Today I’m sharing part 2 of my guide on how to sell on Poshmark. If you, like me, have been watching “Tidying Up with Marie Kondo,” then you’ve culled some things from your wardrobe and have set aside some of them to sell. In my first post about Poshmark, I laid out some info about how the app works, especially in comparison to eBay, and why it’s my platform of choice for selling women’s clothing. (Take a look at my Poshmark closet here.)

Make a good first impression

The most important step, in my opinion, is taking good photos. Like Instagram, Poshmark has a visual feed where people can browse through the items of people and brands that they follow. You want your items to stand out and elicit that you-want-this feeling.

1. Natural light is your friend.
What’s the key to taking good photos? A big part of it is the light. I’ve considered buying a lighting kit like this one (affiliate link). But that would be another thing I’d have to make room to store. If you’re a casual seller like me, you don’t need a lighting kit. You can use something for free: natural light. Photos taken at night produce grainier shots, so I always take my photos during the day to take advantage of the light. I’ve found that certain times of the day are better than others, though. Late afternoon light seems too harsh.

2. Don’t use the filters.
Poshmark gives you a bunch of filters to use. I don’t know why they do this as it distorts what the objects actually look like. Plus, I don’t think they look good. I recommend that you avoid them. Here’s one of the very first listings I created — using a filter — when I first joined Poshmark. The horror!

3. Choose the right kind of covershot.
The first photo in your listing is called a covershot. Take special care in creating it as it’s the photo that people will see in their feed. There are several styles of covershots I create depending on the item:

Styled – Sometimes I style a piece of clothing with other items to show what you could wear it with. It’s reminiscent of a magazine spread. This does take extra work as you need to put some thought into what you’re putting together, but I think it works well with wardrobe basics, say, a pair of black trousers. Help people see the possibilities of your item. Beware of overstyling your shot, though. Sometimes people include so many items in a shot that it’s unclear which item is for sale. I always try to display the item for sale most prominently in the photo.

Simple – Sometimes, though, it’s best just to present something straightforward. I’ll hang the item up on a wooden hanger and photograph it that way. It creates a clean and simple shot. I do this a lot with coats and shoes, letting the item speak for itself.

The Close Up – Some items have great details that may not be apparent from a distance, so I’ll take a closeup shot and just display part of the item. The houndstooth pattern and shiny buttons on this vintage sweater jacket are more intriguing when viewed up close.

Modeled – Then, there are clothes that look better on a person than on the hanger. I try to model most clothing so that people have an idea of what it looks like on. Of course, this is not always possible. (Some things don’t fit me anymore or they don’t look good on me in the first place which is why I’m getting rid of it.)

(Ideally, there wouldn’t be an outlet in this photo, but hey, this is the wall space I have. Later on, I figured out to hide it with a plant.)

4. Don’t steal photos.
Lastly, sometimes you can find stock photos of an item from a brand’s website. I think it’s OK to grab these. But I also always include photos of the actual item so that people can see the exact item for sale. But don’t be an asshole and take photos that another seller created. It’s their intellectual property. Also it’s just rude. On some occasions, I’ve found a blogger or influencer modeling an item I’m selling and I will include their photo to give styling ideas, but I always, always credit the blogger because it’s the right thing to do. (Technically, I should also be asking them for permission, but that would take time and I figure bloggers want publicity.)

Choose Your Words Carefully

1. Use keywords in your title.
Don’t just put “dress” or “shirt” in the title. Include the brand and describe the physical attributes of what you’re selling. What’s the style? The materials? Think about what people might use as search terms to find your item. I’m not just selling a “black dress.” I’m selling a “Banana Republic Black Fringe Knit Dress.”

2. Don’t skimp on details.
I don’t know how many times I’ve seen a seller include just one phrase in the body of the description. And I always think: Really? In my descriptions, I try to give some sense of how the item would work in your wardrobe. Is it a versatile piece? What does it look good with? Is it a wardrobe staple or a statement item? I indicate features (number of pockets, where the zipper is located, interesting design details) and the fiber content. And I always give the size. Yes, it’s a required field, but I’ll restate the size and include measurements such as the bust, waist, and length. I also indicate how I think it fits. Is it true to size? Does it run small?

3. Disclose flaws.
Carefully examine your item and describe the condition and any flaws. If it’s brand new, by all means, indicate that, but don’t throw the words “perfect” or “mint” around. People do it so much that’s it’s become meaningless. The first item I bought on Poshmark was a brooch in “mint” condition but it arrived with scratches all over it. As a buyer, I now run away from a seller if I see those words. It’s better to be upfront about your item’s flaws so that your buyer won’t be disappointed and feel cheated. Better to over-describe flaws than to under-describe them. Also, photograph these flaws clearly.

That being said, if something has a lot of flaws, it’s best not to sell it at all. Just don’t.

Price It Right

People search for things online and shop secondhand for several reasons. Sometime they’re looking for something specific from several seasons ago or they like shopping secondhand for ethical reasons. But let’s not forget that one big reason is that they want to save money. Price accordingly! I am guilty of thinking, “I paid $X for this, so I want to recoup $Y for it.” But that’s not going to help you clear closet space.

Put yourself in the buyers’ shoes. How much would you pay for something that you’re buying online, can’t try on, and can’t return? People are here for the deals. To me, this means that an item needs to be at least 50% off retail, unless there’s something unique about it or it’s not easy to find. For something gently worn, I price it even lower. On average, my items are about 60% off retail.

That being said, people can make offers on your items, so leave yourself some room to negotiate. I always price my items a little higher than what I’d be willing to let them go for, anticipating that people will want to negotiate.

Be Attentive

1. Socialize, but just enough.
I went into this in my last post, so I won’t repeat myself here. But Poshmark is a social app, so make sure to share your items to parties and in general on a regular basis so that your items are always updated. That way, they’ll show up higher in a search.

2. Respond to inquiries quickly.
I don’t like leaving my notifications on for most apps. Those little red numbers stress me out. But I do leave them on for comments in Poshmark. I aim to respond to all inquiries in a day. On the flip side, if I ever buy something, I always ask a question of the seller to see how quickly they respond and how detailed of an answer they give. That lets me know if I’m dealing with someone who is more likely to be responsible.

3. Make a deal.
Poshmark allows buyers to make an offer to you. But, as a seller you can also make an offer to everyone who has liked one of your items. When doing so, your offer must be at least 10% off your listing price and include a shipping discount. (Otherwise, Poshmark won’t notify likers of the offer.) I try to send offers within a day of someone liking an item while it’s fresh on their mind. But I also periodically go through my closet and put offers on everything.

4. Ship with care.
When you make a sale, wrap the item with care for shipping. Some sellers wrap their items up like gifts. I personally don’t do that since I don’t like using excess materials, like wrapping paper, that just gets thrown away. (Did you know most wrapping paper can’t be recycled?) But I do protect items with tissue paper and other materials that I’ve saved from my own online shopping. Instead of using regular tape on tissue paper, I use washi tape. Not only is it more festive, but it’s better for the environment. (Washi tape is usually made out of natural fibers like hemp while regular tape is plastic.)

I also make notecards out of catalogs or other nice paper that was already destined for the recycling bin and write a quick note. (Usually the note tells them that I laundered or dry cleaned the item so that it’s ready to wear. I also ask them to kindly reuse or recycle the packaging.)

Hope these tips have been helpful. This is what has worked for me. (Now, of course there are people who take crappy photos, write one-sentence descriptions, and still make sales. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯  )

New to Poshmark? Consider using my code, MELISSITA, when you sign up to get $10 off your first order.

UPDATE 6/11/19 – Poshmark has added a new category: home decor, which includes bedding and bath.

UPDATE 3/20/21 – You can now include a video clip (up to 15 seconds) on a listing.