My favorite Poshmark purchase - a super cute gray Chloe clutch for $100! 

It’s no secret I’m a huge fan of consignment shops and finding good deals on clothes. I studied fashion design in college, and love how consignment shops online or in the store make luxury brands available to everyone.

I decided to check out

Poshmark

several years ago after seeing an ad on Facebook... I started out just by listing a few items from my closet that I didn’t want anymore, and when a pair of shorts sold the first day, I was hooked. Fast forward four years and I switch out my wardrobe frequently by selling my old items on Poshmark and using the funds to shop for new ones. My husband is happy because as a stay at home mom I no longer spend our money on clothing - I pay for everything I buy myself by selling my old clothes. I’ve become a little spoiled by it, but it’s a win-win for both of us.

Another fav find - a red Parker dress for under $30!

My Tips for Buying

I’ve purchased over 100 items on Poshmark, so here’s what I’ve learned over time... unless there are detailed descriptions and tons of photos including the labels, then don’t buy it outright without asking questions. People list clothes in all sorts of conditions, so if they don’t tell you, you should always comment and ask if there are ANY flaws. That prevents you from being super disappointed when the order arrives. Poshmark is very fair in my opinion if you do have to open a case to return an item that was not as described.

It takes time to find the treasures, like new with tags designer items that someone just wants to get rid of - just because it’s priced high doesn’t mean it’s in excellent condition, and just because it’s priced low doesn’t mean it’s a fake. If there are blurry photos and they don’t respond to questions then I don’t buy the item, even if I really want it. I always regret it when I do ... example a Balenciaga clutch that she accepted a low offer of $100 for - the pictures all looked great, but when it arrived I found out it was a fake and was able to return it. She didn’t answer any questions I asked her, but I got carried away with it being a good deal. Fortunately, Poshmark is easy to work with on cases like this, so the return process was seamless.

Don’t accept an order until you actually inspect or try on the item  I’ve been super excited when I pull a top out of the box, just to try it on later and find a hole or other problem. Once it’s accepted it’s too late to file a case to return it. Normally if I buy something under $20 and it’s not as expected I don’t bother with a case, and just throw it in a Goodwill donation bag.

Always make an offer, unless it’s something you have to have and it’s already a good deal. If that’s the case buy it before someone else does! If you can live without it, put in an offer - the best part of Poshmark is that you can negotiate prices! I find it a little rude if you put in an offer for less than half of the price, but most people will happily accept an offer for $5-$10 less than their asking price. You never know unless you ask, and the seller can counter back with their lowest price. Everyone is there to make money, so if you are the buyer you have the power to offer whatever you want.

My Tips for Selling

Most important is taking a ton of photos and adding a detailed description - I take clear photos of the front and back, close-ups of prints, all labels and tags, and any flaws that an item may have. A detailed description of color, fit and condition. I don’t bother providing measurements unless asked because I feel like it’s unnecessary 90% of the time. I model most items because I’ve found they sell much faster when people see how they fit.

Share your items daily and be social especially in the beginning. When I first started out I would share items that I liked from other sellers, and they, in turn, would check out my closet and share mine.  It helps to get your closet more visibility. Now that I’ve been on there for a while and have little kiddos that take up my time, I get on once in the morning to share my whole closet and then check it occasionally to answer questions or respond to offers. It can be very time consuming to be social, so I try to prioritize what actually contributes to sales. I have also found that once I had a bunch of followers and good reviews that sharing my own items was the most effective way to get sales.

Be kind and polite- always respond to comments and questions about items. Don’t get too offended over low offers, just accept it or counter. I NEVER decline offers or block people over sending a lowball offer. I’m happy that they want my item and I counter back with whatever price I’m comfortable with. What price I’m willing to accept totally depends on my mood, and I accept all sorts of offers on a weekend night when I have a glass of wine in hand 😜. You can counter back and forth as many times as you want.

My Stats

I would love to hear your experience, and if you have any questions I'm happy to help out!

To get a $10 credit, use my code LIZGILLESPIE, when you sign up, and you can sign up here!

Liz