 or more.

I’ve found the coupons and deals too rare and restrictive to coincide with when I want to purchase something. I probably earned 2 or 3 coupons last year and used one of them.It works if you get the coupon at the right time.

Rewards

Mercari recently launched a rewards program that benefits its frequent shoppers. It’s currently in beta limited to a randomly selected group of users, but will likely expand in the future if all goes well.

Buyers earn points when they make purchases (not including marketplace fees, delivery cost, shipping fees, and taxes). You earn 10 points for every $1 spent. Points don’t expire.

Use the points for discounts on future purchases

• 1500 points - Take $5 off your next purchase of $30 or more

• 2500 points - Take $10 off your next purchase of $50 or more

• 5000 points - Take $20 off your next purchase of $100 or more

Although this isn’t the best rewards program, it could save you some money if you’re a regular shopper on the site.

12 | Do an online search

Sometimes you can find better deals off of Mercari. Many sellers like me list items on multiple platforms.

I like Mercari because it has lower seller fees than a platform like Poshmark, so I hope an item will sell on Mercari. But I recognize that Mercari’s shipping fees are high, so a buyer might prefer to buy it on another platform.

An item that is 1 lb to 5 lb will have lower shipping on Poshmark. An item under 1 lb will have lower shipping on Facebook Marketplace.

Search online for the item

• By title

• Google image search

• Seller name

13 | Know the guidelines

A few guidelines to know:

• Buyers get 72 hours to accept an item once it’s been delivered. Any requests for return must be started during that time.

  Don’t accept the item or rate the transaction if you want a return. Once you accept an item, the transaction is final and the seller receives their payment.

• There are no returns allowed unless an item is not as described. So be sure you really want the item before purchasing it.

• Keep transactions on the platform. Mercari is strict about enforcing the guidelines. Don’t ask someone to sell to you outside of Mercari or let someone persuade you to purchase anything off the site. This could lead to a warning or even getting banned.

  Once you are banned from Mercari, it is very difficult to get your account reinstated. I’ve heard of people trying to open a new account with another email address or whatnot and not managing to do this.

Wrap Up

Mercari has plenty of items and deals to be found. By using the tips above to use Mercari’s features, check seller ratings, communicate with sellers, and so forth, you’ll avoid many common issues with buying on the marketplace and come away with more successful purchases. Happy shopping!

What is your experience shopping on Mercari? What are your tips for a great shopping experience?

Related posts:

• How to Negotiate Price on Mercari

• How to Sell on Mercari

• 37 Thrift Shopping Tips for the Best Finds

Updated 6/22/23

I’m always looking for ways to increase my productivity when it comes to selling online. A few years ago, I started using Vendoo, a service that helps you crosslist items to multiple marketplaces. Its goal is to help you save time listing your items, organize your inventory, and ultimately make more money.

In this post, I cover how Vendoo works and my experience using it, so you can decide if it’s right for you.

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. This means that I may receive compensation when you click on a product link or purchase an item linked on this site. Click here for details.

** If you would like to try Vendoo, you can receive 25% off your first month with this referral link.

** If you don’t have a Poshmark account, you can receive a free $10 bonus when you sign up with my code SFGIRL2015.

Why use a service like Vendoo?

Selling online has taken off in recent years. More and more people are becoming part-time and full-time sellers.

To maximize their sales, they list their items to multiple marketplaces like Poshmark, eBay, Mercari, and Facebook Marketplace to increase their exposure.

Crosslisting every item to multiple marketplaces takes a lot of time. No one has time to manually list hundreds or thousands of items. There’s so much more to do as a seller!

That’s where services like Vendoo come in. They help sellers crosslist their items to various marketplaces faster than they could do on their own.

I decided to give Vendoo a try late in 2020 after getting tired of relisting my items manually. If I liked it and found it worth the cost, I would continue using it. If I didn’t like it or it didn’t help me, I would simply cancel my subscription.

How does it work?

As of this update, Vendoo works with 10 marketplaces (and has the option to track your sales on other unintegrated marketplaces)

• Poshmark

• eBay

• Mercari

• Depop

• Etsy

• Grailed

• Facebook Marketplace

• Vestaire Collective

• Kidizen

• Shopify

Once you’re signed up, the first thing to do is ensure you’re registered with the marketplaces you want to use and logged into them.

Then upload your items onto the Vendoo website in two ways:

• Direct upload using the Vendoo listing template or app.

• Import items from one of the marketplaces. You have to purchase this feature to use it (more on this below).

Once an item is in Vendoo, you click on the name of the marketplace where you want to list it and fill out any additional necessary information.

Some marketplaces require more information than others. I may have to select the correct category for an item, if I want to offer free or buyer-paid shipping, or the quantity of an item.

When you’re done with one marketplace, click on the name of another, fill out any additional required information, and hit list it. The process moves quickly.

* Tip: Many people find creating listings directly in Vendoo or eBay to be the most efficient way to start crosslisting.

Vendoo has most or all required fields for marketplaces, so the information auto-populates when you crosslist to another platform.

eBay requires the most details of all the marketplaces, so users fill out all the necessary fields in eBay and that information gets imported into Vendoo. The other way around may require manual filling of some fields.

But if you like to work in batches or keep lots of drafts, your drafts in eBay will expire after a few weeks. They don’t ever expire or disappear in Vendoo.

How much does it cost?

The subscription is tiered based on how many items you list per month.

All plans come with some basic features:

• Access to list on 3 marketplaces

• Image hosting

• Image resizer & editor

• Inventory page

You can list 5 items for free each month. The rest of the options are pictured below.

There are three optional add-ons. They’re $4.99 each or you can pay $11.99 for all of them.

• Importing – This feature allows you to import your listings from a marketplace. This is helpful when you start using Vendoo.

  You can purchase this for the first month or two and get all your listings quickly and easily into their system. Save yourself from having to upload each item by copying and pasting everything over.

• Relist & delist – Relisting is a strategy used by resellers to keep their items near the top of search results. If your item hasn’t sold after a long time and you’ve lowered the price as low as you want to go, you’ll want to relist the item.

  This feature helps you delist and relist with a few clicks, much faster than doing it manually.

  Vendoo has since come out with a multi-actions feature. This allows you to delete, delist, and delist & relist multiple items from a platform with a few clicks. I believe this feature is available only if you purchase the relist & delist add-on.

• All marketplaces – The base subscription allows you to list to 3 marketplaces. This add-on allows you to list to as many as you want or all of them.

• Analytics – This is the latest feature which can break down sales by time such as month or year to date, revenue and profit by individual marketplace, top selling categories and brands.

  You do have to enter the information for each sale manually. It doesn’t pull that information from the various marketplaces automatically.

  But marketplaces fees are now auto-calculated and filled in on the "Mark as Sold" form (excluding eBay and Shopify fees which vary based upon your subscription and membership). Less math and a time saver!

• This feature is currently free for a limited time. I don’t know when it will be required to pay for it.

Update 8/28/22: Vendoo is testing new pricing models. One option is an unlimited plan with all the add-ons added in so you’re not paying for anything separately. Another pricing plan is paying for a longer subscription like a year upfront and receiving a discount like two months free. Contact Vendoo if you’re interested in learning more.

Is Vendoo allowed by the marketplaces?

The answer is both yes and no. Some marketplaces allow it while others don’t.

Poshmark

Poshmark’s previous terms of service indicate that the use of third-party services is allowed.

Poshmark’s community guidelines don’t allow for use of automation. However, at the time I started using Vendoo in 2020, the company did not use automation because all actions were done by the user in real time.

Things get a little fuzzy now because some features of Vendoo are considered automated, and that is the direction that Vendoo and other companies are going to assist resellers.

I emailed Poshmark if services such as Vendoo are allowed, and the response did not answer the question. It only stated they have no relationship with other companies such as Vendoo.

Poshmark’s most recent terms of service is not as explicit. Poshmark knows third-party services including cross-listing and sharing services both manually and automatically through bots are being used.

They’ve sent out surveys asking which companies Poshers use and have come out with their own method of easier sharing (“select all” share to followers) to compete.

They know the big Poshmark sellers use these services to sell more and make more money for themselves and Poshmark. They’re not going to bite the hand that feeds them.

Mercari

I wrote to Mercari and asked if services such as Vendoo are allowed. The company replied that third-party services are prohibited.

I’ve read the Mercari wants to keep itself a marketplace for small and individual sellers. They don’t want big sellers and full-out companies selling on there. I can’t say for certain if this is true, but Mercari has stringent guidelines for selling and is strict in enforcing them.

If you decide to use Vendoo, there is a risk with marketplaces that don’t allow it. They may give you a warning or suspend or block you from their site. While I haven’t heard of this happening over the use of a third-party service, it’s a possibility.

My advice is to first check the marketplaces you choose to use for their policies. Then evaluate your own level of comfort using a crosslisting service.

Pros

• Potential for increased profit

  Frequent relisting and easier, faster listing to multiple marketplaces means more opportunities to increase sales and put more money in your pocket.

  Vendoo gave me the opportunity to try marketplaces that I wouldn’t have otherwise tried because manual crosslisting is so time consuming. I also stuck with some marketplaces longer than I would have to see if they would bring me sales.

  I made a fair number of sales during the time I used Vendoo. I can’t say for certain that it improved my sales because I feel that I had lots of great items to sell at the time too, but it did help me crosslist faster and keep my sales going.

• Saves time!

  This is my favorite reason for using Vendoo. It’s easier to make global edits to a listing across platforms. I can relist faster too and now do it more often because it’s so easy.

  When you make a sale and mark it as sold on one marketplace on Vendoo, it automatically removes the listing from other platforms if you have the relist & delist add-on. That saves a little bit of time too.

• Tracks inventory

  You can keep track of all your available and sold inventory, how much they sold for, what platform they sold on, and the date they sold on Vendoo.

  With the addition of the analytics, you can now track information like the cost of an item, price sold, marketplace fees, and shipping expenses too. This is a lifesaver come tax time.

  Vendoo also lets you track items that were not sold on one of their crosslisting marketplaces, such as selling off Instagram, in person, or a yard sale. It’s recorded in your inventory and accounting.

• Easy to use

  You’ll be up and running quickly. I watched the short tutorial videos they posted on YouTube and some other sellers’ videos to learn how to use the website, then got started a few minutes later. Vendoo has two onboarding calls a week for new users to ask questions and get help.

  When you start using a new technology, you don’t want there to be a huge learning curve. You want to just get started making more sales and making money. It’s possible with Vendoo.

• Vendoo app

  Vendoo launched their app in 2022 and has been adding the marketplaces and features to it since. So far the app supports 8 of the 10 marketplaces with Facebook Marketplace and Vestaire Collective coming soon.

  You’ll need to use the computer if you want to list to those marketplaces.

  Since I take pictures of my items with my cell phone, my favorite thing about the app is that I can start listings by taking pictures directly in the app. I then save them as drafts and finish the listings and crosslist on the computer.

• Reasonably priced

  I compared Vendoo to other crosslisting services such as List Perfectly and found it to be reasonably priced.

  Vendoo’s pricing is based on the number of items you need each month whereas other services have set prices. Vendoo’s pricing is beneficial to me as a smaller seller. I pay less because I list fewer items.

  As mentioned above, more pricing models are coming to better suit more sellers needs.

• Growing number of marketplaces

  Vendoo has added two or three marketplaces since I started using the service. They’re at 10 now, which is close to List Perfectly’s 10+.

• PhotoRoom background remover

  Vendoo just launched a built-in background remover powered by PhotoRoom, which makes the background of your photos white. I’ve been eagerly awaiting this feature and am excited to use it.

  Companies like eBay recommend showing items on white backgrounds to help sales. You get one background removal per item included in your monthly plan and can purchase more if needed.

• Active addition of new features

  The company adds new features regularly. Since I first used Vendoo, they’ve added the analytics feature, ability to use custom templates, ability to bulk delist and relist items, ability to list multi-quantity listings, and a price checking tool powered by SellHound.

  Update 6/13/23: New features are in the works!

  Vendoo is pushing toward automation.

  • Automatic delisting from other marketplaces once an item sells without you doing anything! This is in beta testing and currently supported for sales on eBay and Poshmark.

  These other features aren’t all coming tomorrow but are planned and being worked on.

  • Filling out info like how much something sold for and fees without you entering it for your analytics.

  • Automatic delisting and relisting on a schedule. This is important because you don’t want to delist and relist too many items at once triggering a warning on sites and getting suspended or banned.

  • Expanding the Vendoo app

  • Expanding to Canada and the UK

  • Using AI to assist you such as uploading a photo and Vendoo will fill out the form for you!

  • A Poshmark sharing feature. Poshmark came out with it’s own “select all” sharing feature recently so we’ll see about this one.

• Vendoo Enterprise for high-volume sellers

  Vendoo just launched their Enterprise service for sellers who list a minimum of 1,000 units per month. With this subscription, the Vendoo team does all of the work of listing, delisting, inventory management, and more for you. You can be hands-off to focus on other aspects of your business.

• The company is receptive to feedback.

  The company is open to hearing about ways to improve the service. I was a beta tester for this service a long time ago and still am for new features from time time to time. They are appreciative of my feedback and like hearing from other users too.

• Facebook group and regular Zoom meetings

  The Facebook group is a great place to ask questions and give feedback on using Vendoo.

  They also have frequent Zoom meetings to teach new users how to use Vendoo, answer any questions, and hear user suggestions. If you join an onboarding call, you’ll receive 20 free listings added to your account.

  As above, the team is very receptive to hearing from users.

  Last month I attended their webinar on how to sell on Depop with tips from successful Depop sellers.

  You don’t have to be a paying subscriber to sign up for the Facebook group and maybe even the Zoom meetings, so check them out even if you are interested in learning how Vendoo works.

• Great customer service including live chat

  Vendoo employees have been friendly and helpful every time I’ve contacted them. They have a live chat too during the day and evening, so you can quickly talk to one of their employees for any questions or issues you have.

• Fun contests & activities

  The company hosts lots of fun events.

  In October, I was one of the winners of the Halloween pumpkin carving contest. I won a $50 Amazon gift card and a free one-month subscription.

  In November, they ran a contest finding turkeys on their website. I didn’t win, but all participants received an additional number of free listings. I was allotted 65 more.

  In December, they held a clothing drive for Christmas. They gave me a prepaid shipping label to send them my items.

  In the summer, they hosted a “Slay Summer Slowdown" Listing Challenge to motivate people to list more. You can win prizes for participating.

  I attended their Summer Reseller Tour with live events in New York, Ft. Lauderdale, Houston, and Los Angeles. I got to meet the team and chat with other resellers all for free.

Cons

• Technical glitches.

  When I first used Vendoo in 2020, it had some technical glitches that gave me caution. The main issue I had was that when I listed or relisted an item, the page would sometimes time out saying “listing timeout error”. A few times this caused an item to be marked listed in Vendoo when it wasn’t listed on the marketplace.

  Vendoo has improved so much since then. It’s so much faster and smoother at relisting and crosslisting. It doesn’t need to open up a new tab for each marketplace while crosslisting.

  The other issue I’ve had recently is using the multiple-item delist and relist feature. When it encounters an issue, it will either not complete the task or it will say an item is delisted but it hasn’t been delisted.

  I work around this by keeping the marketplace up and checking how many new listings are up or I search for the specific item of concern. So if I relisted 10 items, I will look that the marketplace shows those 10 items up as my newest listings.

  After trying other similar services like List Perfectly, I realize that glitches are common to all of them. The marketplaces make changes all the time, so issues are bound to pop up.

  It’s a matter of getting used to them or figuring out ways to work around them until the issues are fixed. (More on this below.)

  You also want a company that’s responsive when there’s an error. Vendoo wants to know if you have an error, so that they can fix it. The company also has in-house developers unlike some other crosslisting companies, so they work on issues immediately.

• Need to pay for add-ons to optimize the service.

  I want two core features of any crosslisting service I use:
  1) crosslist directly from it and
  2) automatically delist the item from other marketplaces when I mark the item as sold.

  Those two features are what really save me time and prevent items from accidentally selling twice.

  You can do the first with the basic listing plan. You have to pay for the the relist & delist add-on for the second. Otherwise you have to manually delist from each website yourself, which adds time to your process.
  To make the most money and make the most of your time, you’ll likely need to purchase the relist & delist add-on and the all marketplaces add-on for an additional $9.98 total a month.

  Some people feel they are being nickel and dimed with add-ons. I prefer the current pricing setup because I’m a part-time seller. I pay less than $35 per month to list up to 125 items. This is less than the $50 or $70 a month flat rate for other companies.

  Note also that Vendoo comes with unlimited inventory storage. You only pay for the new items you add to your inventory every month, not for the ones you already have stored.

• Unable to support videos in listings

  Some marketplaces like Poshmark and Facebook Marketplace let you add videos to your listings. This can help buyers see how an item moves or how jewelry shines.

  Vendoo does not support video currently. If you try to upload videos in your listings, you may get an error or the item will publish without the video.

  I like to add video to some of my Poshmark listings. I’ll take video directly in the Poshmark app and the video will automatically save to my phone.

  If I relist the listing, I add the video in manually. This is a good workaround for a few listings, but would be time consuming for every listing or frequent relisting.

Other Considerations

1) What are you selling?

I use Vendoo and find it helpful because I feel I have a relatively equal chance of selling on Poshmark as on Mercari and other marketplaces. They have their differences but not enough that I would clearly pick one marketplace over another.

If you have a product like video games, your audience may be heavily on eBay. Then it may not make sense for you to crosslist your items.

2) The size of your closet

If you have a small shop or closet, you don’t make much profit right now, or you’re a set-it-and-forget-it type of seller, you may find that it’s not worth the cost to pay for a cross-listing service or frequent relisting.

I decided to try out this service because my closet had grown to about 150-160 listings. I needed a faster way to crosslist and relist items, and I felt that the cost was justified given my sales.

Note that Vendoo allows you 5 free listings every month and you can often sign up for a discounted first month with a promo code.

3) Other ways to save money

If you’re starting out selling or not sure if it will be worth it to you, here are a few tips to save. The amounts are small but better than nothing.

• Use a referral code to sign up. It’s 25% off the first month. The amount off varies if you use another promo code.

• Use the drafts feature to use all your available listings. On Vendoo, you purchase how many listings you need for a month and you lose unused listings at the end of your month.

  You can avoid losing them by starting drafts of items on Vendoo, which will count toward your allotment, before the month ends.

  For example, if I purchase 125 listings for the month and only use 100, I save the 25 I didn’t use as drafts before the month is up. Drafts can be one word to start and then fill in the rest when you have a product to list. Then downgrade to a lower plan before being billed for the next month.

  You can really use this to your advantage! Do this in your first month when you get the most discount from sign-up or a promo code.

• Use opportunities like the promotions. I joined in on promotions in October and November to win prizes and extra listings.

• Upgrade and downgrade your plan. When I have a big month of listing and selling ahead, I upgrade my plan to allow for more listings. When I have a busy month ahead or I know I’ll be on vacation, I downgrade my plan so that I pay for the lowest tier that I need.

• Rotate the add-ons. It’s hard to optimize the service without the add-ons, but there is the potential to save money if you stay on top of your subscription.

  Buy the importing feature for the first month to get your listings on Vendoo. In future months, upload your listings directly to Vendoo and crosslist from there so you don’t need to import anything.

  Choose to start with the three marketplaces that give you the best sales. List your new items that month to those three marketplaces. If the items haven’s sold in a month, purchase the all marketplaces add-on next month to list to more places.

• Stick with only three marketplaces at the start. If I were new to selling, I would start with 3 marketplaces and purchase the all marketplace add-on later once I got the hang of the first three.

Wrap Up

Vendoo has been a great addition to my reselling business. It’s saved me time crosslisting and relisting items, which has helped me continue making sales.

It’s reasonably priced for its benefits, and it’s a service that grows with your business. You can use it as a one-person reselling business or if you’re running a team of multiple people.

I’ve also had great interactions with their employees. Their customer service is fast and friendly. They host fun contests and activities too.

I had issues with technical glitches (time out errors and duplicate listings) in the past, but they haven’t been major issues recently because the service has improved so much and I keep an eye on my listings. You can also see my troubleshooting ideas below.

If you decide to sign up, be mindful of the fact that not all marketplaces allow using this sort of service.

Read the rules of each platform you wish to use this for or contact their customer service to check their stance on it. Then decide whether or not it’s worth it for you to use it.

Update 7/22/21:

I tried out another well-known crosslisting service List Perfectly for several months and found it had many similar pros and cons to Vendoo including technical glitches.

You can read my List Perfectly review to find out more.

I personally prefer to use Vendoo and have gone back to using it for my listings.

***If you would like to try Vendoo for yourself, you can receive 25% off your first month with this referral link.

To receive the discount, purchase your subscription from the same device that was used to create your account.

I didn’t do this when I signed up because I didn’t know it. I emailed Vendoo, and they gave me a discount off my next month’s subscription without hesitation.

Troubleshooting on Vendoo

I’ve tried three crosslisting services, and all of them have their glitches. This is the reality of using a service that responds to constant changes by 10 or more platforms.

I find crosslisting services work best when I keep an eye on my listings on each platform. I audit my listings regularly. I don’t rely on any of the services to do everything perfectly because it doesn’t happen.

I’ve yet to have a duplicate sale, although I have had some items that I’ve sold on one platform still up on another platform.

I think errors I’ve found have been due to both the platform and to my own actions. To get the best from any service, you have to figure out ways to optimize their performance for your needs.

These are some of my thoughts and tips:

Why do duplicate listings occur?

1) Using renewal and relisting features directly on a platform.

Every time you do something to give the listing a new number, the item is no longer connected to Vendoo. On Poshmark, you can hit the copy button directly on a listing. On Facebook, it will ask you if you want to renew a listing.

Both of these things will cause you to create a new listing with a new item number that cannot be accessed by Vendoo. So when it sells on one platform and you go to delist on Vendoo, it will remain for sale on another platform.

You have to relist only using Vendoo’s features.

2) Having active offers on an item

On Poshmark, you cannot delist an item when there is a pending offer. So if you try to delist it, Vendoo may show you that there is an error in the delisting process.

It’s possible that this could lead to a duplicate listing later if you try to relist it or copy it somehow.

You can immediately cancel a pending offer on Poshmark by changing the size of the item. Then change the size back so it’s correct. Then go ahead and delist/relist the item.

How can I avoid duplicate listings and sales?

1) Review the listings you have on each platform at least once a week.

You’re likely to recognize what sold that week if you see it still up for sale, unless you have thousands of listings for sale. Try to do a quick scan instead of a slow scroll through each platform to save time.

2) Check your statistics for how many items are for sale.

You can check how many items you have for sale on any platform. If I start the day with 200 listings available on Poshmark and list or relist 25 items via Vendoo, My Posh Stats should show me that I have 225 listings available for sale.

Keep track of the numbers every time you take lots of action on a platform. It might feel like an additional step or headache, but it’s quick to look and can save you in the long run.

Related posts:

• How I Made $3000 in Vendoo’s Affiliate Program

• 24 Things to Do When Your Items Aren’t Selling

• Poshmark for Beginners Complete Guide

• 20+ Places to Get Clothes to Sell on Poshmark

• How Relisting Helps to Make More Sales on Poshmark

When I planned my recent trip to Las Vegas, the city of excess and indulgence, I knew I had to make a stop at a buffet. Vegas is home to some of the best buffets in the country. And since I like buffets and hadn’t been to one in years since pre-COVID times, this was the perfect opportunity to eat at one and use my buffet strategy. What’s a buffet strategy? It’s a methodical way to work the buffet to maximize your enjoyment of the meal and get the most value for your money. Read on to learn how to do it!

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. This means that I may receive compensation when you click on a product link or purchase an item linked on this site. Click here for details.

How did this strategy start?

The idea of a buffet strategy came about as a joke between my friend and me many years ago. I was one of those kids who ate bowls of soup and bread rolls at buffets.

Then while watching TV one day, the main character of a sitcom visited a buffet and explained to skip the bread rolls and go for the fish. Since then, I’ve had a buffet strategy that has been expanded and honed over the years.

I should add that this post is meant to be comical. I’m not the optimal buffet eater because of my food and eating preferences.

I also don’t encourage wasting food. Every piece of meat or seafood came from an animal that gave its life for us to eat it. Even vegetables take water, sun, and care to grow and harvest. So enjoy eating, but not so much as to waste food or make yourself sick.

Pre-buffet

1 | Find out the restaurant’s offerings

When deciding which buffet to visit, take a look at all your options including what each offers. Eating at a local Asian food buffet is going to be different than a buffet in Vegas in terms of what food is offered, the variety of the food, possibly the quality of the food, the price, and so on.

Before visiting Vegas, I watched reviews of buffets there on YouTube and read reviews online. I ended up choosing Bacchanal Buffet versus The Buffet at Wynn because I liked the food options. I plan to go to the one at the Wynn on my next trip.

If you don’t have the option to scope out the offerings, do a quick trip around the food stations once you’re seated. You’ll have a better idea of what’s offered so you can decide what you most want to eat.

2 | Make a reservation

Make a reservation as soon as you can. Decide if you want to go on a weekday or weekend and for lunch or dinner. Dinner may have more food options, but lunch may have everything you need for a satisfying meal.

Some buffets may have specials or add-ons. I know of one that had the option to pay more for extra items like lobster.

If you don’t get the reservation you want, keep checking daily and even several times a day because spots will open up as people’s travel plans change.

If you don’t have a reservation, you may end up waiting an hour or more for a table, especially if you want to eat dinner there on a long holiday weekend or during the high season.

In general, I find earlier mealtimes are better because there are fewer people at the restaurant. That means less time waiting in lines for the food. The restaurant is less likely to run out of the most popular foods as well.

3 | Ask about any specials

Some buffets in my area have specials such as a birthday discount or free meal if a certain number of people are paying. There’s also pricing where children under a certain age eat for half price or for free.

4 | Note the time limit

The buffets I considered in Vegas had time limits of 90 minutes and 2 hours. That seems like plenty of time to eat a meal. But if you consider all the variables that add to a meal, then you could run up to the limit.

• Assisting children, seniors, or other people to get food

• Sitting far from the food stations or having mobility issues

• Standing in line waiting for food to come or to be served

• Taking a rest break or bathroom break

• Time to eat your food including picking seafood out of their shells

I found 90 minutes to be enough time to eat. I was done eating well before 90 minutes were up, but some young adults at the table next to me started eating before I did and were still going strong after I finished. If that could be you, note the time limit so you stay on pace.

If you have mobility issues, ask if you can have seating closer to the food stations.

5 | Eat lightly & stay hydrated during the day

While you might be tempted to avoid eating the entire day before a buffet dinner, it’s actually better to eat lightly during the day. Your stomach will shrink if you don’t eat at all.

Eat a small light breakfast or lunch to keep yourself somewhat sated but still hungry enough to eat dinner. Drink plenty of water the day before the meal and continue drinking the day of the meal.

You’ll want to be hydrated so you’re comfortable and ready to eat (not drink) during dinner.

6 | Exercise

Some people find that exercise is a great way to increase their appetite, while for others it can be blunting. If you know that exercising makes you hungry, get in a workout before the buffet. You’ll be so ready to eat!

7 | Wear stretchy pants

Dress comfortably in loose-fitting clothes that will stretch while you eat. For me, that’s pants with an elastic waist.

Do you know the scene from the movie The Nutty Professor, where Eddie Murphy tells the salesperson that he wants spandex, all spandex? He’s ready for a buffet.

During the buffet

8 | Meat and seafood

Go for the meat and seafood, then more meat and seafood.

Some people say to start with a bit of salad or soup as an appetizer or warm-up to help your stomach adjust to eating, but I think they are too filling and delay getting to the good stuff.

Meat like prime rib and seafood such as crab legs, sushi, and sashimi are considered higher-end items. They cost more to provide, so that’s where you’ll get the most value for your dollars.

I’ve been to buffets where crab legs were in short supply. You had to be at the seafood station or keep an eye on the station to get them when they came out or they would be gone.

There was no shortage of any of the meat or seafood offerings when I was at Bacchanal.

The only challenging thing was how much time it took for me to get the meat out of the crab claws. They came pre-cut, but I still had to work at each one, which took quite a bit of time.

9 | Wait in the longest lines

You’ll want to minimize the number of times you get up and line up, which can cut into your eating time. You may have to wait in line for the most popular foods at the busiest times.

Those are usually the meat and seafood stations. The wait times can be even longer at stations where food is made to order such as the crepe or noodle bowl stations.

I like to see how the lines are moving. I sometimes line up at the slow-moving stations first to get the waiting out of the way. But if I notice that the lines vary in wait time, I’ll keep an eye open and wait until the line gets short.

10 | Double plate and stack the plates

You have two hands, so why not carry two plates? Using two plates at once allows you to get double the amount of food in only one pass at a food station.

You can also stack your plates. I saw plenty of people stacking smaller plates on large ones and stacking crab legs upon crab legs.

11 | Eat in line

If the place is particularly crowded or you feel you’re just not going to eat what you want by the time limit, you could try nibbling on food while waiting in line for other food.

I think this is a bit unhygienic and you may be frowned on by other visitors, but this was mentioned by a well-known restaurateur Dave Chang so I think it’s an option.

12 | No carbs

No bread, rice, pasta, potatoes, or other starchy items. They’re cheap to provide and fill you up while often not giving much nutritional value.

Skip the vegetables too unless you really like them. If you really want or must eat carbs and veggies, eat the proteins first, then veggies, then the carbs if you want to get the most value for your meal.

13 | Skip the usual stuff

Skip anything you can easily buy or make at home. Go for the food that you would rate 9/10 or anything that’s rare and exciting to try.

The dim sum station at Bacchanal was popular, but since I get dim sum regularly at home, I skipped the whole section and moved on to the sushi and poke area next to it. I’ll even skip desserts because sweets and ice cream are easily accessible at home.

14 | Minimize drinks

As mentioned above, drink plenty of water the day before the meal and drink enough to stay hydrated the day of the meal.

During the meal, minimize liquids because they will fill you up. Stick to water or small amounts of other drinks you might want to try. Pass on bowls of soups and cups of soda or other liquids.

15 | Pace your eating

Pacing is key to being able to eat more. When you start to get full, take a break so you can get a second wind or at least take on a last round of desserts. Walk around, chat with your party, and use the restroom.

16 | Take small portions

Another tip is to take small portions of each item that you genuinely want to try on your first pass. This is a good option if you like variety or just want to try as many items as possible.

You can savor the flavors and textures without eating too much of any one item. If you really like something and want more, get more of it on your next pass.

Post buffet

17 | Stay upright for at least 1 hr after

Stay upright for at least 1 hr after eating and even longer if you can. When you stay upright, you allow gravity to assist the movement of the food and prevent food from coming back up into your esophagus, an unpleasant feeling. You’re less likely to find yourself suffering from acid reflux, indigestion, and heartburn.

18 | Walk it off

Take a gentle stroll or a brisk walk after your meal to help digestion. Walking for 10 to 30 minutes is ideal. The physical activity stimulates the abdomen, promoting movement in the gastrointestinal tract and enhancing digestion.

19 | Take antacids if you need them

You might feel stomach discomfort or heartburn after overindulging at the buffet. Antacids such as Tums and Pepto-Bismol can help neutralize excess stomach acid and provide relief. Follow the dosage instructions and consult your doctor if you need to before taking them.

20 | Eat light the following day

Eating light the day after a buffet can give your digestive system a break and give you a chance to restore a balanced diet. Buffets often involve consuming large quantities of varied and rich foods.

Focus on eating healthier nutrient-dense foods such as fruits, salads, and other foods that are gentle on your stomach. And rehydrate with plenty of water.

Wrap Up

If you like eating well and getting the most value for your money, use the tips above the next time you visit a buffet. You might be amazed at how much you eat!

What are some of your favorite buffets? What are your tips for eating well at a buffet?

Shopping at thrift stores is a fun and budget-friendly way to update your wardrobe with unique and vintage pieces. What’s not fun are thrift store smells and dirty clothes. If you thrift shop regularly, you’ve probably encountered dirt, odors, and who knows what else on the clothes.

Whether you're concerned about hygiene, want to remove lingering odors, or just want to freshen up your new finds, these are a few things you can take to clean thrift store clothes so that they're in wearable condition.

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. This means that I may receive compensation when you click on a product link or purchase an item linked on this site. Click here for details.

What to consider before purchasing an item

Cleaning clothes can be an arduous process, and you may not find it worth it to try to clean some items. When you come across something you're considering purchasing, it's best to find items in good condition, but that's not always the case, especially for vintage clothing. So consider how dirty the item is and if you're willing to do the work to clean it.

A normal sweatshirt that can go in the washing machine is no problem, but a vintage wedding dress with a large stain across the front or multiple items that need cleaning may not be worth your time and effort.

I once came across an item that looked like it had moth cocoons stuck to it. It didn't matter that the item was a nice dress. I wasn't going to clean it and passed on it like a hot potato.

Some items will have damage and require more extensive repair than just a wash. If you're unfazed by all of that or you like the challenge of restoring old clothes, then move on to the next step to get started cleaning.

Assess the item's condition

Before you start the cleaning process, take a look at the condition of the item to determine the best course of action.

Here are some things to look out for:

• Stains: Check for any visible stains on the garment. Depending on the type of stain and the fabric of the garment, you may need to specially treat it, treat it before washing, or even take the item to a professional cleaner.
  

• Odors: Thrifted clothing can sometimes have a musty or stale smell due to being stored for a long time. This is usually easy to fix but can take time and repeated washing.
  

• Fabric: Different fabrics require different cleaning methods. Make sure you know what type of fabric you're dealing with before you start washing or dry cleaning the garment.
  

• Damage: Check for any rips, tears, or other damage to the garment. How you clean the item may depend on the type of damage and whether you should repair the item prior to or after cleaning it.

  For example, a tear may grow larger with agitation in the washing machine and need to be repaired first. On the other hand, you may want to carefully clean an item that is missing beads or sequins before you take the time to sew new ones on.

• Care tags: Most clothes come with care tags, although vintage or handmade clothes may not. The tag usually gives information such as the fabric content and how to wash the item and dry the item.

Once you've assessed the item's condition, you can move on to cleaning.

Cleaning methods

There are a few different methods you can use to clean thrift store clothes, depending on the type of fabric and the condition of the garment.

These are some of the most effective methods:

Washing machine

The washing machine is the easiest and most convenient way to clean most thrift store clothes. Make sure to read the care label on the garment and follow the washing instructions carefully.

If the care label is missing, you can usually find washing instructions online by searching for the type of fabric.

For most items, a regular cycle with cold water and a mild detergent should be sufficient. I avoid using hot or warm water because I don't want to risk the item shrinking or colors bleeding.

If the garment has any visible stains, you may need to pre-treat the stains with a stain remover before washing it. You may have to let items soak for a few hours or overnight to let stain removers do their work.

It's best to wash items on their own or with similar colors. Nowadays many items are colorfast, but some items such as new denim jeans or clothes that have been dyed will run in the laundry.

If you're unsure about the colorfastness of the item, you can do a colorfastness test by wetting a small area of the fabric with water and rubbing it with a white cloth. If any color comes off, you should wash the garment separately or with other dark colors.

Hand washing

Although hand washing takes time and energy, it's a gentler alternative to the washing machine, which makes it a great option for delicate or fragile items.

Fill a sink, tub, or bucket with lukewarm water and a small amount of mild detergent. Gently agitate the garment in the water. Don't rub the fabric together

Rinse the item thoroughly with clean water, and gently squeeze out any excess water. Avoid wringing or twisting the fabric, as this can damage the item.

Air drying

Once you've washed or hand-washed a fragile item, it's important to let it air dry rather than putting it in the dryer. I sometimes roll up the item in a dry towel to remove the excess water. Be careful to gently lay and roll the item, not to stretch it or twist the towel, so that the item does not get damaged.

Depending on how fragile the item is, I will hang it on a hanger if it's lightweight and unlikely to stretch out or lay it across a drying rack to dry. Reshape items if necessary. For items that are prone to wrinkling, you can iron them on a low heat setting once done drying.

Dryer

Many of the clothes you find at the thrift store will be recently made and can withstand the high temperatures of the dryer. You may want to use the dryer not only to dry clothes, but also to rid of excess lint and any musty smells.

Read the label on the clothes and opt for low heat if you're concerned about shrinkage. If an article of clothing is older and doesn't come with care instructions, it's probably best to wash the item by hand and air dry it.

Dry cleaning

Some thrift store items may be labeled as "dry clean only." If this is the case, take the garment to a professional dry cleaner rather than attempting to clean it at home.

Dry cleaning uses special solvents that are effective at removing dirt and stains without damaging delicate fabrics. Choose a cleaner that has experience with different types of fabrics.

Some items that say dry clean only can be washed at home. I've done this several times with tops and pants that were everyday items, and they came out fine. If you place an item in the washing machine or hand wash an item, know that you take the risk of ruining it.

You could also try dry cleaning at a home with products like Dryel. This is a cheaper and more convenient alternative to dry cleaning.

Light cleaning

If you find something that seems clean and you're okay with not giving it a full and thorough washing, consider doing a light cleaning just to freshen it up. Spraying the clothes with Febreze can make them smell good so it lasts another wear or two before it needs to be washed.

Stain removal & cleaning products

The right cleaning products can make all the difference when it comes to cleaning thrift store clothes effectively. These are the products I like and use the most:

1) Stain Remover

If the thrifted item has any visible stains, you'll need a good stain remover to tackle them. Look for a product that's designed for the type of stain you're dealing with, whether it's oil, grease, or something else. Apply the stain remover directly to the affected area following the instructions on the packaging.

My favorite stain treatments:

• Tide pens

• Shout

• Distilled white vinegar

• Hydrogen peroxide

If using distilled white vinegar, mix it with water in equal parts (e.g., 1 cup of each). You can place the mixture in a spray bottle to spray it on or lightly blot at the stain with the mixture. Let it sit for about 15 minutes before blotting the stain to see if it's lifting.

​Resist the urge to rub the stain harshly or rub the fabric together as that may spread the stain and cause wear to the fabric.

Note that white vinegar and hydrogen peroxide can change the color of the fabric, so you'll want to test the products on a small unnoticeable spot first.

Hydrogen peroxide can cause color dye to bleed. I've seen it used well on items that were white or almost white with a stain needing to be removed.

Also leave it on only for a limited amount of time. I've seen white vinegar mixes and hydrogen peroxide do wonders to clothes and have not encountered any issue of fabric changing color.

2) Laundry detergent

For most items, a mild laundry detergent is all you need to get them clean. Look for a product that's gentle on fabrics and doesn't contain any harsh chemicals that could damage the garment. Avoid using too much detergent, as this can leave residue on the fabric.

OxiClean is a popular stain remover. Many detergents such as Tide and All have Oxi in them to assist stain removal.

​I opt not to use fabric softener on my clothes because the items in softeners can lead to buildup like residue on clothes and in the washing machine. It might be useful for new clothes but not old second-hand finds.

Bugs & other things

I've been asked in the past about what to do to ensure you don't get bugs in your house. While it's unlikely you'll find bed bugs, spiders, and other insects in your thrift store clothing, it's possible, so you should be prepared for it.

You don't know where clothes have been, who wore them, or if they've been cleaned before you purchased them.Most (maybe all) thrift stores do not clean clothes before putting them out on the floor for sale.

They might evaluate the pieces while sorting and avoid putting overly dirty items out for sale. They might spray items with a light disinfectant, but it's up to you as a shopper to thoroughly clean thrift items.

1) Inspect items thoroughly

Inspect an item thoroughly by hanging it or holding it out and looking over it entirely with your eyes. While shopping at the store, shake the item a bit and see if anything catches your eye or falls off.

Look in the pockets. Inspect the seams. Unroll any cuffs. This will help you see any flaws, and if you're lucky, you might find some money hidden in a pocket.

2) Keep items contained for transport

Once you've purchased the items, keep them together while you transport them in your car. This might mean placing them in large shopping bags like those you find at IKEA, garbage bags, or large plastic bins. Don't let the items lay all over your trunk or car.

3) Inspect items once home

Once you get home, do another look through of the items before bringing them inside. You can inspect them in the garage, a separate storage or work area, or outside. Once you've finished this, bring them inside to their designated area. Don't leave items laying around the house.

4) Place items in the dryer

If items are not delicate, place them in the dryer on the highest heat setting for at least 30 minutes. This will kill bugs and germs and get rid of that thrift store smell.

Old second-hand clothes and vintage clothes may not survive the dryer. If that's the case and you want to be extra cautious, leave your items sealed in containers or garbage bags for at least a couple of days before handling them. If you live in a very hot climate, leave those containers or bags in the trunk of your car or someplace where they will get very hot.

You might ask why not place the items in the washer first using hot water. That washing machine is not enough strong enough or hot enough to kill some insects. Your best bet is to use a dryer if you have access to one.

Once you've done this and cleaned your items, your items need to be kept in good shape.

Tips for maintaining thrift store clothes

You'll want to take care of your thrifted clothing to ensure they last as long as possible.

Store them properly

Avoid placing fragile or delicate items on hangers. Fold them neatly and store them in a drawer or on a shelf.

Avoid over-washing

Washing thrifted clothes too often can cause them to wear out more quickly. Try to only wash them when they really need it. If you normally wash something after every wear, try washing it after 2-3 wears and use gentle cleaning methods to avoid damaging the fabric.

Rotate your wardrobe

Try to rotate your thrifted finds with other items in your wardrobe. Wear your best-loved items only when you are really set on them and not more often than necessary.

If you have a beaded top or pants that may stretch out, put them on just before leaving the house. Don't lounge around the house with them on. This will give them a break to air out between wearings and help prevent wear and tear.

Wrap up

Cleaning thrift store clothes doesn't have to be a daunting task. With a bit of care and attention, you can ensure that your thrifted items are clean, fresh, and ready to wear.

By choosing the right pieces and using the right cleaning methods and products, you can make your thrift store finds last for years to come. Not only will this save you money and reduce your environmental impact, but it will also give you a unique and stylish wardrobe that you will love.

Related posts:

• 37 Thrift Shopping Tips for the Best Finds

• How to Make Money Thrift Store Flipping

• 26 Places to Get Clothes to Sell on Poshmark

Are you ready for wedding season? It's that time of year again, filled with love, celebration, and a whirlwind of ceremonies.

I remember a summer several years ago when four of my family members got married within three months of each other. Three of them required plane rides back home, and one was a destination wedding in Hawaii.

A few years later, the wedding invitations poured in again, and I attended wedding after wedding throughout the summer and fall. A best friend even planned a destination wedding in Oaxaca, Mexico.

As much as I love attending weddings, there's one thing I don't adore—overspending. Between bridal showers, bachelorette parties, bridesmaid dresses, wedding gifts, travel expenses, and more, the costs of being in a wedding or attending one quickly add up.

In fact, according to Bankrate, people can expect to spend an average of $611 to attend a wedding in 2023. Most people budget for monthly expenses like food and housing. It's easy to overlook budgeting to attend weddings until they're upon us because they don't happen as frequently.

If you find yourself with a stack of wedding invitations and a tight budget, you've come to the right place. Read on for some valuable tips to help you navigate attending weddings without breaking the bank.

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. This means that I may receive compensation when you click on a product link or purchase an item linked on this site. Click here for details.

1 | Prioritize your attendance

Attending every wedding you're invited to might be financially burdensome. Although it's disappointing, you may have to say no to attending some weddings and their related events.

Evaluate your relationship with each friend or couple and prioritize the weddings you truly can't miss. These might be weddings of immediate family members, your closest friends, or those with sentimental value because you've been an integral part of their lives or journey as a couple.

Another way to decide whether or not to attend is to look at your calendar. Consider your work schedule, personal obligations, and other events or trips you may have planned. You may not be able to attend some weddings because you're unavailable on those days and times.

Even if you are available, ask yourself how many weddings you can comfortably attend without overextending yourself. Narrow down your choices so that you can dedicate a larger portion of your budget to travel, accommodations, gifts, and other related expenses for those specific weddings.

You can participate more fully in the weddings that matter the most to you and attend them without worrying about your finances.

If you're worried about how the couple will respond to your declination, be open and honest about your limitations. Express your regret for not being able to attend while conveying your good wishes.

Most couples will understand because they understand the financial realities of attending a wedding.

You can find an alternative way to celebrate by sending a card, providing a small gift, or taking the couple out to dinner. Your gesture will let the couple know you're celebrating and wishing them well even if you can't physically attend.

If you're in the bridal party, you may feel obligated to attend every event and even cover some of the costs of the bride. It's okay to be selective and decline events that are beyond your budget.

Prioritize the main wedding ceremony and reception. The most important duty for someone in the wedding party is to assist and stand by the bride or groom on the wedding day.

2 | Set a realistic budget

The next step is to establish a realistic budget for the wedding season and ideally, for each wedding you plan to attend. Determine the maximum amount you're comfortable spending and stick to it.

Consider all the potential expenses. Start with the obvious ones, such as travel costs, accommodation, attire, and gifts, but don't forget about other potential expenses like transportation to and from the venue, pre-wedding events, and meals during the wedding weekend.

You may want to break down the budget even further so you can visualize where your money will be allocated and make adjustments if needed.

For example, you might allocate a larger portion of your budget towards travel if it involves a long-distance trip or allocate more for gifts if it's a close family member's wedding.

Don't forget to track your expenses! Planning to attend several weddings often starts months in advance. It's easy to forget or lose track of how much you spent on what as the weeks and months go by.

Keep a record of all your wedding-related expenses to ensure you stay within your budget.

Use a spreadsheet or a budgeting app to track your spending and compare it against your predetermined budget. This makes it easier to think twice about every purchase you're considering before you make it.

Having a concrete budget and tracking your spending will keep you from exceeding your limits and regretting it later. There's nothing more calming than knowing you're in a financially sound situation.

3 | Plan ahead for travel

You're lucky if the weddings you're invited to are in your city. If the weddings require any travel, plan ahead to maximize savings and reduce transportation and accommodation costs.

As soon as you receive a wedding invitation that requires travel, start researching and booking your transportation and accommodation. Flight and train or bus tickets tend to be cheaper when booked ahead of time, so keep an eye out for promotional fares or sales.

You may have to accept an inconvenient time such as taking a redeye, an early morning flight, or one that has connections to stick to your budget. It may be worth flying into an airport that’s further away but has cheaper flights and then driving the rest of the way.

Depending on the distance and location, carpooling or using public transportation could be cost-effective alternatives. Carpooling with other wedding guests or using ride-sharing services can help split the expenses, making it more affordable.

When it comes to lodging, you might find that the couple has reserved a block of rooms at a hotel at a group rate. This is usually the best option for convenience. The couple may have the wedding at the hotel or provide transportation for guests staying at the hotel to and from the wedding venue.

Look at other hotels in the area, especially if it's a popular destination. When I attended a wedding in Hawaii, the wedding was held at a fancy hotel on Waikiki Beach. I stayed at another nearby hotel that was cheaper but still comfortable and within walking distance of the wedding venue.

Or explore alternative lodging options such as Airbnb, VRBO, and other vacation rental platforms that offer private rooms, apartments, or entire homes. These options sometimes provide more space and amenities compared to hotels at a lower cost.

You usually get kitchen access to cook or heat up meals if needed. This helps for saving on meals and when you just don’t want to leave the place to eat.

Another option is to inquire about staying with friends or family who live in or near the wedding destination. This can significantly reduce or eliminate accommodation expenses altogether and add to the fun and camaraderie of the wedding experience.

Additional tips:

• Sign up for alerts for when flight prices drop

• Consider booking non-refundable tickets (often the cheapest)

• If you have a Costco or Sam's Club membership, book hotels through the company for discounted rates or other perks.

• Use credit card points to pay for flights and/or hotel.

• Check baggage fees. Some airlines charge you for checking in bags or some fairs don't allow a full-size carry-on.

• Pay baggage fees in advance. Some airlines charge less for checking in bags if you pay more than 24 hours before departure.

• Pack strategically so you don't have to check in baggage unless absolutely necessary.

4 | Rent, borrow, or shop second-hand

It's possible to save money without sacrificing style. Instead of splurging on a new outfit for each wedding, try renting formal attire or borrowing from friends or family.

Websites like Rent the Runway offer stylish options including designer pieces at a fraction of the cost of purchasing them. The company has all sorts of dresses to match a wedding dress code and your style and preferences.

Don't hesitate to reach out to friends or family members who have previously attended weddings or have formal attire suitable for the occasion. Ask if they have any pieces they'd be willing to lend. You might discover hidden gems in their closets that perfectly suit your style.

Before you rent or borrow, be sure to look over any rules and discuss things like if the item can be altered, what happens if the clothing gets damaged, and who pays for cleaning it afterward.

You can also shop second-hand stores whether brick-and-mortar or online. Browse thrift stores, consignment shops, and online platforms specializing in secondhand clothing.

You can find gently used and sometimes even new formal attire at significantly reduced prices. Thrifting not only offers budget-friendly options but also contributes to sustainable fashion by giving pre-loved garments a second life.

Don't forget that accessories and shoes can also go a long way to making a dress into a complete outfit. Jewelry, scarves, ties, belts, and shoes can significantly alter the appearance of an outfit.

By switching up accessories and adding statement pieces, you can create unique looks for each wedding without the need for a new wardrobe.

Lastly, consider if purchasing a new dress is the most economical way to go. If you’re going to wear the dress several times, it may be more cost effective to buy it and then sell it when you’re done wearing it.

5 | Get creative with gifts

When it comes to gift giving, everyone has an opinion on what to give and how much to give. More and more often, I read about guests who feel they have to give the equivalent of the cost of their meals and brides and grooms who expect that as well.

At a high-end wedding, that can mean giving $100 or more per person. If that's not your take or within your budget, give a different amount or a different gift. There's no hard and fast rule that says you have to give a gift of a certain amount.

If you like shopping from a couple’s registry, try buying something early on when there are more options at a variety of prices on the list.

As the wedding date gets closer, you may find that only pricier items are left. Or buy something meaningful but less expensive like a picture frame engraved with the couple’s names and wedding date.

Another option is to contribute to a group gift. By pooling resources with other guests, you can collectively contribute to a more substantial gift that might be beyond your individual budget.

You can try getting creative with gifts. Personalized heartfelt gestures still show your love and appreciation for the couple.

• Handmade crafts such as a scrapbook of memories, a piece of artwork, or a customized piece of jewelry

• Thoughtful handwritten letters

• Your time and skills to assist with wedding preparations

• A personalized experience such as organizing a date night or cooking a special meal for the couple

• Offer your expertise if you have skills or knowledge that could help them

A final option is to send a gift later. General etiquette is to send a gift within a year of the wedding. This might work if you know you’ll be in a better financial position to buy a gift later on.

6 | Make it a vacation

If you like the wedding destination and want to visit there, why not make it a vacation? You can be more flexible with your budget as well by using some of your vacation funds to attend the wedding.

Extend your stay a few days to visit the area and local attractions. Give yourself time to explore without feeling rushed. Additionally, traveling during off-peak times or on weekdays can often result in lower travel and accommodation costs.

Many places have free or low-cost activities and sites such as parks, beaches, hiking trails, and public gardens. The beautiful scenery might be just what you need to unwind at minimal to no cost.

Rather than booking expensive guided tours or excursions, create your own day trips or self-guided tours. Look for local festivals, markets, cultural events, and promotions for dining or entertainment that may be happening during your visit. These activities can provide a unique cultural experience without breaking the bank.

Another option is to connect with other wedding guests. You might find other guests interested in exploring the destination together. By joining forces, you can share transportation costs, split expenses, and even plan group activities, making it more affordable and enjoyable for everyone.

Destination weddings

Destination weddings to resorts with wedding packages can come with their own considerations. Before agreeing to attend,

• Ask if the resort or hotel has a package deal for attendees and what’s included in it (e.g., rooms, meals, transportation, resort fees).

• If you’re traveling solo, ask if there is another wedding guest you could share a room with while there.

• Ask what activities and meals guests are expected to participate in while there. Destination resort weddings are often multi-day events and you may not have the option to eat or visit places outside the resort.

• Ask the couple or the resort what you’re expected to cover. If you’re a bridesmaid or groomsman, the couple may plan to cover some of the hotel, wedding outfits, activities, etc. for the wedding party because they know the high cost of attending a multi-day destination wedding.

By implementing the tips above, you can attend weddings with excitement while maintaining financial peace of mind. Remember, it's the memories, connections, and love experienced during these special occasions that make them unforgettable, not the amount of money spent.

What tips do you have for attending weddings on a budget?​

Updated 4/2/23

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Vendoo. All content and opinions are my own. This post also contains affiliate links. This means that I may receive compensation when you purchase an item linked on this site. Click here for details.

One of my favorite reseller tools is Vendoo, a service that helps me save time and make more money by crosslisting my items to multiple marketplaces. I’m now earning even more money as a Vendoo affiliate through their Refer-a-Friend program. In this post, I share everything you need to know about Vendoo’s Refer-a-Friend program so that you can join and start earning affiliate revenue! Read on to learn why you should become a Vendoo affiliate, how much you can earn as an affiliate, and actionable tips to get sign-ups using your referral link today.

What is Vendoo’s Refer-a-Friend program?

Vendoo’s affiliate program is called the Refer-a-Friend program. People sign up to become affiliates and promote Vendoo’s service to others.

Vendoo pays affiliates a 20% commission for the length of each new subscription. New subscribers benefit too. They receive 25% off the first month of their subscription.

Signing up to become an affiliate is fast and easy. Create your Refer-a-Friend account with just a name, email address, and password.

Why should you join Vendoo’s Refer-a-Friend program?

Resellers want to make money. That’s why we resell! We’re often looking for the best items that will make us the biggest profit when resold.

But reselling means hustling. You have to keep sourcing, listing, and selling items to keep the money coming in. If you slow down, your sales slow down.

In that sense, reselling is an active pursuit with a direct relationship between the number of hours you work and the amount of money you earn.

Alternatively, Vendoo’s Refer-a-Friend program enables you to increase your income through relatively passive means.

As a Vendoo affiliate, you can increase your income without that tiring hustle. One of the best feelings is waking up in the morning to a notification that someone signed up for Vendoo using your link. You earned money in your sleep!

While it’s possible to wake up to sales of tangible items, you have to spend time and effort replenishing your inventory to keep those overnight sales coming. That’s not the case as an affiliate.

You can post your referral link occasionally and see sign-ups using your link indefinitely. (Tips on this further below.)

This leads me to another big benefit of being an affiliate:

Being a Vendoo affiliate diversifies your income.

You probably know that it’s not a good idea to put all of your eggs in one basket as a reseller or in other areas of your life.

As a reseller, sales can change drastically depending on many factors:

• Your ability to source valuable items

• The season and the weather

• Trending fashions and popular items

• Increases in marketplace fees and taxes

• Getting banned on a marketplace

• And much more

In my own experience, many thrift stores and even Goodwill bins in my area have closed over the past few years. This has significantly limited what is available to me locally. Prices at thrift stores that stayed open have gone up over the years.

I’ve also seen marketplaces flooded with previously in-demand items and those items fall out of demand over time. All of these things can eat away at your profits.

Vendoo’s affiliate program allows you to earn money independent of your marketplace sales. You could have a slow month selling goods and make up for some of that loss by earning money as an affiliate.

Vendoo makes it easy to become an affiliate.

• It’s fast and free to sign up.

• There are no contract or promotional requirements. You’re not required to write a review for the company or engage in any promotion you don’t want to.

• Vendoo supports its affiliates with lots of promotional tools.

And the benefit is that you get paid!

I know I sleep better at night knowing that I have income coming in through multiple channels. Wouldn’t that make you feel better too?

Why should you promote Vendoo?

Before you become an affiliate for any company, it’s good to think about why you support it and want to promote it. Here are some reasons to promote Vendoo to others:

1) You like Vendoo

I promote Vendoo because I love the service and believe it helps resellers make more sales. I’ve used Vendoo intermittently for over a year and have returned to it again and again after trying out other crosslisting services.

Ideally, you use Vendoo in your reselling business or have at least tried it out to see how it works. If you haven’t tried it yet, you can try it for free for up to 5 items each month.

If you like it and find it beneficial to your business, there’s a good chance other sellers will feel the same way. You can promote it to them and earn money for it.

2) You can promote Vendoo without being a paying subscriber

You don’t have to be a paying subscriber to reap the benefits of being an affiliate. If life gets busy and you stop reselling for a few months, you can cancel your Vendoo subscription but keep sharing your referral link and earning money.

I put my Vendoo subscription on hold several times over the past year when I took a break from reselling or tried out other crosslisting services. I continued to be a Vendoo affiliate. My referral links were public, and I still earned money by referring customers.

3) No exclusivity clause

Unlike some other affiliate programs, Vendoo doesn’t require you to promote only their company at the expense of all others. You’re free to promote other programs and services related to reselling or not.

I don’t like exclusivity clauses and am happy Vendoo doesn’t have one. It means Vendoo believes in its service. The quality of the service speaks for itself, so there’s no need to artificially suppress competition.

You don’t have to weigh if you might earn $50 with Vendoo or $40 with another company before deciding to be an affiliate. You can earn all $90. Vendoo does not keep you from earning money; it only helps you to earn more money.

4) Vendoo is allowed by Poshmark

Some marketplaces such as Poshmark allow the use of third-party applications such as Vendoo. Poshmark knows that sellers want tools that will help them make more sales. After all, Poshmark makes more money that way too!

What Poshmark doesn’t allow is the use of automated bots. Those are programs that do actions such as sharing items and relisting items in an automated way. With Vendoo, you must be present clicking the buttons for the service to work.

When you promote Vendoo, you can rest easy knowing that new customers are still adhering to Poshmark’s guidelines.

5) Vendoo provides support for affiliate success

In marketing, it’s generally held that people need to hear of an item or service multiple times before they buy it. Vendoo already does extensive marketing of its service, so the customer may already be interested in signing up for Vendoo.

Your promotion, such as a testimonial of Vendoo working for you, may be just what the customer needs to subscribe.

How does Vendoo support affiliates?

• Frequent promotions. People want to sign up when they’ll get a good deal, so regular promotions such as 40% off the first month for new subscribers can mean more sign-ups at those times.

• Social media graphics. Vendoo makes social media graphics that you can use on Instagram and elsewhere publicizing their promotions. You don’t need to spend time making them yourself. Just download and publish pre-made ones.

• Facebook group for affiliates. Vendoo has two Facebook groups, one for people who use the service and one for affiliates. You can get information, tips, and feedback on selling and being an affiliate in these groups.

• Affiliate webinars. Vendoo is considering hosting monthly webinars to help affiliates sign up more customers. Vendoo is invested in growing and improving the Refer-a-Friend program.

My experience as a Vendoo affiliate

I became a Vendoo affiliate in December 2020 and earned over $3000 in about 16 months by referring the service to other sellers.

I started using Vendoo because I had over 150 items for sale and couldn’t manage crosslisting them manually anymore. One reseller friend recommended Vendoo to me. I signed up and liked it right away because it saved me time while keeping my sales going strong.

I shared my experience with others because I know how hard resellers work, and any tool that helps us run our businesses better is welcome.

I wrote an honest blog post reviewing my experience using Vendoo. I signed up to be an affiliate and shared my referral link in my Vendoo review post and other relevant blog posts.

I wrote to my email subscribers to let them know about the service too. The sign-ups slowly started coming in and have continued steadily since then.

I update my Vendoo review blog post regularly with the latest updates so that the post stays current. I also work to bring readers to my site where they will read my review and sign up if they’re interested.

These efforts have led to more sign-ups to the point that I have earned over $3000 in almost 16 months as an affiliate.

While the number of sign-ups varies by month, I’ve been able to earn an extra $100-200 each month to supplement my reselling income.

How much can you make as a Vendoo affiliate?

The amount you make as a Vendoo affiliate depends on how many people sign up with your referral link and the amount they pay for their subscriptions. In March 2023, Vendoo started paying a 20% commission for the length of a subscriber’s subscription.

The commission used to be 20% for the first six months of a new user’s subscription. Now there’s the chance to earn indefinitely.

Low: If someone signs up for the most basic plan without any add-ons, she would pay $8.99 per month, so you would earn $1.80 per month or $21.60 if the person remained subscribed for 12 months.

High: The highest level plan with all the add-ons would be $161.98 per month, so you would earn $32.49 per month or $389.88 over 12 months.

Most subscriptions fall somewhere in the middle. For example, I pay $31.98 per month for the 125-item plan plus the bundle of add-ons. The person who referred me would receive $6.40 per month or $76.8 over 12 months of my subscription.

Other factors can affect how much you earn such as

• Users getting a new-subscriber discount for their first month

• Users changing plans (upgrading or downgrading) or cancelling their subscription

While the amounts may look small, small numbers add up, as it has in my case. And it’s possible to earn more with targeted marketing and sharing your referral link.

When I signed up to be an affiliate, my goal was to earn enough to cover my monthly Vendoo subscription. I’ve been fortunate to earn more than that and believe that you can too.

What else can you earn as a Vendoo affiliate?

Besides earning money, Vendoo gives rewards to affiliates at various milestones:

• 5 referrals - 20 extra listings

• 10 referrals - merch package

• 25 referrals - t-shirt and water bottle

Vendoo recently launched Silver and Gold Clubs for those who refer even more users.

Silver Club - 75 referrals

• Vendoo merch

• A one-year subscription of Vendoo

• Early access to new features

• A shout out on Vendoo's social media channels

Gold Club - 200 referrals

• Free Vendoo subscription for life

• Customized Vendoo merch

• Personalized postcards

• A custom landing page

The free Vendoo subscription for life is for any subscription plan you want!

How do you get people to sign up with your referral link?

There are many ways to go about getting people to sign up with your referral link. It will take work for most people to get sign-ups, but how you go about it may easily fit into your reselling activities.

Here are a few ideas:

1) Become a Posh mentor

Poshmark welcomes hundreds or thousands of new users a day. Many of them have high hopes of selling their items and even making selling into a part-time or full-time business.

They often want to know how to make sales quickly. One of the best ways to make sales is to crosslist!

Right now I’m helping a woman who started selling on Poshmark just last year. She’s done so well that she’s already a Poshmark Ambassador II!

I encouraged her early on to crosslist her items to other marketplaces and introduced her to Vendoo. She was nervous to crosslist but did it and is seeing sales in multiple places.

If you’re open to mentoring new sellers on Poshmark or other platforms, you can share tips with them to help their growth including using Vendoo to crosslist their items.

How do you let people know you’re a mentor?

• Post it in your Meet the Posher listing or your user profile

• Reach out to new Poshers by looking under “New People” on the app, sending a welcome note, and offering to answer their questions

• Mention it in your social media profiles

2) Host a Posh N Coffee virtually or in real life

Poshmark looks for users to host or join its social events such as virtual and real-life Posh N Coffees. Poshmark puts on other events too such as their yearly birthday party, PoshFest, and social mixers.

When you host a Posh N Coffee, you can direct the conversation of the gathering and give advice that includes the benefits of crosslisting. You can mention the resources that you use for your success including Vendoo and point people to your social media pages to learn more about it.

3) Hand out business cards

Reseller events are a great place to hand out your business card that promotes your use of Vendoo. Your business card (digital or physical) can have

• A dedicated QR code or web address to your Vendoo referral page

• A link to your resource list of top reseller tools including Vendoo

• Links to your social media accounts where you promote Vendoo

4) Join Facebook groups

I’m a part of several Facebook groups for thrift shoppers, resellers, Poshmark enthusiasts, and eBay members. You might think everyone knows about crosslisting, but many people only sell on one or two marketplaces.

When they ask how they can increase their sales or want feedback on reseller tools, you can share your experience and recommendations with them. Some groups allow you to post links, so you’d be able to post your Vendoo referral link directly in a thread.

Other groups don’t allow links to be posted, but you can chat privately with members, answer their questions, give tips, and share your referral link with them that way.

5) Share reselling tips on social media

Many people nowadays turn to social media such as Instagram for information and recommendations on everything, so social media platforms are a good place to promote Vendoo.

You don’t have to be a major influencer with thousands of followers for people to sign up with your referral link. If you share reselling tips and information regularly, even to a small audience, you’re in the perfect position to share information about Vendoo.

On Instagram, mention how Vendoo helped you when you post about your successes. You can post a mix of educational, entertaining, and promotional posts to share your referral link frequently yet naturally.

On YouTube, you can create different types of videos that incorporate Vendoo:

• A testimonial of how the service works for you

• A review of the service

• A step-by-step tutorial

• Answer the most common questions about Vendoo

• Make a resources or reseller tools video

You can mention Vendoo in other videos you publish too. State the company in the video and pair it with your referral link in the video descriptions. Let viewers know that they’ll get a discount by signing up with your referral link.

Frequently asked questions

Is Vendoo’s Refer-a-Friend program legit?

Yes, Vendoo’s Refer-a-Friend program is a legitimate affiliate program where you can earn money and other awards for referring people to Vendoo. Affiliate statistics are tracked in real time, and payouts occur twice a month via PayPal.

What are the benefits of being a Vendoo affiliate?

The benefits of being a Vendoo affiliate are earning extra money and other awards such as extra Vendoo listings, company merchandise, and a free subscription. Earn a 20% commission for the length of each new subscription. Earn fun merchandise such as a t-shirt, water bottle, and personalized postcards.

How long does the Vendoo affiliate tracking cookie last?

Vendoo’s affiliate tracking cookie lasts 90 days. That means that you’ll receive credit for a new subscriber if the person signs up within 90 days of clicking on your link.

Wrap up

Vendoo’s Refer-a-Friend program has been a great way for me to share a service that I love with other resellers and earn money for doing so. You can have both reselling and affiliate success too!

Sign up for Vendoo’s Refer-a-Friend program today!

Updated 2/16/23

Today I want to discuss many of the places where you can get clothes to sell on Poshmark. When I first started selling on Poshmark in 2015, I began by selling clothes from my own closet. I soon ran out of things to sell and turned to thrift stores to source more inventory.

It’s worked for me over the years because I resell in small quantities as a side hustle only. I realize that a lot of sellers have grander goals and therefore need more inventory. I recently received this question from a Poshmark seller:

“I’ve started to sell on Poshmark and want to see if I can generate at least $1000/mo to help with my son’s college expenses. One of my questions is how do I get more inventory?”

This is a good question because you need enough of the right inventory to hit your sales goals. Whether you’re a new seller or a seasoned one, it can be hard to find enough low-cost high-quality items to flip for a profit month after month and year after year.

Having alternative sources for obtaining inventory can make a huge difference to your profits.

Where can you get clothes to sell on Poshmark (or any other resale site)?

Note: This post focuses on sourcing items allowed on Poshmark: clothes, shoes, accessories, and similar items. This list is long but doesn't mention every source available. If you have other places to source items for reselling, I welcome your comments and input.

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. This means that I may receive compensation when you click on a product link or purchase an item linked on this site. Click here for details.

** If you don’t have a Poshmark account, you can receive a free $10 bonus when you sign up with my code SFGIRL2015.

** On Mercari, you can get $10 when you sign up with the code JENMHM. The amount may vary by promotion.

1 | Your own house and closet

The best place to start sourcing is your own house. I’ve read that most people wear only 20% of their wardrobe regularly. That’s a lot of unworn clothes in people’s closets! If that’s true for you, your closet is a great place to find items to sell.

The best part about selling your old clothes is that you can learn how Poshmark or another platform works without investing any money into inventory. You actually recoup money for items that you paid for but don’t wear.

Related post: How to Clear Out Your Closet Quickly Without Regret

2 | Thrift stores & outlets

Thrift stores are my favorite place to find items to resell. Prices tend to be low enough that you make a profit when you resell the right items. Goodwill in my area sells clothing for about $3.99 to $12.99. Some of it is worth purchasing for resale; some of it is not.

Being successful at thrift store shopping requires knowing what brands to look for.

I started by shopping for a few brands that I knew were in demand. I increased my brand awareness by looking up brands I came across as I shopped, browsing Poshmark to see what sold, and taking note of what women talked about and wore.

Goodwill outlets AKA "the bins" are an even cheaper alternative to thrift stores.

Items come out in giant bins that you have to sift through to find sellable clothes. People source clothes, shoes, toys, and household goods from the bins.

Clothing and other items sell by the pound for ridiculously low prices. The Goodwill outlet closest to me sells items for $1.79/lb and cheaper than that when you buy more than 20 lbs. I’ve purchased sweaters for approximately $0.50 and winter jackets for $1.50. Lower cost per item means higher profits when they sell.

You have to have tough skin to shop at the outlets. Some outlets are filled with buyers who are very competitive to get the best items. You have to willing to get dirty too because the bins can have dirty clothes and other unpleasant things.

Related post: How to Thrift Shop at Goodwill Outlets

3 | Curated second-hand shops

Curated second-hand shops exist in many cities and towns. You might be familiar with some like Crossroads, Buffalo Exchange, and Plato’s Closet. People bring their clothing to these stores to sell in exchange for cash or store credit.

Employees inspect each item and accept only the ones they think will sell. Because these stores curate what they sell and are for-profit, their prices are higher than you’d find at thrift stores.

I like these shops because the items are typically higher quality and in better condition than thrift store items. You’re likely to find more high-end brands, unique items, and even luxury goods.

The difficulty with this option is that you have to be more selective about what you buy to resell.

Many items sell for about the same as you’d find on Poshmark. There’s often no room to mark up the product and make a profit.

It pays to know what brands sell for a lot on Poshmark and look for those at these stores. Louis Vuitton, Lilly Pulitzer, and Lululemon are a few of the brands I’ve found at Crossroads and been able to flip for more on Poshmark.

I’ve also found it helpful to look at the half-off rack and half-off items scattered throughout the store. I’ve found some great half-priced items for myself and for resale. Some stores have periodic sidewalk sales where everything is discounted really cheap so they can clear extra inventory.

One thing I’ve noticed is that sometimes items don’t sell well locally due to regional differences but will sell well online because Poshmark is nationwide.

Heavy winter gear isn’t as common where I live in CA because the weather doesn’t get very cold. These items sit on the rack sat a store and then sell quickly once put up online.

4 | Consignment shops

Consignment shops are similar to curated second-hand shops. An employee inspects items that people bring in and selects only those likely to resell.

The consignment store displays the item for a certain length of time like 1-3 months. If it sells, the shop takes part of the sale as commission. Fifty percent commission is normal. If it doesn’t, they may lower the price of the item or return it to the original owner.

Because items are all closely inspected and chosen for their ability to resell, you’ll come across better quality items and brands than you would at a thrift store.

I avoid the consignment shops in my area because they’re priced too high. I wouldn’t be able to sell the items for more and make a profit. You may get lucky and find some consignment shops in your area that underprice items.

I’d also be careful about buying designer goods that are frequently replicated.

You can find really accurate counterfeit LV bags and Christian Louboutin shoes at consignment shops. Many consignment store owners and employees are not experts on authentication and may unknowingly sell counterfeit goods.

5 | Your own consignment service

One of my favorite ways to source items is by providing consignment service myself. Sell goods for others and split the profit. It might sound like a lot of work for less profit, but it’s a great way to access more and higher-end items than you would otherwise.

You can decide how you want to run your business to fit with the time you have available and your selling goals.

For example, you might only sell designer or luxury goods that you know would fetch at least a few hundred dollars each. That would make a few hours of obtaining, cleaning, listing, and shipping items worth it.

Where you can promote your consignment service:

• Friends and family

• Social media

• Neighborhood message boards

• Local websites like Craigslist and Nextdoor

• Local Facebook groups

Related post: How to Make Money Consigning for Others

6 | Family and friends

Family and friends are other great sources of inventory. I had several friends and family members eager to give me their things to sell once they learned that I resell online.

Usually they’ve accumulated lots of stuff over the years of living in their homes. They may like to shop or have children with lots of clothes and toys. The might be moving and need to cut down how much stuff is moving with them.

They’re eager to get rid of a lot of their stuff and make a buck while at it, but they don’t have the time or willingness to do the work of selling. They’re happy to let you sell for them and take a cut of the profit.

7 | Flyp for resellers

I recently started using the app Flyp, an online consignment service that links resellers with people have inventory they want to sell.

You apply to be a Pro Seller by sharing your Poshmark and other shop profiles for review. Once you’re approved, you can

• Browse lots of items

• Apply to sell the lots you want. You set your commission for each lot, generally recommended at 40% to 50%.

• Flyp reviews applications and picks a seller for each lot.

• If you’re selected to sell a lot, you wait for the lot to be delivered to you.

• Make sales and split the profits with your clients.

This can be a good way to get inventory that you may not normally find at thrift stores. Flyp can be faster and easier than shopping thrift stores because you don’t have to leave the house to get inventory, they only accept certain brands, and you choose which lots to apply for and sell.

The cons are that you earn less because you have to split the profits, and there can be hiccups such as people sending you clothes with undisclosed damage or wanting their goods back after you’ve put in time and energy to listing them.

If you’d rather get rid of your clothing, you can list your items on there too for others to sell for you.

If you want to learn more about Flyp, you can sign up to see how it works and join the Facebook group to talk to other sellers and employees before taking the leap into applying for lots.

8 | Unbranded or private label items

Another way to source items is to order wholesale lots of either branded or unbranded clothing and sell them for more online.

Unbranded items refer to those being sold without a brand name.

The clothes will only have a size tag in them. These can sell at cheaper prices depending on the product because they don’t have a brand name to drive sales.

Private label items are those that are sold under the seller’s created brand name.

That would be like if I created a brand called From Pennies to Plenty and started selling candles to you with that branding.

This has its benefits such as being marketable to your loyal followers and possibly listing at a higher price because of the perceived quality of benefit of the item. It’s possible that the same item can be sold both unbranded and under a private label.

You’ve probably already seen these products for sale on Poshmark. Sellers connect with wholesale distributors and order goods that they think will sell. It might be certain styles of swimwear for the summer or boho sweaters for fall and winter.

Pros:

• Low price per item. Because sellers order in bulk, the price per item is fairly low and they can make a profit selling them for more on Poshmark and other online platforms.

• You save time sourcing because you only have to research and order the goods. You could get 20, 50, or 100+ items per order. That’s less time consuming than going to the thrift store and browsing rack after rack for 100+ resellable items.

• Access to unique products. If you’re lucky/smart about sourcing, you can sell items that no one else is offering on Poshmark or elsewhere. If someone wants it, they have to buy from you.

• Reorder popular products. If your goods are popular and sell out, just order again and you’ve restocked your inventory. You can develop a relationship with your wholesaler too when you are a repeat buyer.

Cons:

• More money invested upfront. You have to have money to buy the items wholesale. Depending on how much you buy to start, you could be deep in the hole until you sell the items.

• You have to know what’s on-trend and will sell. You have to pick what people want to buy or you’ll be stuck with lots of undesirable goods.

• Questionable quality products. A lot of these items come from China. The quality of the manufacturing can be poor based on what I’ve read and seen. Order a sample before you make a large purchase if you can.

• Competition from other sellers. If you and a lot of other sellers are offering the same goods, the marketplace can be saturated with them. Then the only way to make a sale is to cut the price of your item.

  Competing on prices like that leads to lower profits. (See further below for my thoughts on the Poshmark Wholesale Portal.)

Below is an unbranded swimsuit that I picked up at the thrift store. This palm leaf print and this style of cheeky bottom swimwear are very popular.

I’ve seen this swimsuit and lots of similar swimsuits for sale on Poshmark. Those sellers bought them at wholesale prices and are now selling them on Poshmark.

Some ways to tell if an item is unbranded or private label:

• how many people are selling it

• sellers have multiples of these items available in several sizes

• when you do an online search for the item or brand name, there is not much or nothing about the brand name and the results point to wholesalers

• no brand tags

• size labels are small white tabs sewn into the item like pictured below.

Below is a pair of unbranded shorts I’ve seen frequently on Poshmark and at thrift stores. There’s no other label in it except the small size tag.

9 | Discount retail stores

Some sellers go-to source is discount retail stores like Nordstrom Rack, TJ Maxx, Marshalls, Last Call, Ross, etc. These stores are known for selling new items for a fraction of retail.

Where do the stores get these items? They may be last season’s items, leftovers, and returned items from full-price retail stores.

Some stores like TJ Maxx contract with brands to make goods to sell only at those discount stores. The goods might be a little lower quality or slightly different in style but still have the brand name that people want to wear.

I like sourcing at discount retail stores because the items are guaranteed to be new and authentic. They may be returned items, but there are no concerns about buying counterfeit goods. They often have a mix of brands from cheap and unknown to high-end designer brands.

I look for nicer items cheap enough to resell. The clearance rack is a great place to start. Go during certain times of the year like during the Clear the Racks sales at Nordstrom Rack and you’ll find the items discounted even more.

Other ways to optimize this source are to use the store’s credit card and sign up for their frequent shopper rewards. Usually you get an incentive like a discount on your next purchase for signing up for these things.

You’ll receive promotional offers throughout the year and maybe even a gift certificate to spend at the store. These promotions add up and you can find yourself paying a few dollars for nice items you know will sell for more.

At Nordstrom Rack, sometimes you can get lucky and pick stuff up for a penny. Yes, that’s $0.01.

Sometimes employees miss a clearance item that they were supposed to pull off the racks and shelves. If you purchase it, it will ring up for a penny. I can’t wait for the day that this happens for me!

10 | Liquidation products

Liquidated items are those that were initially sold at traditional retailers like Macys and JCPenney in their stores on online. These are often items that went unsold, customer returns, and overstocked items.

Seasons and styles change and companies needed to move these unsellable products for new stock. Companies sell them off in bulk at deep discounts to liquidation companies get rid of them. These liquidation companies pass on their goods to you at a low cost.

There are many liquidation companies out there and seemingly new ones popping up each day. These are a few I’ve heard of that are popular with resellers:

• Quicklots

• Jomar

• Bulq

• Boutique by the box

Do you research before buying because they are very hit or miss.

Pros:

• Cheaper inventory. The biggest benefit is that you can get items cheaper than at retail and maybe places close to you so you can make a profit from reselling them.

• Products come to you. You can order lots online and they will ship directly to you. You may not even have to leave the house.

• Save time. You could buy a lot with 100 pieces of clothing. Imagine how much time it takes to visit stores and find 100 individual items to sell. With liquidation lots, you can get lots of items all at once simply by ordering them online.

Cons:

• You can’t see what you’re getting before you purchase. Liquidation lots are cheap in part because they don’t provide a detailed list or picture of every item you’re receiving. You could end up with a great lot of resellable items or crap. It pays to learn about the liquidation companies and reviews before you purchase.

• Quality & condition of the products. It can be hard to determine what brand of products you’ll receive. For clothing lots, you may see a few brands listed but not all of them. You also have to look into whether you’re receiving new items or something of lower quality.

• Shipping costs. Don’t forget that the items have to ship to you, which is an addition cost that will eat into your profits.

• Requires time. Once you get your liquidated lot, you’ll have to sort your items, research their current value, and maybe even clean them up to make them sellable before you list them.

I found this website Web Retailer to have a helpful post on liquidation including many sites where you can buy liquidated lots. You can find YouTube videos of people unboxing their liquidation purchases as well.

11 | Mystery boxes

Mystery boxes are popular on Poshmark. This is when you purchase a box without knowing the contents inside.

It’s a surprise, although they come in a variety of forms. You might buy 5 items for $25 or 3 items for $30. Other sellers stuff a shipping box with as many items as they can as long as it remains under 5 lbs (the weight limit of PM’s label before you have to pay for an upgrade).

Some sellers will give you all size small or all tops. Some will mix and match sizes and clothing.

Some may be only popular brands like Free People and Anthropologie. The seller will let you know or you can work with her to make a custom mystery box for you.

A lot of people like doing this because they’re low on inventory and cannot source in other ways. They may not have thrift stores near them. They may be sick or disabled and not able to leave the house or physically stand shopping.

Sellers like it because it helps them get rid of their inventory faster. Many sellers have piles of clothing waiting to be listed. It’s faster for them to sell their inventory cheap than take the time to list and sell each item individually.

This has the potential to be profitable if you get a good mystery box with items that can be resold for a lot more.

Let’s say that I purchase a mystery box of 5 items for $25 on Poshmark. I have to pay tax (varies by location) and shipping of $6.79 as well, which could bring the total to approximately $34 or $6.80 per item.

When I resell it, I have to consider Poshmark’s 20% commission. If I sell each of those items for $25, my net profit is $13.20 per item. It’s not a lot but adds up with consistent sales.

I’ve seen and read about a lot of mystery box unboxings. They’re a hit or miss. You may have a few misses before you find a good lot. Go off of recommendations and ratings from other buyers.

If they’ve had good experiences buying boxes from a seller, you’re more likely to get good products too. And if you like what you get from that seller, you can purchase from her repeatedly.

12 | thredUP rescue boxes

I’ve given this a separate listing because thredUP is a popular source for mystery boxes called rescue boxes. These are goods that haven’t sold, but they’re looking to move. They’re more specialized than those I see on Poshmark, like you can buy boxes with only shoes and only jeans.

Their offerings change from time to time as they sell out and restock. They may not even be available at times. While writing this, the rescue box link took me to the thredUP homepage.

I’ve read about and watched a few unboxings of thredUp mystery boxes. Most were positive. Sellers were happy with the brands and condition of items they received. They could sell enough of the items at high enough prices to make a profit.

Not everyone was pleased though. Some items came damaged or misidentified (e.g., children’s or junior’s clothes listed as adult clothes). Some brands were acceptable enough for the buyer to wear themselves but were not valuable enough to resell for a profit.

You can read my thredUP mystery box review to see what I got and if it’s something you want to try for yourself.

There’s really no way to know what brands if items you will receive. Some may be higher end and more in-demand while others are low-end and not worth reselling. These are some of the wide mix of jean brands I saw received:

• Acme

• Madewell

• Mother

• Old Navy

• Levi’s

• Rag & bone

• American Eagle

• Jessica Simpson

• Paige

• American Rag

• Gap

You can receive $10 to spend towards inventory to resell or for yourself when you sign up here for thredUP.

13 | thredUP

The thredUP website is another source of inventory. I found that most items were priced too high to purchase for resale.

Once in a while though, you can find something priced low enough that it’s worth picking up.

Ways to save more money:

• Look for coupon codes. Coupons will get you discounts on items and shipping. You might receive them by email or browse online for what’s valid at the them.

• Browse the sale items. These items have just been discounted. Check frequently before someone else picks them up.

• Know top selling brands. Look for in-demand brands that you know you can flip for a profit like Free People, Tory Burch, Reformation, and others.

• Search assorted brands. Sometimes you’ll find name brand items under the assorted brands section because they’ve been accidentally miscategorized. The brand or tag won’t show, but you may have an idea that the item that it is worth more by the look and description of it.

  I once purchased an Anthropologie girl’s dress that was listed under assorted brands and ended up selling it for more. I saw that it was a pretty dress that was new with tags. I did a Google image search on it and found it worth purchasing to resell.

  I’ve heard of other people finding designer items this way too.

Many people have commented online about having bad experiences selling their goods to thredUP. They’ve received payouts of less than $2 for nice items. They’ve also had difficulty getting their rejected items returned, thereby losing even more money.

thredUP may be worth it for acquiring inventory. Do you research if you plan to send in your items for them to sell for you.

Related posts:

• thredUP vs. Poshmark for buyers

• thredUP vs. Poshmark for selling

14 | Other second-hand resale sites

Some people have great success buying items at low cost on sites like eBay and then flipping them.

Why are these items low priced? It’s often new sellers not knowing the value of goods, misspelled listings getting fewer views, sellers having a fire sale, and listings with bad pictures resulting in people passing on them.

This actually happened to me. My very first item I sold on Poshmark was a new Coach wristlet for $10. I didn’t realize how Poshmark worked and listed a few items not thinking much about pricing. I thought it was like eBay and that no one would view my items. It sold immediately. Whoops!

A few ways to find these listings on Poshmark:

• Type a brand name into the search box. The click “sort by” and choose “just in”. Look for items that were just listed and underpriced.

• On the app, click “shop”, then “all people”, then “new people”, and then “fresh closets”. You have to click each profile individually to see the first few items in new users’ closets.

I don’t recommend sending people low offers in order to acquire their goods to resell. I’ve been on the receiving end of this.

This is also a good way to use credits you’ve earned on any sites. If you don’t find anything you want on the site, look for low-priced in-demand items and purchase them to resell yourself.

I’ve used my credits on Mercari, where items are generally cheaper with lower cost shipping, to purchase items I’ve sold on other sites.

15 | Estate sales, garage sales, yard sales, church sales, & school sales

Some people source heavily from estate sales and garage or yard sales. The best thing about these is that you can negotiate prices.

Most people are looking to recoup whatever money they can while getting rid of things they don’t want anymore. They’re willing to work with you on price because they want their goods gone.

I’ve been to a few estate sales and haven’t had much luck with them. You’ll sometimes find lots of designer clothing like 10 pairs of shoes all by a high-end brand or 10 luxury brand purses.

The estate sales I’ve been to have known that their goods were valuable and marked prices high, too high to make a profit by flipping. Once in a while though, you’ll come across people who price low because they don’t know the value of their items.

• Plan your visits. Search local online boards to see where the garage sales will be. Then prioritize your visits and create a route.

• Be first in line. The best items always go quickly. If you know a sale has something you want, make it a point to be the first one there.

• Or go on the last day. Sellers want their items gone so they’ll often be more open to accepting less for them.

• Bring cash. Most people are not set up to take credit card payments. Prepare to haggle and then pay cash for your goods.

16 | Sample Sales

I can’t believe I almost forget to mention sample sales. Before clothes are mass produced for sale, designers and brands make samples of the items.

These items are adjusted to make them fit better, have more appeal, and/or fit with the designer’s vision. These samples are sometimes sold to the public seasons later at sample sales.

Many sample sales have more than samples. They’ll include overstocked items, returned items, things that didn’t sell well, and so forth.

Basically, a company or store will try to offload everything extra that they have to sell. You can get so many great designer items cheap to resell.

New York and Los Angeles have the most and best sample sales from what I’ve heard. If you’re not in those cities, you may still come across sales although smaller or less frequent sales.

I’ve found samples of Reformation, Mother jeans, Levi’s, Betabrand, and other brands in thrift stores although this may be in part because some companies are located in San Francisco, where I shop.

I check out Chicmi sometimes to find out the latest sales. Another favorite read is Le Hoarder. This woman knows how to shop! I daydream about visiting sample sales in New York one day because of her.

17 | Pawn shops

Pawn shops receive their goods from people looking for loans. People put up their items of value in exchange for the loan. If they don’t pay back the loan on time, the pawn shop keeps the item and sells it.

You won’t find clothes at pawn shops, but you can find other items like jewelry, luxury brand purses, and electronics. Some of my favorite items I’ve come across while browsing Poshmark and eBay have been from pawn shops that have taken their businesses online. They’ve sold very unique items that I couldn’t find elsewhere.

Be careful about purchasing jewelry online unless you’re knowledgeable about jewelry, it’s been authenticated, or you see markings indicating the quality of the piece (e.g., 18k stamp on the inside of a ring).

Don’t forget that you can get an even better deal by negotiating price and paying in cash.

18 | Online community groups and websites

A lot of people find items through online community groups, websites, and apps. I tried some of these a few times but haven’t had much success. The items tend to be well overpriced. They’re asking for more than what the items sell for on Poshmark, so there’s no way to resell them for a profit.

I’ve also had people message me back and forth to setup a meeting. They tell me they’re going to meet me and then don’t show up. It can be challenge just to get a few items this way.

Alternatively, I’ve had family members and friends experience success buying and selling items on these websites. They’ve gotten children’s items for free.

Some places like FB Marketplace and Craigslist charge no commission either so you keep more of your money. A few places to sell:

• Facebook Marketplace

• Facebook buy, sell, trade groups

• Craigslist

• Nextdoor

• Letgo

19 | Clothing swap

This is a fun way to find items for resale. I’ve been to a few clothing swaps in my life and enjoyed them. One was amongst girlfriends. We all brought clothes and accessories over to the host’s house. We socialized, ate and drank, and then went through rounds of picking clothes.

Another clothing swap I attended was a more formal clothing swap hosted as a fundraiser for an organization. I received a certain number of tickets for the number of items I brought and then could go pick what I wanted.

In both of these instances, there was clothes left over at the end of the event. The hosts donated them to the thrift store. I probably could have taken some to resell.

Clothing swaps aren’t a consistent way to source items. You might find some great stuff to resell when they happen, but you’re better off finding another source if you want consistency. Or you can host them yourself to get them going more often.

20 | Ask for donations

At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, thrift stores, thrift outlets, and even retail stores closed, leaving sellers without a way to acquire inventory.

Those who had a stock pile of inventory to list were lucky. They could list new items and still found sales and money coming in.

Many other sellers I know turned to posting on sites like Nextdoor asking their communities for donations.

Some tips to word requests:

• Share that you rely on selling for income to support your family (if it’s true).

• You’re experiencing difficulty due to…illness, unemployment, or another reason.

• You appreciate their kindness and support.

• You’re willing to pick up donations.

Some people got angry messages saying they were taking advantage of other people. Most people had helpful neighbors who gave them lots of things to sell.

From what I heard, most people got a lot of junk and about 10% of items worth reselling. Some people even got nice items they’d be thrilled to find at a store.

21 | Storage units

Have you ever seen the show Storage Wars? People bid on unpaid storage units and resell whatever they find of value inside.

You usually aren’t able to see what’s inside because most bidding is done online nowadays. You only see what's in the pictures but might spot something of interest and can look up the resale cost right away.

Some storage unit auction sites are storageauctions.com and storagetreasures.com. You may have access to private storage companies in your area.

Note that many of these storage units have items that would be probably sell better on other marketplaces like eBay or Facebook Marketplace than on Poshmark. That’s often where people sell household goods, collectibles, antiques, and vintage items.

22 | Build relationships

Check out some of these stories of people getting inventory through their relationships with others:

• One woman visited a shoe store regularly and established a working relationship with the owner. When he got a new shipment of shoes, he gave her a call first because she would buy from him in bulk.

• Another woman started selling online. When her private employer learned that she sells, they began giving her their items to sell for herself.

• Another woman in the Los Angeles area gets her items from a celebrity friend/client.

• One man got to know someone who runs estate sales. When the estate sale is over, he helps remove the leftovers and picks out what he wants to resell.

• One person browsed garage sale listings and saw something he wanted in a picture. He wrote the person and purchased them item at a good price before the garage sale even took place.

I know we can’t all live in LA with connections to celebrity clients! It’s not as easy as heading to the thrift store either, but the payoff is worth it if you can build relationships with people who can be your source of inventory for years to come.

23 | Dumpster diving

I got this idea after reading this eye-opening article in the New York Times about a man who dumpster dives around San Francisco, including at a home owned by Mark Zuckerburg.

He found unique antique treasures as well as new and used clothes in wearable condition. This isn’t surprising given the amount of wealth in San Francisco and the promotion of fast fashion.

Dumpster diving has a bad reputation. When I think about it, I imagine getting dirty with all kinds of germs and filth. There’s also fighting off raccoons and other creatures who may be lurking in and around dumpsters. It’s not always that bad.

You don’t have to jump head over heels into a dumpster to find things. Sometimes you’ll find things outside and around dumpsters.

A lot of college students furnish their apartments with furniture left near dumpsters or on sidewalk corners. You may find specially ordered, well-controlled dumpsters from people cleaning out their homes.

You may find bags of clothes laying on the sidewalk from people moving. These clothes are still in decent condition and someone may want them, but they may not have time to dispose of their clothes in some other way.

I recognize that getting clothes this way isn’t for everyone. I haven’t tried it and don’t think I ever will, but it’s an option.

24 | Whatnot

Whatnot is a social marketplace where people host live shows to sell things. It started as a place to sell Funko Pop items but is now popular for much more like vintage and thrifted items.

People buy items by bidding on them as part of a live auction. Once on the platform, you can follow categories and sellers that you like. You can often preview what’s going to be sold on a show and sometimes even purchase it at a set price beforehand.

Many resellers have been sourcing on Whatnot in the past year or so. Prices start low because of the auction setup. Items tend to sell for less than they do on other platforms, meaning it’s cheaper for you to source there.

While bidding, it’s good to have a maximum price for each item in mind so that you don’t get carried away bidding.

Buyers pay for shipping and items can be bundled for discounted shipping.

25 | Live auctions

A few months ago I was introduced to PalletSpy, an app that compares online auction items to eBay’s sold listings to see if they’re profitable to purchase for resale.

This introduced me to the world of live auctions online, and I started bidding on items I want for myself and to resell. It’s addictive!

There are many auction sites such as

• HiBid

• LiveAuctioneers

• AAbids

I didn’t win anything to resell, likely because I was new to how live auctions work and the prices went up quickly, but I think there is potential to find resellable items.

My best tip here is to search available items, bid your highest offer, and then move on. If you win the item, that’s great. And if you don’t, well you didn’t spend too much to acquire it.

26 | Goodwill online

Many Goodwill stores have online shops where goods are sold at auction. Some Goodwills have their shops up on eBay. Others have their own sites like Goodwill Southern California.

A few tips:

• Consider shipping costs. I like the Goodwill Southern California site, but shipping is high, which means having to pay less for the actual item to make it profitable to resell.

• Submit your highest offer and then move on. You may win the item or may not, but you haven’t overbid.

• Keep a running list of your favorite items to search for and search terms. You may be able to save searches depending on the site.

Places NOT to source

Poshmark Wholesale Portal

As much as I love Poshmark, I don’t recommend sourcing from the Wholesale Portal.

The other day I searched for a shirt or sweater that says “meet me at the barre”. I came across probably 100 listings of a generic duffel bag that says “meet me at the barre”.

These bags are all exactly the same and not particularly special. They're not name brand, designer, or rare.

How are these people supposed to sell this bag??? They have to lower the price until it’s lower than all their competitors and then they won’t be making a profit from it.

There may be some things in the Wholesale Portal that you can reasonably sell for profit, but most things are not. The prices are too high to start and you’re competing against all the other Poshmark sellers trying to unload that same product.

I love Poshmark, but I won’t steer you wrong here. Stick with other places to gather your inventory.

Bottom line: No matter where you source, find things that are cheap enough to resell for a profit.

As a seller, it’s a good idea to have several sources of inventory. You know the saying about putting all your eggs in one basket. The same is true about finding inventory to resell.

If you only have one place to source, you’ll be in trouble if it closes or stops stocking anything good. If you have several places, you won’t face too much of a loss if any one closes because you have other places to go.

I think it’s worth trying out different ways to find inventory from time to time. You don’t have to stick with any if you don’t like them or they don’t work for you.

You may get lucky and come across one that gives you even better results. I hope this list helps you find more clothes and make more Poshmark sales!

After reading about all these places to source inventory, I’ll turn to ask you your thoughts. What are your favorite and primary sources of inventory? What have you tried and liked or didn’t like? Do you have any other ways not listed here?

Updated 2/16/23

Online shopping is growing by leaps and bounds year after year. Poshmark is an online marketplace where people can buy and sell new and used clothes, shoes, accessories, and household goods. Started in 2011, Poshmark has grown to over 80 million users as of 2021, making it one of the most popular online marketplaces in the US.

I’ve been buying and selling on Poshmark since 2015. This Poshmark review covers everything you need to know about selling and buying based on my experience and that of other Poshmark sellers and buyers so that you have everything you need to know before using the platform.

This post covers

• Buying & selling on Poshmark

• Benefits as a buyer & seller

• Negatives as a buyer & seller

• Tips for a better buyer & selling experience

• Frequently asked questions about Poshmark

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. This means that I may receive compensation when you click on a product link or purchase an item linked on this site. Click here for details.

***If you don’t have a Poshmark account, you can receive a free $10 bonus when you sign up with my code SFGIRL2015. ***

** On Mercari, you can get $10 when you sign up with the code JENMHM. The amount may vary by promotion.

Related posts:

• 21 Top Brands to Sell on Poshmark in 2021

• How to Sell Quickly on Poshmark

• 23 Places to Get Clothes to Sell on Poshmark

• 17 Tips for Buying on Poshmark

• 24 Must-have Items for the Online Seller

Background

Poshmark started as a small company focused on selling primarily second-hand women’s clothing, shoes, and accessories. Over the years, it has expanded to allow men’s and children’s items, pet items, beauty products, home goods, and select other items.

It’s grown its boutique market for items sold directly from wholesale to customers. Poshmark now operates in the United States, Canada, Australia, and India.

Poshmark has made clear that it intends to expand its offerings and expand even further internationally so that one day a person in Italy can buy something from Canada and someone in Australia can shop from Poshmark India.

If that happens, you’ll find more people on the platform, which has exciting benefits:

• more potential buyers to purchase your items

• more goods available to meet your and buyers' wants and needs

• greater opportunity for people to resell as a side hustle or even a full-time job

Buying on Poshmark

The best things about buying on Poshmark are

• Saving money! You can buy items at lower than retail price and sometimes even lower than any other place on the internet. You’ll save lots of money if you shop smartly.

• Replacing worn items – I’ve been able to replace items that I’ve loved and worn out. These items are no longer sold in stores because they’re seasons old. Sometimes they’re being sold in good condition or even new on Poshmark.

• Finding rare or unique items. The more time you spend on Poshmark, you’ll find that people have some unique listings like one-of-a-kind jewelry, vintage dresses, and antique dishware.

Benefits as a Buyer

• Ability to negotiate prices and make bundles – Poshmark has a “make an offer” button that lets shoppers open negotiations with sellers. Sellers can accept or counter offers. This goes back and forth until an offer is declined or the item is sold.

  Sometimes you really want an item but just don’t want to or can’t afford to pay the listed price. Go ahead and start a negotiation. Most sellers expect that this will happen and price their items accordingly. They’re often willing to discount items in order to make a sale.

  See more than one item you like from a seller? Make a bundle and negotiate for a deal. You're likely not to have to pay extra for shipping either because Poshmark's shipping covers up to 5 lb.

• Discounted USPS Priority shipping – Shipping is currently $7.67 as of March 2022. You’ll hear a lot of people complain that shipping is too expensive. It’s already $5+ to ship items close to 1 lb using regular USPS first-class package service.
  You’re getting a deal shipping anything from 1-5 pounds, the max weight the Poshmark label covers. (The seller pays for extra postage if it’s over 5 lb up to 10 lb.) You wouldn’t find that good a deal on other sites like eBay and Mercari, where shipping has gotten so expensive.

  Sometimes Poshmark holds specials (Closet Clear Out days) where shipping is discounted even further to $4.99, $3.99, or even free. The additional cost is covered by Poshmark.

  Many sellers will offer discounted or free shipping to encourage sales as well.

  The other benefit of a set shipping cost is that you know exactly how much you’re going to pay for shipping. Shipping is tracked, and you can expect your package within 3 days of shipment.

• Poshmark is fast and easy to use. It’s easy to look for what you want on the platform. You can search by keyword and filter by a number of options like color, price, and item condition. The algorithm needs work to show the best results at the top of searches, so you may have to search a few times and adjust your search a bit, but once you find what you want, it’s quick and easy to check out.

  You have multiple options for payment including using a credit card, PayPal, Apple Pay, and Venmo.

  On eBay, you might wait to see if you’ve won a multi-day auction, consider payment types and shipping fees, then have to remember to pay within the seller’s desired timeframe. Poshmark is more simple.

• Availability of on-trend brands and styles – Poshmark is full of fashion-forward items. Do you like Lululemon, Free People, Nike, and Kate Spade? You’ll find all of these brand names sold on Poshmark. You'll find designer items and luxury items such as Michael Kors and Louis Vuitton purses too. Poshmark is one of the best places to get great deals on popular brands and the latest styles.

• Buyer protection – Poshmark protects buyers in the case of receiving an item not as described, receiving a counterfeit item, not receiving the item at all due to having been lost in the mail or the item not having been shipped

  Buyers also have 3 days upon receiving the item to check it and accept it. You can open a case within those three days if you feel there’s anything wrong with the item and would like to return the item for a full refund.

• Authentication of luxury goods. Poshmark offers Posh Authenticate, which is free authentication of items purchased for $500 or more. Items are sent to PM headquarters, where the team checks the items for authenticity. It’s an added layer of protection against monetary loss and receiving counterfeit goods.

• You don’t have to be social to buy. Poshmark is set up as a social marketplace. You’ll hear a lot of people talk about how much time and work they put into the platform because of its social focus, meaning sharing listings, attending virtual Posh parties, posting to social media, and so forth. None of that is necessary as a buyer.

As a buyer, you don’t need to do more than search for what you want, maybe negotiate the price, and purchase the item. Don’t buy into the idea that you have to be social to get the most out of Poshmark.

Negatives as a Buyer

• Varying quality and descriptions of items. You take a gamble when you buy second-hand items online,. You can’t touch the item or see it in person before purchasing it, so you rely on the seller’s description and pictures.

  People have different ideas about items’ conditions. One person might consider an item with fading and pilling to still be in good condition while another would find it unacceptable to even wear.

  When you rely on someone else’s description for millions of second-hand items, there are bound to be differences in opinion and inconsistencies between descriptions and reality, both of which lead to unhappy buyers.

• Sales are final. All sales are final unless an item wasn’t received as described. You get a 3-hour window after purchasing a full-priced item to cancel an order. If the item doesn’t fit or you have buyer’s remorse after that window, you’re stuck with the item.

  Consider that most brick-and-mortar stores and online retailers offer refunds for 30 days or at least give store credit. It’s not hard to buy something when you know you can return it.

  It’s harder to pull the trigger to shop a final sale. You have to know you’ll like the item and you’d better be getting a good deal to make up for the risk.

• Counterfeit goods. The internet is filled with counterfeit goods for sale. It’s not only on Poshmark.

  Inauthentic goods can be found on every second-hand sales platform. Unfortunately, Poshmark is not the fastest or most attentive to getting those items removed.

  That means buyers could be duped into buying counterfeit goods, particularly people who are unknowledgeable about these things. It’s annoying to go through the hassle of opening a case for a counterfeit good and potentially losing the case and your money.

  Caveat emptor. If you’re looking to purchase a high-end item, do your research to recognize if it’s counterfeited. Learn how to identify an authentic version of the item before you make a purchase.

• Lots of dead closets. One of the most challenging things about buying is the presence of so many dead closets. These are closets set up by PM users and then abandoned due to time, inactivity, loss of interest in the app, and other reasons.

  You ask a seller a question about an item and never hear back from him or her. You buy an item and it never ships. That’s because these sellers are no longer active on Poshmark, but their closets and items are still up for sale.

  Poshmark has been testing putting notifications up on dead closets, but I think it's in limited testing. Poshmark doesn't differentiate between active and dead closets for the most part, so the top results in a search may be old listings for a seller that is inactive on the platform.

• Taxes. Poshmark collects taxes on purchases where they are required by law. This is helpful for sellers, but it’s just another added cost to buyers.

  You might find yourself wanting a $15 shirt and find the total cost close to $25 after including taxes and shipping. Almost double the cost for a used item? Ouch!

• Slow shipping. Although Poshmark recommends sellers ship within 2 days of a purchase, sellers have up to 7 days to ship an item before the sale can be canceled.

  Some sellers take a long time to ship items and there’s not much you can do about it as a buyer. I always try to ship on the same day or the next day, so know that there are many attentive sellers out there too. Ask the seller when he or she will ship if you need the item soon.

• Customer service is through email. Poshmark customer service is lacking. Email is the only contact method, and it can be a pain to wait 24-48 hours for a response. There’s no phone service yet. You may have some luck by contacting Poshmark via social media such as Twitter.
  

Tips for a Better Buyer Experience

Now here are some tips to follow so that you have a positive buying experience on Poshmark.

• Save searches. Poshmark finally introduced the ability to save searches, which makes it faster and easier to find exactly what you’re looking for. You can save your search after adjusting the filters to “just in” and for price, size, etc. or your preset sizes.

  If you’re looking for a specific item in a particular size, you may have to be patient and check frequently to see if the item comes up for sale.

• Like your favorite items. Like an item to be notified when the seller drops the price of it. The is sometimes offered in conjunction with a discounted shipping so you get even more of a deal. Check that your notifications are on either by text or email to be notified right away.

• Bundle your favorite items. Add your favorite items to bundles to take advantage of bundle discounts, ability to negotiate price semi-privately, and one shipping fee for multiple items.

  Most sellers are willing to give you a deal on the price when you’re buying more than one item from them.
  

• Ask questions! Go ahead and ask questions. Ask about the condition. Ask for measurements. Ask if the item is still available.

• Take action to avoid shopping from dead closets.

  • Check when the item you want was last updated. At the top of listing under the seller’s name states when the listing was last updated (e.g., an hour ago or Dec 14). Sharing an item is considered an update. Any recent date or time means the seller is probably active.

  • Check when the seller was last on the platform. Go to the seller’s closet, then to their About page, and see "Last Active". If it's been months since they’ve logged in, you know they're not active.

  • Look at the seller's closet. Indications of an active seller are having lots of sold listings, lots of shares, responses to questions and comments on their listings.

  • Read a seller’s love notes. Negative ratings are not publicly displayed, but you'll see love notes any time a seller receives written feedback with a 5-star rating. A seller with tens or hundreds of love notes is probably a good and/or active seller.

  • Ask a question about the item. Wait for a response to indicate if they’re active.

  • Make an offer. Wait for a counter or acceptance. If you don’t receive a response, the seller is not active or doesn’t want your business.

• Ensure you’re comfortable with the price you're paying. Poshmark prices tend to be higher than those found on other sites. Add taxes and shipping fees to the price and you could end up paying much more than you expected.
  Don't be shocked by the listing price at first at first glance. Negotiate for a discounted price. If you settle on a reasonable final price, you’re much less likely to have buyer’s remorse or an unsatisfactory shopping experience.

• Look at the seller’s feedback. Positive feedback is shown publicly; negative feedback is not. You can be more confident in your purchase if the seller has lots of positive feedback. Other indicators of a reliable seller:

  • How long they’ve been on the platform – You can see when a person joined Poshmark. Generally the longer the person has been on the platform, the more experienced he or she is with it.

  • How many listings are in their closet – Sellers with large closets (several hundred items to thousands of items) are probably selling as a business.

  • Their ship time – This isn’t shown publicly unless they provide a screenshot in their profile or state in their profile description. Many sellers share that they are fast shippers (<2 days).

  • Their response time – When you ask a question, does the seller respond within a reasonable amount of time? That’s an indication of someone who’s active on the platform.

  • Poshmark Ambassador status – Some sellers share that they’re a Poshmark Ambassador in their closet name or listings. They’ve met certain criteria for sales, shares, ship time, and more to achieve that designation.

• Pass on an item if you’re questionable about it. Poshmark’s policy is all sales final, so I recommend buying an item only if you’re sure that you want it or are willing to take the risk and have a backup plan for the item if it doesn’t work out.

  Some people reposh (relist) the item for sale if it doesn’t fit. Others may give the item away to someone who would like it.

• Read Poshmark’s guidelines before you purchase. Take the time to read up on Poshmark’s guidelines because every platform works differently. This will help to avoid many of the misunderstandings and issues I see come up between buyers and sellers. The biggest issues I see around this are

  • Requests for returns due to fit or changing one’s mind. Sales are final.

  • Requests for refunds after the 3-day acceptance window. Be sure to inspect the items you receive and try them on before the three days are up. On the fourth day, payment is released to the seller and you cannot open a case for the item anymore.

  • Taking transactions off of Poshmark. This is attractive for a lower price and cheaper shipping but removes any buyer protection. Poshmark doesn’t allow it, and it can get you banned from the platform.

Selling on Poshmark

The best thing about selling on Poshmark is

• Making money! This is probably the number one reason why people sell on the platform. Whether they’re just listing a few items to clean out their home closets or they are full-time sellers with thousands of listings, all sellers have the same goal of making extra money from their sales. Poshmark helps them do that.

Benefits for a seller

• No listing fees. You can list as many items as you want for free. Yay! There’s no limit to the amount of money you can make on Poshmark because it’s free to list and the sky’s the limit on listings.

• Quick and easy to list. The Poshmark app existed before the website. It was meant to be used on a cell phone. That’s why it’s easy to snap a few pictures, write a description, click a few buttons for additional details, and price the item. It’s different from a site like eBay that has a difficult user interface and wants you to select detail after detail per item.

• Many features to promote sales. Poshmark wants you to make sales because that’s how they make their money. The company has features for sellers to make sales such as offering bundle discounts, making it easy to negotiate prices, holding events such as Closet Clear Out, and sometimes covering part of all the cost of discounted shipping to buyers.
  Nowadays you can also host live sales if you like being in front of the camera, although it’s not necessary.

• Straight-forward shipping process and fees. Shipping is all done through USPS Priority mail. When you make a sale, the shipping label is sent to you or you can download it. You just attach it to your package, drop off the package at the post office, or schedule a mail pick-up.

  No need to calculate postage (under 5 lb). Even shipping boxes can be obtained free through USPS so you can spend very little on packaging supplies.

• No returns. This is great for the seller because once an item is accepted by the buyer or after the 3-day acceptance window passes, the sales proceeds are transferred to you and it’s yours to do with what you’d like. You don’t have to worry about being asked for a return or refund after that.

• Poshmark Ambassador status. I like that Poshmark offers this designation to let people know you’re a reliable seller. After you’ve met certain criteria for buying and selling, you can become a Poshmark Ambassador or PA II. People feel more confident buying from you knowing that you are one.

• Taxes. Poshmark collects tax on sales (as required by law) and remits them to states on behalf of sellers. As a seller, you don’t have to collect tax yourself and then send it to the state each year. That would be a huge headache. Poshmark does all of that for you. How amazing is that?

Negatives for a seller

• High commission. The biggest downside of selling is Poshmark fees or commission. It’s a flat rate of $2.95 for anything under $15. It’s 20% for items $15 and above.

  That really cuts into profits, particularly for lower priced items. I suggest avoiding selling low priced items <$10 if possible.

• Time-consuming to maximize Poshmark’s potential. Poshmark is a social platform. Most sellers have to be at least somewhat active on the platform to see more sales. You’ll want to share your listings, respond to questions, and send out offers.
  You can do more than that like share other people’s listings, attend Poshmark virtual parties, and list and relist items frequently. Poshmark can take all your time if you let it.
  Many sellers use automated tools for sharing items, relisting them, and sending out offers. While these go against Poshmark’s terms of service, the company knows they are in use and does not actively stop them likely because they bring in sales.

• Shipping costs for items under 1 lb. As mentioned above, shipping is a great deal for items 1 lb and above. Items under 1 lb could be shipped cheaper through first-class commercial service if Poshmark had that option. This makes shipping a considerable expense for small lightweight items.

• Competitive pricing. First off, people come to Poshmark looking for a good deal. They want the lowest prices they can get. Then there’s the fact that Poshmark has millions of sellers.

  The main way to be competitive on the platform is through pricing. If you’re selling something that a lot of other people are selling, then you don’t have much flexibility on price if you want to make a sale. You have to match other sellers’ prices, which could be low and eat into your profit.

• Buyer scams. You may be unfortunate to run into someone who tries to scam you out of your item. There are a few main ways they try to do this on Poshmark.

  Sometimes it’s saying that they received a different item than they ordered or it was more damaged than described. Sometimes they’ll say they received an empty box. It’s frustrating, but it’s a part of every business that sells online.
  Scammers are on every site, not just Poshmark. And scammers are on both sides of the transaction. Sellers can be scammers too. It’s important to be aware of the issue though if you’re planning to sell online.

Tips for a Better Seller Experience

• Know Poshmark’s guidelines. Read up on what’s allowed and not allowed on the platform as well as what’s expected of sellers (e.g., shipping within two days of a sale).

  It’s good to know that Poshmark handles all customer service through email so you may have to wait 24-48 hours for a response, even on a pressing issue.

• Put up quality listings. Create listings with good pictures, detailed descriptions, and a fair price. This doesn't mean your listings have to be professional level, but they should be nice enough that a buyer has confidence in what they're buying. This can also keep buyers from asking for more pictures or asking the same questions repeatedly.

• Keep all transactions professional and on the platform. If you’re selling as a business and want to continue to long-term success, keep all communication professional.

  Ignore any negative comments and let open cases roll off your back. Focus on the positives you bring to your business and the happy customers that you have.

• Join in the social aspects of the platform. Poshmark is built around being social, which is necessary for most sellers to see the sales they want.

  Share your items several times a day and make offers. This can be done manually or through a third-party tool.

• Check the buyer’s profile. You can sometimes get a better idea of a buyer by looking at their closet and profile. If you see they have a lot of listings or good feedback, then they’re more likely to know how Poshmark works and be a reliable buyer. That can calm nerves when selling high-end items worth hundreds of dollars.

• Protect yourself when selling high-end items. It’s okay to take additional pictures of items, record yourself packaging items, and add copies of original receipts. I don’t do this myself because the items I sell are <$100, but it’s good to do if you’re concerned about attempts at scams or claims of inauthenticity.

• Enjoy what you do. If you like the Poshmark platform and you like being a seller, you’re much more likely to enjoy the whole experience of selling on Poshmark.
  I’ve passed on other money-making side hustles because I knew I wouldn’t like them, even if they were profitable. You’ll have a better experience selling if you already find it enjoyable.

Wrap Up

I’ve been active on Poshmark as a buyer and a seller for several years and had a good experience 99% of the time. In that time, I’ve also read and heard many Poshmark reviews, complaints, and praises. I’ve read more negative reviews and comments about the platform than I hoped there would be.

That doesn’t mean that most people’s experiences on the platform are bad. Remember that there are hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of Poshmark buyers and sellers who have had great experiences on the platform.

They don’t voice their satisfaction simply because they are happy with their experience and move on with their lives. That’s how Poshmark continues to do well growing with no end in sight.

I’ve tried my best to provide a fair review of Poshmark from both a buyer’s and a seller’s perspective. As you can see, there are pros and cons to both the buying and selling sides.

I still think Poshmark is one of the easiest places to buy and sell items online. And using the tips above, you’ll be more assured of a great experience

Frequently asked questions

1) Is Poshmark a legitimate site?

Yes, Poshmark is a legitimate and safe site to buy and shop for goods. Poshmark has been around since 2011 and has systems in place such as Posh Protect and Posh Authenticate to protect buyers and sellers.

2) Can you get scammed on Poshmark?

Yes, it’s possible to get scammed on Poshmark or any second-hand online marketplace. Poshmark has policies to reduce the chance of being scammed, but it can still happen. Read Poshmark’s guidelines and my tips and use comment sense to protect yourself as best as possible.

3) Is selling on Poshmark worth it?

Selling on Poshmark is worth it if you have items with resale value, time to list your items and ship them, and can deal with the conversations and tasks of selling. Learn how Poshmark works and optimize use of its features to maximize your sales.

It’s been worth it for me as made thousands of dollars on the platform in my spare time as a seller and been able to replace my favorite old items as a buyer, but everyone has a different experience with it.

4) Is buying on Poshmark worth it?

Buying on Poshmark is worth it if you find something in-demand, rare, or just something you want at the best price available. The best way to ensure a good buying experience is to read up on Poshmark guidelines, check the seller’s profile and ratings, and ask questions before purchasing.

5) Is Poshmark a waste of time?

Selling on Poshmark will feel like a waste of time if you don't make enough sales to justify your efforts. It's a good idea to learn the best items to resell and most efficient ways to list and promote your items on the site so that you use your time well. Think about how much money, time, and effort you're willing to spend on the marketplace before reevaluating your efforts.

6) Why is Poshmark's fee so high?

Poshmark's fees ($2.95 for sold items under $15 and 20% for items $15 and over) are high because they provide so many things to help you make sales: the marketplace website and app, customer service, marketing to bring in more buyers, etc. The fees are middle-of-the-road compared to many marketplaces and cheaper than others such as Tradesy and The RealReal.

Have more questions? Want to share your good or bad experiences with me? Write to me in the comments below. I read them all!

Want to try it out for yourself? Sign up and start using Poshmark today!

Disclosure: This post also contains affiliate links. This means that I may receive compensation when you purchase an item linked on this site. Click here for details.

Selling from home is one of the hottest side hustles around. It’s a great way to make money on your own time and work from home. To maximize your sales and your profits, you’ll need to use the best tools.

That’s why I use Vendoo, a crosslist service for resellers who want to sell more and make more money. In this post, I’ll show you how I used Vendoo to make over $800 in profit in just 6 weeks.

Why I love Vendoo

Vendoo is a software that assists sellers to crosslist their items to multiple online marketplaces. It has saved me many hours of work as a reseller and helped me make more sales - a win-win!

Several years ago I faced a sales slump while selling on just Poshmark. I knew I had items that were worth reselling, but they wouldn’t budge. So I spent some time crosslisting to Mercari and eBay and ended up making several sales.

That’s when the lightbulb went off in my head and I said to myself, “I have to crosslist!” if I wanted to keep selling items (and not just buying and listing), then crosslisting was the way to go.

At that time, there was no crosslisting service like Vendoo available. Crosslisting to every platform the long way was time-consuming and sometimes mind-numbing.

Imagine saving images to your computer or trying to organize them on your phone, then copying and pasting the descriptions from one site to another, adding specific information for each marketplace, and figuring out shipping.

Now that I have Vendoo, I’ve taken back a lot of the time I used to spend crosslisting and relisting because Vendoo does a lot of the work for me.

Vendoo allows for importing and crosslisting items between 10 marketplaces:

• eBay

• Poshmark

• Facebook Marketplace

• Mercari

• Etsy

• Depop

• Shopify

• Tradesy

• Kidizen

• Grailed

Related posts

• Vendoo Review: What You Need to Know Before You Sign Up

• How I Made $3000 in Vendoo’s Affiliate Program

My selling project

After taking things easy this summer, I had a bunch of household items piling up at home and an itch to go shopping for reselling. That meant I had to clear out my house of my own belongings and existing inventory.

I started listing at the end of July and continued on through August, then let items sit and sell for a bit. This project lasted about 6 weeks.

How much did I make?

Here are the numbers:

Listed: 96 new items. This was in addition to about 70 items I had already up for sale.

No. of items sold: 57 total

Amount sold: $1341.50

Profit: $801.30. This is the amount I receive after commission and fees and cost of goods were subtracted.

Profit per item: $14.06. This is $801.30 divided by 57 items.

Profit per week: $133.55. This is $801.30 divided by 6 weeks.

What did I sell?

I sold a mix of my own items and things I purchased specifically to resell. Sixteen of the 57 items that sold (28%) were mine from personal use.

My highest selling item was $99. My lowest selling item was a new baby t-shirt for $4.

Some top sellers:

1) Stio Pinedale pants - Sold on Poshmark for $99

I’ve found Stio pants only a few times, but they’ve sold well each time. These looked brand new and sold for full price.

2) NWT BlankNYC moto jacket - Sold on Poshmark for $75

My neighbor down the street told me she shopped too much and needed to get rid of stuff, so she sold me this jacket for $5.

3) Vince mohair open stitch cardigan - Sold on Poshmark for $55

I probably could have held out for more on this sweater because it got a lot of likes and fall was coming, but I wanted to make sales, not keep items, so I took an offer on this one.

4) Lululemon x Peloton pullover - Sold on FBMP for $49

I purchased this item second-hand for myself earlier in the year but guessed the sizing and it ended up being too big. After wearing it a few times trying to make it work, I decided I would be better off selling it and ended up making my money back on it.

Some thoughts on my sales

I made about $133 a week after subtracting commission, fees, and cost of goods. An extra $133 a week adds up. That’s over $500 a month and almost $7000 a year!

What I could purchase with an extra $133 a week:

• More than a week of groceries for my husband and me

• Fill up the car twice

• Go out to a nice dinner or a few casual dinners

• Pay the electricity bill many times over

• Pay down my mortgage

• Save for Christmas and birthday gifts

I sold what I found at my nearby thrift store and what I had around the house. You could make much more than this if you source higher end items than I did or you own items with higher resale values than I had.

Many people I know have valuable items at home that are worth reselling:

• Nike shoes

• Designer handbags and shoes

• Video games

How did I sell these items?

These are some tips to help you make sales like I did or even more.

1 ) Use Vendoo to help you sell

Vendoo has so many features that made it easier for me to resell.

It helped me list items quickly, which was great because I had a limited amount of time to work on selling.

I listed items using a combination of the Vendoo app and website. I took pictures of items on my phone and saved them to the app. Then I wrote the descriptions and crosslisted using the website.

I used Vendoo’s SellHound integration to get an idea of how I should price my items, and I check sold items on various marketplaces too.

When I dropped prices as far as I wanted without making a sale, I used Vendoo to relist items to bring them to the top of search results again. Vendoo currently enables you to bulk relist items up to 10 at a time.

Once an item sold on a site, I marked it as sold on the Vendoo website and it automatically delisted from other marketplaces.

Vendoo helped me with inventory management because I tagged my items by category like mens, womens, childrens, home, and electronics. This way I could review and relist items by category.

The analytics section helped me keep track of my profit and see what items and categories sold the best.

2) Find time to work on selling

Vendoo saved me lots of time crosslisting and relisting, but there are other aspects like sourcing, taking pictures, and packaging and shipping sales that require time too.

I work full-time and have other hobbies and obligations, so I worked on reselling a few days a week but not every day.

• I told my husband to look around the house for things he wouldn’t mind me reselling. This got me several video games and board games, items I normally don’t sell. Most of his items sold relatively quickly.

• I got off work a little early about once a week. I spent 1-2 hours shopping to find items to resell. On weeks that I couldn’t get off work early, I shopped for an hour or two on a weekend morning.

• I took pictures of items for about 30 minutes after I got home from work. This let me take advantage of sunlight before it got too dark.

• I finished listings at night after dinner and cleaning up the house.

• I shipped items from work. I dropped off packages at the mailroom on my way in. If I had several packages, I dropped them off at the post office on my way home.

3) Make lots of offers

Many of my sales came from making offers to people who liked my items. Sometimes shoppers won’t send you an offer, but if you give them a good enough deal, they’ll make a purchase.

I got notices about people liking my items or checked at least once daily to see if they received any new likes.

On Poshmark, I sent offers of 20% off plus discounted shipping of either $4.99 or $5.95. I sent similar discounts on Mercari and eBay as well.

Twenty percent off and discounted shipping may seem like a lot off, and you might wonder how it’s possible to make any profit. I listed my items at high enough prices to account for this.

The Holidays are here!

We’re already in November, which means Thanksgiving and Christmas are just around the corner. If you’re looking to make extra money for the holidays, try selling online.

• Sell what you have in your house. Most people have plenty of items of value sitting around unused like that sweater you got last Christmas that’s unworn still with tags on or video or board game that you’ve finished playing and put aside.

• Ask family and friends if they have items in their homes that they’d like sold. My family has so much stuff they’d love me to sell.

• Search thrift stores and buy sell trade stores for items that will resell well.

• Find in-demand holiday items to resell online.

Wrap up

I was able to make $800 in my free time selling a mix of thrift store finds and items from my own home.

You can do this too, whether you want to to make an extra few hundred dollars or you have goals of pursuing reselling full time. It’s doable!

Use the tips above and Vendoo to start selling today!