Do you have items in your home you no longer use or clothing you have not worn in quite some time? Re-selling is a great way to make money from the comfort of your own home. Some moms are earning full-time income re-selling from home. If you prefer to have a company do the work all for you instead of you posting and selling it on your own; try Flyp, thredUP or Swap.
If re-selling virtually isn’t your thing; try joining your local re-selling communities such as with VarageSale. I prefer re-selling online as I feel it’s more convenient for me personally. You could even do a mix of both.
Consigning online is a hobby for me and I find I earn more profit doing it on my own. Now I use a mix of a few companies with my re-selling business I am working on. I took a few years off then quickly realized there was not many other businesses you can start for so low; or nothing at all for many people.
Working from home is something I enjoy. Saving money on transportation costs, wear and tear on my vehicle, and childcare is a major bonus. Rush-hour traffic, long car pool lines, and all that wasn't my thing. I have a lot of help but always just wanted to homeschool and be a stay at home mom. Re-selling is also good for moms who work outside the home since it can be flexible.
Having the flexibility to set my own hours and be my own boss is a great fit for me. The harder I work; the more I earn. It came down to consistency and finding great deals. I did make some mistakes in the beginning but at least I never lost a lot of money or bought things I could not eventually re-sell compared to other business ideas I tried that costed me thousands on inventories or business "kits."
I enjoy giving life to new items like children's gear, handbags, clothing; or finding new homes for cute interior decor items. Shopping for cool stuff; then re-selling it later could be in the future for you if you decide selling some things you already have is fun or worthwhile for you.
Give it a try but it is NOT easy for most. I find it more of a numbers game; the more I post weekly...the more I earn. If you want ten sales daily; post at least ten items daily. Your listings go up, you get more experience, and you learn what sells the best.
I like to re-sell items like shoes, clothes, and toys my child has outgrown...they get so big so even paying full-price for baby and toddler items isn't something I enjoy. That is another reason I love spots like Kidizen or Once Upon A Child. I can re-sell items.
Once Upon A Child is more of a cash upfront spot. You bring in gently-used brands they accept and they will offer you cash on the spot or a trade offer. You may have a location near you. There are mixed reviews from moms I chat with about Once Upon A Child. They can be picky but I understand; they get so many things so just cannot accept everything.
Clothes Mentor is a buy, sell, trade spot for women's clothing too. I still feel as if I make way more re-selling on my own but some people like my mom are shorter on time and prefer to use this method when its time to clean her closet out. Or she gives her items to me to sell :)
Not able to find things to sell on your own? Ask friends and family if they have garage-sale leftovers or items you can have for your new reselling small-business or hobby. I started off doing this for fun in order to get rid of items I hadn't worn in a year or more. Now I am able to have extra money for gas and groceries.
When it comes to selling anything; I make sure it is gently-used and in good condition. This will save you time and it wasn't profitable for me trying to sell items no one would want...such as things with a hole or fading on it. Perhaps a handbag with a tiny mark wouldn't be a big deal; but post detailed descriptions with the flaw and include an image.
I just like to use my own best judgment. I would not waste time re-selling something with a hole or visible flaws. A customer may complain or it just would probably sit a long time. Not saying people do not buy items with defects; it just varies on what you're selling I suppose. A luxury pair of shoes may still sell if a scuff mark is on the bottom where no one will see. I do make sure my items are clean and as wrinkle-free as possible these days.
I like Kidizen for children's re-selling. Clothing moms wear; including maternity can be re-sold there. It is a great spot to shop also if you are a parent or grandparent who loves shopping deals. I love buying and selling clothing bundles; they are great for play clothing or back-to-school time.
EBay, Mercari, and Poshmark tend to be what a lot of re-sellers who sell full-time use. I think most people will find the most luck with EBay due to its huge audience and popularity of course. Poshmark is my favorite because it seems super community-based and they have an optional yearly event called PoshFest with training.
The reason I recommend Poshmark and find it my favorite is their shipping. I can get free priority flat rate boxes to ship my orders. This saves me so much money on postage, tape, and more while running a re-selling side-business. That stuff adds up so I do not get burnt out using Poshmark even if my sales aren't as high as if I posted the same stuff on other platforms. With other platforms I am paying for bubble wrap, poly mailers, and a shipping scale came in handy for more accurate shipping pricing.
A wonderful spot for selling wedding gowns would be StillWhite. Be sure to let your friends getting married know about this site; a bride-to-be can save hundreds or maybe thousands of dollars purchasing a consigned gown. Who knows? A lady may also want to consign her dress after the wedding day. Queenly has attire for brides, wedding guests, and those parties like a bachelorette celebration. Why not find something for a good deal?
A great spot for re-selling prom dresses, cocktail dresses, semi-formal wear, pageant wear, and even nice jumpsuits would be Queenly.
Why would people buy the stuff you may want to sell? Many are looking for good deals or unique items. Some people may even live in areas without much shopping options so love consignment or boutique-style shopping online.
When you do start re-selling try to take your images in good lighting or open a window next to you during the day time to take advantage of natural lighting. Now I include measurements on most of my clothing listings but it is not something I did at first. When you get an order; ship promptly and try to get great reviews. It helps with future sales when users see nice reviews. I include a thank-you card with my orders and wrap them in white tissue paper.
I also enjoy fashion blogging as a supplemental income. If re-selling is just not your thing but you love fashion or writing; look into it HERE. Basically fashion bloggers can post fashion and accessories they love or brands they want to promote. Some gain sponsorships or use strictly affiliate marketing with fashion brands.
You do not have to use blogging or social media to promote your listings but I find it helps if you are doing this more long-term. Many platforms allow you to share listings on social media platforms; so why not?
You probably wonder where re-sellers get items to sell once they run out of items of their own. Well; you can budget and re-invest in your business by finding deal days at second-hand shops. You may want to try garage sales or outlet bins thrift shops have. Everyone has different places in their area...or not much of a variety. If you do not have thrift shops with low deals (I try getting items around $1 a piece if you're newer) then you may have to drive to other cities.
A lot of thrift shops near me aren't so cheap so I only get items I think I could profit over $10 on. Many choose items that profit them at least $20-$30. I just get items I like and feel like I could sell fast. Sometimes I am shocked at what sells and what takes quite awhile to do on.
Some re-selling platforms do allow you to make offers and bundling-style deals on them so just take time to play around, see what others are posting, and take images in clean areas when you begin.
Each company has their own rules, policies, and items they accept. I suggest not just using one; and trying two or three to post on. Start with posting 3 items a day then adding more. If you want to do this full-time; try posting 20-30 items daily.
To help prevent re-seller burn-out; do not purchase a lot of items if you already have tons you need to get photographed and listed. Just because you think it will sell; it may not for awhile so do not go overboard with shopping for your re-selling business.
When it comes to my thrifting technique; I tend to wait until I find those special deals like thrift shops with half-off days. I think brands like Victoria's Secret or formal wear sells best for me. I cannot usually find those items under $1 but I do tend to make more profit selling more popular brands.
Just because something is mall-store brands does not mean it will not sell either. For awhile I was selling a lot of those styles. Sure the profit was lower than selling designer bags but it was all I could find at the time and in my budget. You'll learn what works for you and what sells best for you overtime if you pay attention.
If you come across vintage items, band concert merch, or cool graphic tees you may want to try spots like DePop.
Another thing I did once I started re-selling a lot more was join a fitness center, make sure I got outside plenty, started listening to thrifting podcasts, and learned more time management skills.
It does not have to be overwhelming if you perhaps choose to list or source for new items Monday through Friday from noon to five versus every single day without breaks. That is hard for me but I am doing so much better. I do not feel as bad anymore when I take an off day; but sometimes when you find something so cute; you get excited to post it! :)
If you are a mom and later down the road start earning enough extra income; for a sitter to help out a few hours a week while you thrift; it could be helpful. This is not necessary but just an idea if you just happen to grow a larger re-selling business and it would help you out some. Especially for single parents or to do something nice for yourself if you need to go to a salon or make a post office run.
I do not think you even need a car to ship on Poshmark since you can set up those services where you get shipping boxes sent to you and your deliveries picked up. Another reason I always recommend Poshmark.
Some re-sellers like to brand their online shops with cute color schemes for example. Or perhaps a logo for their seller profiles but I would not worry so much about that if you are new to this or just trying it out.
A beginner re-seller should possibly focus on listing and learning what sells well for them. If you spend too much time "training," and creating this perfect space; you are wasting time on not really beginning or making the money you could be by listing.
Re-selling as a hobby, part, or full-time may not be for everyone and I totally understand. My ideas may not work for the next but this is my own personal experience so far. I genuinely love fashion and have tried a lot of other work at home ideas. I find re-selling more fun and overall my cup of tea.
All I can do is my very best and provide amazing customer service for my customers who shop from my online pre-loved shops. No business or job is perfect but I enjoy shopping; and I get to profit a bit from it. My goal is to make full-time income although I just restarted after taking years off thinking I would enjoy a regular job better. Fashion just seems to be my passion I learned after time.
If you prefer other things to do while you re-sell; I have heard of moms grocery shopping for families, baby equipment rentals, teaching virtually, or baby-sitting occasionally. Since I aim to be a full-time reseller I stick to mainly Poshmark so I can avoid traffic more and spend more time at time. It seems to be easy if you are already busy with other tasks like other business ventures, children, school, or homeschooling for example.
When it comes to getting paid; each platform varies. If you want to keep your money from re-selling in one little account try Chime or eventually open your own business banking account. It is a good idea to keep track of your monthly expenses or print out statements if you have them such as monthly reports from Poshmark.
Happy Re-selling!
Children's gear, toys, and clothing
