How to Sell Your Clothes on thredUP

Even though I've had past luck selling my clothes via Poshmark, there were a few dresses that just weren't budging in my sales closet.  I heard about thredUP (my referral link) from Marissa at The Modern Austen and decided to check it out.
thredUP is basically an online consignment/thrift store.  If you're a seller, they send you a giant "Clean Out Bag" to fill with your gently used (no flaws!) brand-name clothing items.  It's free to ship them your stuff, but if you want items returned that are not selected, you sign up for a $12.99 deduction from what your items end up earning.  You can use their calculator online to get an idea of the range of earnings you can expect from your clothing.  Keep in mind that they need to earn a profit on selling your items, so they can only take things they feel will sell, and pay accordingly.  It is very much like consignment, but many items qualify for up-front payment, especially quality brand-names.

I was definitely skeptical of the thredUP process, but I was willing to give it a try.  Since I had some pieces (including NWT) in there that I thought I would want back if they rejected, I opted for the $12.99 Return Assurance on this first bag.  This bag was HUGE, and all I had to do was drop in pieces and take it to FedEx.  Simple as that.  I didn't have to sit around and haggle and wait some someone to buy something, then take it to the post office myself.

My Bag to thredUP!

I sent thredUP 12 items: 6 tops, 1 jacket, 2 pants, and 6 dresses.  Since these were items I never wore, and some that I had no luck selling on Poshmark, I felt like it was worth giving thredUP a go despite lower earnings.  My bag was processed within two weeks.
Of these items, thredUP accepted 6 tops, 1 jacket, and 5 dresses and offered $50 in exchange.  (They've already sold 5 of my items last I checked, for about the amount I was paid, so they're making a profit for sure.)  This was probably about $10 less than I'd hoped for...  and I still had to pay the $12.99 return assurance to return the items they didn't want.  In hindsight, I regret signing up for that service given almost all of my items were accepted.  Even though the pants returned to me were high quality (and one NWT), paying $13 to get three items back stung a little.  You have no way of knowing which items are being returned, but if you don't have any returns then you aren't charged the return assurance fee.
So basically I ended up netting about $38 (which I have to wait two weeks to cash out), not great when you figure that's about $3/item for good brands like a Betsey Johnson couture-type dress, two NWT items, J. Crew, Banana Republic, etc.   I just didn't feel GOOD about what I got even before the $12.99 deduction...  I was disappointed and bummed.  But that might just be me.  I know they need to make money on what they sell (I watch Pawn Stars!), which is also why Poshmark takes 20% of your earnings.

I think the only reason I would try thredUP again is if I have a bunch of brand-name tops that would probably only be worth the $5/piece that I could send in for a quick buck.  I don't think I'd try to sell anything to them that I feel is worth $20 or more, or more high-end stuff.  I also wouldn't send anything that I want back, to avoid Return Assurance charges.
I just don't trust the process as much, as I prefer the control I have with Poshmark.  I'm more likely to purchase from thredUP than Poshmark though, given the high quality inspection standards.

Since I have had so much luck with Poshmark but still gave thredUP a try, I decided to do a quick comparison so you can see the difference between the two.

For Sellers

• Your Work:  thredUP is less work than Poshmark, period.  You send them your items, and they photograph, create listings, and sell.  You get paid upfront or on consignment.
• The Payout:  Poshmark earns you more, but requires your effort.  Because you can set your own prices with Poshmark, and they only take 20% of the total sale price, you have more control over earnings.  With thredUP, they give you up to 80% (but usually 10-40% it seems) of what they feel it will sell for.  Please use their calculator to give you realistic expectations.
• Bottom Line: If you want more control over what you earn, and you are willing to do the work, use Poshmark to sell.  If you want convenience and the payout matters less, (i.e. you just want it out of your closet) use thredUP.

  For Buyers

• Quality of Items:  I have only kept and used ONE of the six items I have purchased on Poshmark.  I felt disappointed in the quality of items I received, and there were never true guarantees of the authenticity of items.  thredUP feels like less risk, because they disclose flaws and do not accept any knock-offs.  But there is less selection on thredUP; it's more carefully curated, if you want to look at it that way.
• Price You Pay:  thredUP has some great deals, but with Poshmark you have the opportunity to negotiate with sellers, and even bundle items for a discount.  There also aren't wholesalers trying to turn profits on thredUP; it's just one seller vs. a bunch.  It's a toss-up to me.
• Bottom Line:  thredUP seems more shopper-friendly, because the photo quality of items is excellent, flaws are disclosed, and it's guaranteed to be an authentic item in good shape.

UPDATE 12/3/14: I sent another bag to thredUP, and I've decided it will be my last.  I sent 8 brand-name tops and 1 pair of shoes that yielded only $22 (that's less than $3/item) and a dress they have on consignment for a MAX payout of under $12.  I just don't see the point in waiting for weeks to hear back from them with a payout, on top of not getting what I could probably make selling on my own via Poshmark.

Have you used thredUP?  How do you like it?

If you're interested in thredUP, please check it out and sign up via my referral link!  You'll earn $10 off your first purchase, and I'll get a $10 store credit.
If you're interested in Poshmark, check out my post about selling there here, and use code HROMR for a credit.

How to Sell Your Stuff on Poshmark

 


I've had a few folks reach out curious how I'm cleaning out my closet by selling stuff on Poshmark.  I'm kind of addicted, actually... and I've made over $400 since June (Note: as of 1/20/2016, to date I'm over $2500 in sales) getting rid of stuff I don't wear or use anymore.  There are a lot of ways to sell your secondhand stuff out there: eBay, Craigslist, and sites/apps like Poshmark and Threadflip.  Depending on what you're selling, you'll get different rates of success.  I also used to do consignment, but I like getting a bigger cut of my earnings via online sales.

Things I Like About Poshmark:

• It's all on my iPhone!  Photos, descriptions, etc.
• You don't pay shipping as a seller (the buyer does).
• Poshmark sends you a pre-paid shipping label.
• They handle all the payment stuff, then you can direct deposit into your bank account.
• It's not an auction, so you set the price.
• It's easy to sell quality, brand-name stuff if you price it right.
• You can negotiate, and bundle items for a single buyer.
• If you get scammed, Poshmark will help you get your money back.  (I haven't used this yet, full disclosure.)
• It's social.  I've interacted with some great women!

Tips for Using Poshmark:

• Build quality listings!  It's user-friendly, but there's still work involved.  Be descriptive, and fully disclose any flaws.  Also keep in mind you may be asked to prove the authenticity of items via serial numbers and tags.
• Use it to sell your brand names.  I'm sorry, but even high quality shoes, leather jackets, suits, etc. won't sell for more than pittance if they aren't popular brands.
• Price realistically.  I don't get hurt feelings about this.  You can't sell an item for retail.  Think about what you would pay (and bear in mind $5-7 shipping!) and price that way.
• Promote your items.  You do this by sharing, responding to comments/likes, and posting great photos.  This includes participating in Parties throughout the day and matching those themes!
• Negotiate, but be smart about it.  There are lowballers out there.  Just ignore them.  And if you negotiate, remember comments cannot be deleted, so if you agree to lower a price, you're stuck there.  USE THE OFFER FUNCTION!  And ask that prospective buyers use it too.
• Share, share, share.  It's courtesy to share a person's item if they share yours.  Return the favor, and you'll get more eyes on your items.
• Keep padded envelopes on hand.  I buy them cheap and then just pack and label.  I also use the 24-hour package drop-off at my Post Office so I can mail orders anytime it's convenient.

Some items just won't sell.  If an item won't sell for $5, it's not worth the envelope and a trip to the post office to me.  I delete stale listings and add those items to my donate pile.  At the end of the day, I'm not in it to make money, just recoup some costs on items I would otherwise just give away.

Also, It's against Poshmark's policy for you to take a sale "offline" and go the PayPal route.  You lose your Poshmark protective layer if you do this, so seller/buyer beware.

P.S.  If you join Poshmark, use my code HROMR when you sign up to benefit from referral perks, usually you get $10 right away to shop, and I earn something when you make your first purchase!

P.P.S. (1/1/2014)  I sold a Michael Kors bag on Poshmark, but the buyer claimed that it was not as described (size/shape) and filed a claim for return.  Because I disclosed every dimension, had a full description, and posted plenty of photos, Poshmark stood by me and the sale was final.  That is the benefit of going through Poshmark and not cutting corners with PayPal.  Well worth the 20%.

P.P.P.S.  (4/27/15, updated screenshots)  I'm still using Poshmark, though less frequently than before.  I hosted the first Poshmark party of 2015, and I've now got over 100K people following my closet.  Share, share, share to grow your following, and become a Suggested User by following the rules!

(1/20/2016) I'm still using Poshmark, have over 200K followers, and I've made over $2500 since I joined by selling the stuff I don't wear/use anymore!  Also, an item I sent to a buyer got lost in the mail.  But since it was via Poshmark, they refunded the buyer their money AND I got paid.  Again, this is why you give them the 20%; protection in case you need it.

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• cmesko
• affableolive
• jyih

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Shop more of my closet on Poshmark

Shop My Closet on Poshmark!

Okay guys, this is a completely self-serving blog post.  But after waking up with a post-Kate Spade Surprise Sale hangover, I figured I would share my Poshmark closet with you!  (A girl has to subsidize her shopping addiction, right?)

source

Poshmark is a great website for selling your clothes and accessories.  I've been doing it for just a couple of weeks.  It's super easy; you use the phone app to take photos and post your items, you haggle with other members, and then they click to buy.  You print out a prepaid shipping label, have the USPS take your package, then you get paid once it is received.  All items are final sale, so your interactions with the seller definitely matter.  But I'm really enjoying it so far!

I have a bunch of items currently listed, plenty of NWT and name brands, like Coach, Lacoste, Betsey Johnson, Marc Jacobs, Michael Kors, Nine West, Longchamp, and more.  :)

Sign up for Poshmark with code HROMR, and get a $5 credit!

And if you follow me on Bloglovin' you can get $5 off any purchase.

My Poshmark link is always on the right side of my blog, so feel free to browse and see what's new!