I still have the screenshot saved in my "Favorites" album on my phone. It’s dated November 14, 2018. It shows a Poshmark balance of $452.18.
At the time, I was working a job that barely covered my rent, and that $450 felt like winning the lottery. I had spent the previous weekend ruthlessly purging my closet—listing old J.Crew sweaters, a pair of boots that pinched my toes, and a handbag I hadn't touched in three years. I didn't have a business plan; I just had too much stuff and not enough money.
That weekend sparked an obsession. I realized that the "junk" in my closet was actually liquidity. Over the last few years,I’ve scaled from a casual closet-clearer to a systematic reseller, moving thousands of dollars of inventory. But the learning curve was steep, filled with bad photos, worse sourcing decisions, and a few shipping disasters.
If you are standing in front of a pile of clothes wondering where to start, you are in the right place. Learning poshmark how to sell isn't just about taking a picture; it's about understanding the psychology of the platform.
Getting Started: How to Use Poshmark Without Losing Your Mind
When people ask me how to use poshmark for the first time, they often get overwhelmed by the interface. There are parties, shares, followers, and newsfeeds. It looks more like Instagram than a store.
Here is the secret: You can ignore about 40% of the noise on the app.
To start, you just need a profile. Download the app, pick a username (choose wisely, as changing it later is a pain), and set up your "About" page. Buyers on Poshmark like to know they are buying from a real human, not a faceless warehouse. A simple photo of yourself and a note saying, "I ship same/next day!" goes a long way.
The "Listing" Button The central camera icon is your money button. When you click "Sell," the app guides you through photos, description, and pricing. It is intuitive, but doing it well is how to sell on poshmark successfully.
The Visuals: How to Sell Clothes on Poshmark Effectively
We buy with our eyes. This is the golden rule. You can have the rarest vintage Gucci jacket in the world, but if your photo is dark and blurry, it will sit for months.
My Honest Failure: In early 2019, I tried to sell a batch of athletic wear. I took the photos at night in my bedroom with "warm" yellow lamp lighting. The black leggings looked grey. The neon pink top looked orange. I listed 15 items. Zero sold. I blamed the algorithm. Two months later, I re-photographed them in natural daylight near a window. They all sold within a week.
My Lighting Setup: You don't need a studio.
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Natural Light: Free and best. Indirect sunlight (not harsh beams) is ideal.
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Ring Light: If you work 9-5 and photograph at night, a generic 18-inch ring light is essential.
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Background: A clean white wall or a "faux wood" floor mat.
When figuring out how to sell clothes on poshmark, your "Cover Shot" (the first photo) is everything. It needs to show the entire item. Don't get artistic with weird angles yet; save that for the additional photos.
The SEO Game: Titles and Descriptions
Here’s where it gets interesting... Poshmark is a search engine.
If you title your listing "Cute blue top," no one will find it. You need to title it: "Madewell Whisper Cotton V-Neck T-Shirt Blue Size Medium."
The Formula: Brand + Style Name + Material + Category + Color + Size.
Use the description to cover your bases. Mention flaws honestly. If there is a tiny hole, photograph it and circle it. (I learned this the hard way when a buyer opened a case against me for a loose thread I didn't mention. I lost the case and the shipping cost).
Pricing Strategy: How to Make Money on Poshmark
The most common question is how to make money on poshmark without giving your items away.
Poshmark buyers are conditioned to negotiate. If you want $20 for a shirt, do not list it at $20. List it at $30. This gives you room to:
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Accept a $25 offer.
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Send a "Price Drop" notification.
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Run a sale.
Tool I Use: Before I price anything, I check "Sold Listings" on Poshmark and eBay. I also use Google Lens to find the exact stock photo of the item to identify the style name, which helps me gauge the current market value.
Opinion Statement: I believe "Free Shipping" on Poshmark is a trap for low-priced items. Since Poshmark takes 20% commission, if you sell a shirt for $15 and offer free shipping ($7.97 cost to you), you are making pennies. Let the buyer pay for shipping unless the item is over $50.
The Social Grind: Poshmark Selling Tips That Actually Work
This is the part that separates Poshmark from eBay. You have to be active.Poshmark selling tips always revolve around "Sharing."
Sharing your own listings bumps them to the top of the feed. If you don't share, your item from last week is buried under thousands of new listings.
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Self-Shares: Share your entire closet at least once a day. (I do it while drinking coffee in the morning).
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Community Shares: Sharing other people's items. Nice to do, but honestly? It doesn't drive sales for you. Focus on your own closet.
I use Closo to automate sharing my closet – saves me about 3 hours weekly. Before automation, I was getting "carpal tunnel thumb" from tapping my phone screen hundreds of times a day. Automation keeps my store active even when I'm busy with my actual job.
How to Sell at Poshmark: The Offer System
Now the tricky part... dealing with people. When you learn how to sell at poshmark, you have to develop a thick skin for lowballs.
You list a jacket for $100. Someone offers $40. It feels insulting. But don't block them. Counter at $85. Often, the lowballer is just testing the waters. I have turned $40 offers into $75 sales just by engaging politely.
Offers to Likers (OTL): This is a powerful feature. When someone "Likes" your item, you can send them a private offer.The catch is you must lower the price by at least 10% AND offer a shipping discount.
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Strategy: I send OTLs on Friday afternoons (payday). It has the highest conversion rate.
Logistics: How to Sell Items on Poshmark and Ship Fast
You made a sale! Now what?How to sell items on poshmark efficiently means having your shipping game tight.
Poshmark makes this incredibly easy compared to other platforms. They email you a pre-paid USPS Priority Mail label.
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The Weight Limit: Up to 5 lbs. This is huge. You can ship a heavy pair of boots for the same price as a t-shirt.
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The Boxes: You can use the free USPS Priority Mail boxes (red and white) found at the post office. Do not use "Priority Mail Express" boxes (blue).
Tools I Use:
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Rollo Printer: A thermal printer that prints labels without ink. It was a $180 investment, but it saved me from buying expensive ink cartridges.
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Poly Mailers: For clothes that aren't fragile, I buy bulk colorful poly mailers on Amazon. They are cheaper and lighter than boxes.
Managing Inventory: How to Mark as Sold on Poshmark
If you sell on multiple platforms (like eBay or Mercari), you need to stay organized. If an item sells on eBay, you need to know mark as sold on poshmark immediately.
How to do it:
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Go to the listing.
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Click "Edit."
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Scroll down to "Availability."
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Change "For Sale" to "Sold" (or just delete the listing if you prefer, though keeping it as "Sold" shows buyers you are active/successful).
Honest Failure: In December 2021, I cross-listed a vintage sweater. It sold on eBay at 2:00 PM. I forgot to delete it from Poshmark. It sold on Poshmark at 4:00 PM. I had to cancel the Poshmark order. The buyer was furious, and it dinged my "Ship Rate" stats. Now, I use Closo to automate delisting items when they sell elsewhere – saves me about 3 hours weekly and prevents that embarrassing double-sell scenario.
Common Question I See: How to Successfully Sell on Poshmark Part-Time?
People always ask me... do I have to list every day?
Ideally, yes. The algorithm loves consistency. Listing 3 items every day is better than listing 21 items on Sunday and disappearing for a week.
How to successfully sell on poshmark part-time:
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Batch your work: Photograph 20 items on Sunday.
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Drafts: Save them as drafts.
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Release: Post 3 items each morning while you brush your teeth.
This keeps your closet in the "Fresh" feed constantly.
People Always Ask Me: Is Poshmark Dead?
Common question I see... is the market too saturated?
Poshmark has changed. In 2018, you could list anything and it would sell. In 2024, buyers are pickier. However, it is not dead. How to sell poshmark items now requires better inventory.
Brands that sold instantly five years ago (like basic J.Crew or Banana Republic) are now "slow movers." Brands that are flying now: Hoka, Carhartt, vintage Y2K, Reformation. You have to pivot your sourcing. If you are still trying to sell the same brands you sold in 2016, you will think the app is broken. It's not; the trends just shifted.
Managing the Money
We haven't talked about the fee. Poshmark takes a flat 20% commission on sales over $15. On sales under $15, they take a flat $2.95.
This is high compared to some platforms, but remember what it covers: credit card processing and customer service. If a package gets lost, Poshmark usually refunds both you and the buyer. That protection is worth the 20% to me.
If you want a deeper dive into whether these fees are killing your profit margins, check out my article on Poshmark Fees.It breaks down the math so you aren't surprised when the payout hits.
Conclusion
Learning poshmark how to sell is a journey of trial and error. You will have weeks where nothing sells. You will have buyers who ask for measurements and then ghost you. It is part of the game.
But there is nothing quite like the dopamine hit of that "Item Sold" notification. It is valid, accessible income that requires nothing but the clothes on your back (or in your closet) and a smartphone.
My advice? Start today. Grab one item, take a photo near a window, and list it. You don't need to be an expert to make your first $20.
If you are ready to take this seriously and list on more than just Poshmark, you should read my guide on Cross-listing. It explains how to multiply your potential buyers by being on multiple sites at once.
And if you are looking for more places to sell specifically, my comprehensive breakdown of the Seller Hub
