As expected during a pandemic, the world of thrifting has been altered. Before Covid-19, many thrifted at stores such as Goodwill, Dorcas, or the Salvation Army to freshen their closet and homes affordably. With safety concerns and quarantine, shopping in person, especially for used clothes, is difficult. Online resale companies have solved this problem by providing an easy way to buy used clothes and various items from the comfort of your home.

Poshmark is one of the original resale sites and has become increasingly popular since March 2020. They are known for selling clothing, including name brands, such as Lululemon and Gymshark, as well as home decor and beauty products.

Similar to shopping online at a name brand website, listings include the price and pictures of items for sale. The only thing missing are reviews, but listers typically provide their experience with the item and any possible flaws in the description.

To search for a specific item on Poshmark, it’s best to utilize the customizable filters. The most popular of these filters is the “my size” filter for clothing items. Poshmark allows you to list your clothing size for specific items in order to narrow down your search. This feature is usually applied automatically once you’ve listed your size on your profile. It can be turned off by choosing the all sizes feature. If you’re looking for a specific size that is not your typical size, you can do this by first selecting the category of the item. The sizing options will then appear for you to select.

There are other filters available for use as well, such as color, price, brand, availability, and condition. Some items are brand new with tags and can be searched for by selecting the “New With Tags” feature. In listings this term may be simplified as NWT. A similar term, NWOT means new without tags. Another popular term is EUC, meaning excellent used condition. These terms will oftentimes be in the title or description of listings.

Once you find an item you’re interested in, there are several ways to proceed. Firstly, you could buy the item for the price it’s listed, plus the tax and 7.45 shipping added to each purchase. If you want to get the item for a little cheaper, don’t be afraid to make an offer. Using the offer button lets the seller know how much money you’re willing to buy the item for. Keep in mind that offers are binding. If the seller approves your offer, you are the new owner of the item.

When making offers, keep in mind that sellers are trying to make some quick money by selling their items and know the value of what they’re selling. Offering $20 for a $50 item is disrespectful to the seller. Try to put yourself in the seller’s shoes and think about a reasonable price for the item, maybe $5 or $10 cheaper than the listing price. If your offer is denied, don’t worry; you can always submit another offer. 

Some sellers might counteroffer instead of simply declining. A counteroffer consists of a higher price than your original offer but may include a shipping discount. This discount can be $5.95, $4.99, or free shipping. A shipping discount is something the seller must offer to you. You cannot offer a price with a shipping discount.

Purchasing on Poshmark can be extremely expensive when the shipping cost is added to the total. Unlike retail websites where everything ships from one place, items on Poshmark are sold from different individuals, so a shipping cost is incurred for every item bought from sellers. Although $7.45 may seem like a lot, especially for just one item, shipping is always expedited and should arrive within three days of the seller shipping it.

A way to make this more worthwhile is to scroll through the seller’s other listings. If there’s something else you’re interested in buying from that closet, you will only pay the shipping fee once. In order to buy two items at the same time, you’ll use the bundle feature. Adding items, all from the same seller, to a bundle is similar to adding items to an online shopping cart. From there you can make one big purchase.

Even if you’re not quite ready to make a purchase, you can still bundle items. This may prompt the seller to send you a personalized offer. There is a comment feature available on bundles, so buyers and sellers can communicate about items easily.

Once you’re purchased your item(s) on Poshmark, there’s only one last step. When the package arrives in the mail, it’s best to inspect the item to make sure it resembles the pictures from the listing. If it does, you must formally accept the order through email or the Poshmark app. If there’s a problem with the order, that can also be solved through email or the Poshmark app.

If you’re hesitant to shop with online sites like Poshmark for fear of being scammed, Poshmark has you covered. If your package hasn’t been shipped within seven days, you can cancel the order and get your money refunded.

Now that you know the ins and outs of online thrifting with Poshmark, happy shopping! Be sure to check out my upcoming article about how to sell on Poshmark! You can easily make money by selling unwanted clothing from your closet.