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BY JENNIFER SILVERMAN
(Before I begin gabbing, if you're in a hurry and need to get a move on, feel free to skip ahead to Reselling Platform Pros and Cons and/or FAQs for Resale Beginners!)
Like oodles of other enterprising fashionistas, I happen to have a reseller side hustle.
It all began during Covid when I really needed a pandemic project.
While channel surfing, I came across a Poshmark commercial for the billionth time and began to ponder the possibility of a resale side hustle.
Reselling struck me as a refreshing, interesting, and potentially lucrative change of pace in the hobby department.
As it turns out, I was particularly well-suited to the pre-loved clothing and accessories reselling game.
I have a degree in fashion and visual merchandising, worked as a TV stylist in NYC for many years, and already considered decluttering a passion.
Plus, I've been a devotee of treasure hunting and designer bargain shopping for many moons. And, I was jonesing for a declutter fix.
(I also figured profits from my decluttering efforts could be put towards shoes - a powerful motivator indeed.)
I began listing anything and everything gathering dust around my house on Poshmark, mostly unused wedding gifts.
I quickly caught the resale bug hardcore, and subsequently passed the bug along to my lifelong shopping partner in crime, my Mom.
Eventually, we joined forces and expanded our reselling website side hustle to eBay and Mercari.
What began with about 20 items for sale, evolved into around 450 Poshmark, eBay, and Mercari listings at present.
So, if you're wondering if reselling is a good side hustle, or if you can actually make a profit, the answer is yes!
Rather than primarily selling articles from around the house (that ship had sailed), my Mom and I set our sights on used apparel and accessories and began frequenting thrift stores on the regular.
We purchase most of our treasures for between $1.99 and $5.99, although we do splurge for high-value items. We typically sell our finds anywhere from $14.99 to $599.99.
Reselling profit margins can be incredible if you study up on what to look for, and you're fortunate enough to hit the resale motherload every so often.
You're probably thinking, "Which website is best for selling stuff online for money?" or "Which resale app should beginners give a go?" (Telepathy is kind of my jam.)
The three reselling websites I sell on, Poshmark, Mercari, and eBay each boast many a pro and con.
So, let's get started with reselling website pros and cons, and then tackle some selling stuff online FAQs!
Ready and raring to go with your resale side hustle? Why not take a stroll to The Curious Columnist's Resale Tool Must-Haves for a shoppable list of all the supplies you'll need to start selling your stuff online?
POSHMARK:
SELLING ON POSHMARK PROS: | SELLING ON POSHMARK CONS: |
- Free to list on Poshmark | - Poshmark takes the largest cut of any reselling platform, charging sellers a whopping 20% of the selling price for items over $15.00 or a $2.95 flat commission for items $15.00 and under |
- Poshmark listing process is easy to learn and use | - Poshmark is actually a social media platform disguised as e-commerce; Your sales will suffer if you don't engage by sharing your closet |
- Fast Poshmark app listing from your phone | - Lowball offers are commonplace on Poshmark (and annoying) |
- Poshmark shipping rates are pre-set, super simple, and cover up to 5 lbs. (Poshmark also has a clear-cut process in place for upgrading labels to ship heavier items - up to 10 lbs.) | - Poshmark closet promotion can get expensive - you're charged even when items don't sell if you sign up for promoted listings |
- Poshmark shipping is exclusively USPS Priority Mail, which offers free shipping supplies | - Group offers to likers on Poshmark have restrictions and require you to reduce the asking price each time you make a group offer |
- Trendy items tend to sell faster on Poshmark | |
- Making private offers to customers on Poshmark is a breeze - primarily without restrictions | |
- Poshmark's simple bundle process is available to customers and sellers, and encourages larger orders | |
- Poshmark sellers can create bundle incentives/discounts for their entire closet or for individual offers | |
- Poshmark customer service will almost always back up sellers if they're in the right during disputes. (Disputes suck and they happen - unfortunately it's par for the course. I cried during my first.) | |
- Dispute process is seamless on Poshmark | |
- Poshmark customers are automatically charged for purchases | |
- Short Poshmark buyer acceptance window after items are delivered | |
- Poshmark's return policy prevents items from being returned unless they are damaged or misrepresented, or in some cases, unless the seller agrees to a return |
(Totally no pressure or anything, but if you'd like to join Poshmark and make a quick, cool $10, use code, BEACHFRONTPOSH at sign up!)
MERCARI
SELLING ON MERCARI PROS: | SELLING ON MERCARI CONS: |
- As of April 2024, Mercari has eliminated all selling fees so sellers earn 100% of sales! | - Unlike other platforms, Mercari does not allow individual, private offers |
- Free to list on Mercari | - For group offers to likers, sellers are required to increase discounts at a percentage Mercari dictates. So, to make group offers, sellers must either reduce items more than they'd like, or not reduce them at all, which decreases demand and subsequently, sales. |
- Mercari's listing process is easy to learn and use | - Mercari listings accommodate fewer images and less description text than other platforms |
- Fast Mercari app listing from your phone | - No video uploads on Mercari listings |
- Many Mercari shipping options to choose from | - Although it's free to promote listings on Mercari, sellers are required to reduce prices each time |
- Mercari is a smaller platform with less competition | - Mercari is the newest & smallest reselling platform with far fewer customers than other resale platforms |
- Mercari bundle option can encourage larger orders | - The Mercari shopping experience is still rather clunky, which reduces sales. Necessary filtering and a lack of titles make for more difficult and time-consuming to shopping |
- Mercari sellers can specify the lowest offer they would consider, so buyers must jump through hoops to make lowball offers | |
- Local Mercari pick-up options | |
- Mercari customers are automatically charged for purchases | |
- Short Mercari buyer acceptance window after items are delivered | |
- Mercari's return policy prevents items from being returned unless they are damaged or misrepresented, or in some cases, unless the seller agrees to a return |
(Totally no pressure or anything, but if you'd like to join Mercari and save $10 off your first purchase, and receive a $20 credit after you sell $100, click here!)
EBAY:
SELLING ON EBAY PROS: | SELLING ON EBAY CONS: |
- eBay is the largest, most established resale platform with the most buyers | - eBay's selling fees vary depending on category, add-ons, and promoted listings. I find that on average, eBay takes a 13% cut of my sales in fees. |
- eBay generates more frequent, regular sales than other reselling websites in my experience | - eBay listings are not free if sellers have over 250 listings per month. The cost depends on your optional eBay store subscription, which is an additional expense |
- Complete freedom with eBay's shipping structure and charges | - eBay buyers are not automatically charged, so items may be in limbo for days at a time - sellers are at the mercy of buyers to submit payment |
- Fast deposits from eBay prior to items being rated or delivered | - eBay listing process is way more involved and time-consuming |
- Household items tend to sell fastest on eBay in my experience | - Far more substantial eBay listing learning curve than other platforms |
- eBay features the most extensive category options | - eBay shipping can be very confusing in the beginning |
- Very specific eBay search fields for customers | - More competition on eBay |
- Easy for eBay customers to understand item condition | - eBay return policies are not absolute. There are return loopholes that some dishonest buyers utilize to force sellers to issue refunds and/or allow returns even when sellers are in the right and/or in cases when a seller's return policy is to not accept returns |
- eBay auction format availability | - No straightforward bundle option on eBay |
- eBay sellers can specify reserves on high-priced items | |
- eBay sellers can specify the lowest offer they would consider, so buyers must jump through hoops to make lowball offers | |
- Local eBay pick-up options | |
- International eBay exposure | |
- eBay's International Shipping Program facilitates the shipping process. eBay does the heavy lifting & sellers ship items to a US warehouse | |
- eBay sellers can easily dictate promotion spending, which can be deducted from sales rather than added on as an additional expense | |
- eBay sellers can specify custom return policies or opt to not accept returns |
Reselling FAQs:
"I'm just getting started. Which reselling website is best for resale side hustle beginners?"
I would recommend that resale newbies start selling used items on Mercari first. In terms of commissions, Mercari is definitely best for sellers because it offers the lowest selling fees of all the reselling websites - none whatsoever! (Poshmark's cut is 20% of the selling price and eBay's commission ranges. In my case, eBay typically takes around a 13% cut. eBay selling fees are 10% at a minimum.)
Mercari is also very simple to use and the easiest platform to sell on. (Once you've conquered Mercari, I would suggest expanding to Poshmark, and then eBay. eBay's listing process and shipping options can be very confusing in the beginning.)
*If you'd like to join Poshmark and make a quick, cool $10, use code, BEACHFRONTPOSH at sign up! (I'll get something too.)
*Have a hankering to join Mercari? Click here to save $10 off your first purchase and receive a $20 credit after you sell $100. (We'll both score a bonus - woo hoo!)
"How do I know how to price the used items I'd like to resell?"
Do some platform-specific research on the used items you'd like to sell online for profit. Checking comps of similar pre-loved items on the resale website you'll be using will give you a good idea of ballpark price ranges. Be sure to research SOLD ITEMS rather than items for sale. Knowing what items actually sold for will provide the best reselling pricing guidance.
Also compare resale item condition. If item condition differs between your item and the comps, increase or decrease your listing price accordingly.
For instance, a NWT item will almost always sell for more than a NWOT item or an EUC item.
Here's a breakdown of reseller lingo (abbreviations) in case you're not quite fluent in the language of resale just yet. (These reselling abbreviations are most frequently used on eBay, but are also prevalent on Poshmark and Mercari:)
NWT means new with tags.
BNWT means brand new with tags. (Don't use this one - it's not mainstream, and customers find it confusing.)
NWOT means new without tags.
NIB means new in box. (NIB typically refers to shoes, but I recommend using NWT instead. NWT is more well-known and a common search and/or tag.)
EUC means excellent used condition.
VGUC means very good used condition.
GUC means good used condition.
FUC means fair used condition.
In addition, wiggle room in reselling pricing is a must. The vast majority of resale buyers will NOT pay asking price for items on resale sites. So, whether you extend an offer or accept one from a customer, you'll want to price the item with room to decrease your price by $10 at the very least.
"Should I sell my stuff on multiple reselling websites or resale apps?"
Whether you should expand your resale business to more than one platform comes down to how much time and effort you're planning to devote to your resale side hustle.
Cross listing on multiple resale websites will provide access to a lot more buyers and will also likely lead to more sales.
But, cross listing is way more work. I would only recommend cross listing on several resale platforms if you plan to maintain an inventory of at least 50 items.
In my case, I begin by listing my items on eBay since it requires more item specifics than other reselling sites - i.e. oodles of additional time to complete the numerous fields.
(Even though filling in so many eBay item specifics is somewhat maddening, I do recommend providing as many listing details as possible - customers actually search for that info, and those pesky eBay item specifics do in fact generate sales.)
After I list my items on eBay, I then copy and paste my listings in order to crosslist on Poshmark and Mercari. Since the listing process on Poshmark and Mercari is lightyears faster than the eBay listing process, I find this sequence is the most efficient. Mercari also has a new import feature which makes crosslisting to Mercari a piece of cake.
I did use a crosslisting service for a while, but determined that the limited time savings did not justify the additional monthly expense of subscribing to a crosslisting website. (There were also frequently mistakes in the crosslisted listings.)
Ready and raring to go with your resale side hustle? Here's a reselling tip! Check out The Curious Columnist's Resale Tool Must-Haves for a shoppable list of all the supplies you'll need to start selling your stuff online!
I don't know about you, but I need a nap after this behemoth of a post. I hope you feel properly armed to pursue your reselling side hustle fearlessly.
Please feel free to put my contact form to good use for reselling questions or resale content requests! More to come!
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