So, you want to be a reseller?
I’ve been reselling thrifted clothing for six years now, and I can say from experience that it’s a great way to earn some money on the side and can also be a lucrative career. It’s up to you how big or small you want your inventory to be, what platforms you sell on, and how you source your inventory. Reselling is truly a job you can make your own.
Like most people who are launching a new business, you may be concerned about what the upfront costs will be to get started. There are plenty of things for you to invest in once your business is profitable, but when you’re just starting out, you can still make some sales without spending money. Here’s how:
1. Set up your shops.
In my personal opinion, Poshmark is the easiest platform to get started with because of how simple they make the shipping process. There is a flat shipping rate on the site, though this can be discounted by sellers, and you can use almost any packaging to send your items. Decide a name for your closet or store and try to use the same username on all platforms for brand recognition. You’ll also need to upload a photo. Simple logos are easy to make on Canva, where you can also create a header banner.
2. Clean out your closet.
Go through your closet and clear out some things you don’t wear anymore. Congratulations! You have free inventory. Everything you make from the sales of these items will be pure profit (your selling platform takes their cut, of course) that you can take to purchase inventory later.
3. Have a simple setup.
You don’t need a ring light, backdrop, or a dedicated office to take good photos of your items. Just find a plain wall with some natural light, hammer in a nail, and hang your clothing from a hanger. There are free background remover apps that can improve your photos even further. if you don’t want to hang the clothing, you can also use a white flat sheet or plain blanket to do flat lays.
4. Take advantage of free shipping supplies.
The USPS offers free shipping supplies that can be ordered directly to your door. All of their poly mailers (and SOME of their boxes) include adhesive, so the only expense here would be shipping tape, which you’ll also need to attach labels if you aren’t using a label sleeve or label printer. Note that if you are shipping via UPS or FedEx, you are not able to use USPS’s free supplies. Another great way to get free shipping supplies is to ask your local buy nothing group if they have extra boxes, bubble wrap, and packing paper they aren’t using.
5. Don’t worry about bells and whistles.
You don’t need to write every customer a note. You don’t need custom poly mailers that you adorn in cute stickers. You don’t need to give customers freebies. It’s easier and more sustainable to stick with the least amount of packaging you need in order to safely ship your item.
Have more questions about upfront costs? Drop them below!
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