About five years ago, I was looking for an easy, part-time income. I was looking for something fun and something I can do at home. So, I started to research on the internet. I was surprised to learn that people were making a living out of selling thrift store items (mostly flipping second-hand clothing) on the internet. I decided I would give it a try and picked Tradesy to sell my items. I started by selling gently used clothing out of my own closet. It was awesome when I made sales. I've since moved on from Tradesy and I sell on Poshmark, Mercari, Vinted and eBay.
The reselling apps makes it very easy to shop online. You can easily search for anything you are looking for by searching by category, brand, color, size and price. You can also save a lot of money by buying secondhand versus retail.
My on-line business has grown from five years ago and I currently have 253 listings on Poshmark. I keep my inventory small to make it manageable. Some of my inventory comes out of my own closet, as well as thrift stores. I also look for new items which I buy at discounted prices. I usually sell 1-2 items per week. No, I'm not getting rich but the extra money comes in handy.
I try to spend as little as I can on shipping supplies. I can get free shipping boxes at the post office for Poshmark orders. I also buy polymailers in bulk. Anything else I need, I buy at the dollar store. You also need a cell phone or camera to take photos and you need a laptop or desktop computer and a printer. For storing inventory, I use an extra closet, a drawer in my dresser and a small storage unit. I bought a mannequin at the Dress Barn going-out-of-business sale for $5. I'm lucky enough to have a mailbox in walking distance, so I rarely need to make trips to the post office.
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Inventory Drawer
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What are the drawbacks to having an on-line business? It sometimes takes a while to sell something online, but I can be very patient and I'm also not necessarily looking for quick sales. It also takes time and effort to shop for the items you want to sell and you have to keep an eye out for fashion trends and what the customer is looking for. Another drawback is lowball offers from buyers because some people think they can get something for nothing. Luckily, I haven't had too much of a problem with that because my items are reasonably priced.
Other than that, I absolutely love my side hustle, not only for the extra money it brings me but it combines my love for thrift shopping, fashion and selling. It's awesome to have my own mini store right in my own home.
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