Posh Life: Inside The App For Cleaning Out Or Adding On To Your Closet
Online shopping. Everyone's doing it. But have you ever tried online selling? Now, I know lots of you are on eBay, but after hearing a few stories from friends who almost shipped things out to people who then tried to reneg on actually paying (big ticket items like mint condition Jimmy Choos too), I decided to give Poshmark a try instead.
Mostly because, for one, I've been shopping seriously for almost two decades (a portion of those yrs spent at a department store that highly encouraged employees to buy on repeat), I still have multiple closets filled with coats, shoes, sweaters, costume jewels, and more. (Keep in mind, this is after giving tons away.) Also, a few friends I really trust have used and raved about it.
After being a Posher (Yup, that's how they refer to their users.) for a few months now, I can honestly say it's a marvelous way to clear out anything you've been holding on to (or hoarding) in exchange for some extra cash to bankroll that $4 cuppa coffee habit (It adds up!) or the lash extension obsession (not me, a bunch of ladies I know). After the PM people take out a small-ish fee, you can request a check for the remaining amount (They arrive in a week or less in my experience.) or keep it in your account and shop up a storm on the app. Before you get started though, these are a few points you should know:
- The Camera S*cks. Or is it the filters? I've struggled with both, tried unsuccessfully to use other camera apps and move the photos over and their filters tend to distort colors. Which you don't want since it could cause a buyer to return your item after it turned out to be a completely diff shade of red in person. (In other words, avoid 'em.)
- Presentation Is Key. Borrow or buy yourself some kind of mannequin or dress form. A solid, light neutral background doesn't hurt either. In other words, the more effort you put in, and the prettier and more professionally merchandised your items look, the more likely other Poshers are to buy.
- That's What Friends Are For. It helps if you know at least one person who's already established on the site. As a beginner, if someone with a 3, 5 or 10K followers shares a few of your listings, you'll not only start picking up followers, but also (most likely) get your very first sale. Which is what can really get you hooked!
- It's Not Personal, It's Biz. Still struggling with this one, but it's a regular occurrence, so... You've gone and listed that chi chi jacket that you paid beaucoup dollars for, that's also sooo the wrong color and length for you. At a totally fair and reasonable price. Then you get a notification that someone has bid $25. (Uh, Are you flipping kidding me?!?) Yes, other Poshers can bid. No, you don't have to accept these bids. Ignore them the same way you would the ex who likes to text after one too many Tito's.
Lots of Luck & Happy Posh-ing!