How to sell your clothes on resale apps, according to experts

Resale apps like Poshmark, Depop, and The RealReal are easy, inexpensive ways to sell your clothes, make money, and give them new life instead of throwing them in the landfill. Most platforms sell new, unused or used items, including vintage and designer clothing.

If you use it right, you can make a lot of money and clean out your closet. But if you don’t have the patience or know how to use apps, your clothes may never sell.

We spoke to expert sellers and buyers who shared their tips on how to get the most out of reseller apps.

Lilly Russell he had a full-time career and was one of Depop’s most sought-after members. Since 2017, he has made over 16,000 sales and gained 92,000 followers. Fresh out of high school, she was named one of Depop’s top five sellers for 90s and Y2K pieces.

“I started by clearing out my closet, and when I saw how quickly the pieces were selling, I knew I could make my closet a little bigger,” Russell explained.

Poshmark for sale Anna VanDeKerchove sells pieces that no longer fit.

“I was quick to resize, so I’m selling clothes that are already too big for me,” she said. “App shopping is a great way to recycle clothes in the world of fast fashion.”

The more you answer your followers’ questions about your clothes, the more likely you are to sell. They often ask for additional photos or try to negotiate a lower price.

“Offer discounts to likes and respond to inquiries in a timely manner,” suggested VanDeKerchove.

He also makes sure to be fair with his prices. “I ask myself, ‘What would I really pay for this?’ – He told.

Russell recommends cross-promotion on Instagram and TikTok.

“I market myself anywhere and everywhere, and it’s brought a lot of success to my business,” Russell said. “Marketing yourself is as important as marketing your products.”

Russell now has over 43,000 followers on Instagram. She maintains a schedule sourcing clothing and photographing for Depop while juggling content creation on social media.

“It’s hard to keep up with it all,” Russell admitted. “My best friend helps me deliver my orders and it makes everything go so much better.”

When listing items, please provide as much detail as possible regarding the material, quality, and color.

“The more accurate your description, the more ‘likes’ you get,” explained Poshmark seller Christina Romano. “As soon as I get the ‘like’ I’ll either send customers discounts on the product or ship to close the deal.”

Poshmark allows you to offer a discounted price on multiple products through the “bundle” feature.

“The most successful thing was offering customers deals as opposed to waiting for them to buy the priced item,” Romano said.

The quality of the photo is also important. Sellers are most successful when they include several high-quality images.

“I always take pictures of the front, the back, any label and brand logo,” said Giselle Diaz, a Poshmark seller. “Ensure proper lighting to show the true color of the item.”

If you don’t secure the sale right away, don’t give up. It’s important to stay consistent, even when online shopping is quiet.

“It can be stressful and discouraging to invest in stocks that hold up but don’t sell out,” Russell said. “You have to get through extremely slow weeks and extremely busy weeks.”

VanDeKerchove is often frustrated at The RealReal, where it can take months to sell an item.

“You also might not get more for the product than you would with Mercari or Poshmark,” VanDeKerchove added.

The brands that sell closest to VanDeKerchove’s original price are Peloton Apparel and Good American.

“It’s great to find American denim … and part of that is the high quality of the denim and how well it wears over time,” he said.

Keep in mind that most reseller apps take a percentage of sales. For sales under $15, Poshmark takes a flat commission of $2.95. For sales of $15 or more, Poshmark gets 20%. Depop and eBay both take 10%. RealReal’s fee depends on what you sell and can be as high as 45%.

Every reseller app has a unique audience. The RealReal and eBay tend to attract an older crowd looking for nostalgic designer pieces. VanDeKerchove bought a vintage YSL cashmere blazer on eBay for about $100, as well as vintage Kate Spade and Marc Jacobs.

“When I shop, I always look for the quality and authenticity of older products,” he said.

Depop has become popular with Gen Z from social media influencers like Avani Gregg who share their closets.

“Formatting Depop to almost look like social media is really smart,” Russell said. “On Poshmark or eBay, you have to hope that someone will search for the exact keywords in your listing to find your page. But on Depop, people offer them my items. You can easily see everything I’ve posted in one place, like an Instagram feed.”

Depop also inspired the younger generation to become entrepreneurs like Russell.

“If you had told me a couple of years ago that this would be my full-time career, I wouldn’t have believed you,” he said. “I don’t need a 9-to-5 office job to be successful. I just have to do what I love.”

Depends! Russell made most of his money selling 90s vintage Forever 21, Charlotte Russe and clubwear brands on Depop.

“A lot of people don’t know that Forever 21 and Charlotte Russe were founded in the 70s and 80s,” Russell said. “They have a lot of incredible pieces floating around from a time when their pieces were made with much higher quality materials than today.”

But the brand name doesn’t matter as much as the style of the piece on Depop.

“I’ve gotten the craziest vintage pieces, and the brands on them are almost never brands I would consider,” Russell said.

Romano said the products that sell out the fastest on Poshmark are well-known brands.

“The closest you have right now is from big brands like Old Navy, American Eagle and Stoney Clover,” Romano said. “All of these items sold out quickly and first compared to smaller brands like the ones I’ve gotten through Stitch Fix over the years.”

Take safety precautions when communicating with strangers, especially on Poshmark. RealReal is reliable because it handles the sale for you. But with Poshmark, communicating with customers can be dangerous.

“Never reply to someone who wants to have a conversation outside of the app,” said Poshmark seller Oljasa Novozhylova. “They may ask you to email them. All sales must be made in-app. Ban that person immediately.”

Novozhylova recommends including your address on the shipping label and proof of purchase.

Choose the most convenient platform.

“The easiest thing for me to sell is on The RealReal because they do everything for you,” Novozhylova said. “You get a dedicated account manager who sends you an SMS and makes an appointment. They will tell you where to drop off the items or even pick them up.”

RealReal takes all the photos, prices them, and publishes them. Novozhylova sold Louis Vuitton bags and wallets and Burberry shoes on the app through direct deposit.