How to Find Inventory to Start Selling Online!

I love to go thrifting and hunting for treasures! I've actually developed quite a knack for it, and can seamlessly and strategically maneuver through garage sales and Goodwill faster than you can say "hmmmmn, what to buy, what to buy"? :-)

So, today I am going to talk about finding inventory to start selling online! The portals I sell on are mainly Poshmark, eBay, Etsy, Letgo, and Facebook Marketplace. There are so many others like 5 miles, mercari, tradesy, blah blah blah. But, I try not to overwhelm myself! It can get out of hand if you let it. So, stay focused on a few sites that work well for you and that you are adept at listing on and get to it!! Also, stay focused on the type of things that you like to sell as each site is unique to certain items (Etsy for handmade and vintage, Poshmark for clothing and fashion items, etc).

The first place to find items is in your own closet, garage, kids rooms, etc!! Why buy more items to sell, if you have a jackpot sitting in your own house? I continually go through my closets and weed out items that I'm no longer "feeling the love" for :-)! And, my son who grows taller by the minute, outgrows his clothing at a ridiculous rate! Goldmine! I only re-sell higher quality items in brand new or very good condition. I list dresses, tops, skirts, pants, shoes, handbags, jewelry, sporting equipment and attire, small electronics, and similar. Kids clothing sells well, but it needs to be priced fairly low.

Next, I scour garage sales almost every Saturday morning. There are many apps you can download that show current sales in your area by zipcode. Plan your course the night before and map it all out! Then, you can truly be "the early bird who catches the worm"! I make sure not to be totally rude and arrive hours before they open, but, I do make sure to get there at least 1/2 hour before start time. They are usually almost setup by then, and I get first dibs on all the goodies! If you can find neighborhood sales, definitely go for those first!! I make sure to look over items carefully for stains, rips, loose threads, and smells that can't be washed out! Cigarette smoke is a tough one and though I have had luck getting rid of the smell after days of baking soda or vinegar , it's still hard to get rid of it all so I typically will pass if it smells too strong. Humidity spots in white items is another tough one as even bleach doesn't always get those stains out! Have your phone handy so you can look up current selling prices on eBay for items you think about buying. Why spend even a few dollars on a designer item that no one wants, or that sells for nothing online!

Ahhhh, the next great place are consignment stores! I head straight for the 75% off rack! Locally, I have found great fur lined boots that might not sell well in my area, but, they sure sold well on eBay!! So, don't pass on something because it is a slow seller in your area! I prefer consignment stores to Goodwill (though that will be next), because typically the items are in impeccable condition and don't typically have the "Eau de Goodwill" fragrance on them!

Goodwill has definitely improved over the years...and of course their prices have gone up too. They now employ people who are trained to recognize designer items and price them accordingly. No more Coach bags for $4.99! But, there is still a goldmine in there for respectable prices. Note that the Goodwills located in nicer neighborhoods, seem to carry much higher quality items! Makes sense since those folks are not going to drive far to donate their fabulous upscale items! Again, take time to look each item over carefully for damage! Brands that sell well for me are: Nike, Under Armour, Banana Republic, Ann Taylor, PINK, Coach, Michael Kors, Calvin Klein, Vera Bradley, DKNY, and similar.

Craigslist has been a great resource for me to find items! Of course you need to use caution as with any online sales site, so it is a good idea to meet in a public place. I have found all kinds of goodies on there and the best was a bag of about 20 Coach, Vera Bradley, Michael Kors, and Fossil bags that I paid $120 for!! Score!! I made my money on all of them times 10!! Most sellers are expecting to negotiate on price so don't be afraid to ask for a discount. If you don't ask...you don't get!!!

Friends closets are a fabulous place to find things. Plus, it helps them make a little cash and get organized as well. Offer to help them go through their things and see what you can sell for them. Then, either give them some fair cash up front, or, give them a percentage of what the item sells for after it is listed. I used to do this when I had my own retail store, but with customers that would walk in wanting to consign items with me. Many of them didn't want to wait 3 months to get their percentage, so I would make a cash offer up front and they would usually take it!

Platos Closet and Uptown Cheapskate are fabulous for finding goodies!! They price things low, but they get even lower as the weeks go by. They also have several baskets of $1 items, whoo hoo! Since these stores are designed around catering to teens, I always have great luck finding women's designer items by Banana Republic, LaCoste, Ann Taylor and similar designers that most teens couldn't care less about! The management took these items in hoping that they would sell, but, they didn't (at least for not what they wanted initially) and I get them for $5 or less!!

This last one may be surprising but I actually do well finding things on Poshmark and eBay to re-sell for more!! I look for brand new sellers and closets, as often times they don't know how to price their items well, or maybe they don't mind making just a few bucks on something that could have sold for much more? Anyway, you can filter your searches on each of these sites to find only the newest items. Do it!!

Sooooo, that is it for now. I am sure there are plenty of other places to find inventory, but these are the ones I use and they work well for me. You will find your own goldmines and learn how to scour them quickly in time. Feel free to leave a comment or question and I will do my best to answer.

Happy Hunting!!!

eBay Verses Poshmark?

I am often asked about my experience selling online. Though I've been an eBay Top-Rated Seller for 16 years and have had very positive experiences (for the most part) during that time, I've recently discovered Poshmark, and I must say, I love it! Though Poshmark is not as "user-friendly" as eBay, I've still been very pleased with my experience and actually prefer it to eBay.

I have been both a seller, and a buyer on eBay. Much has changed over the years as eBay strives to refine its practices and policies. The feedback system was a pioneer in the eCommerce industry when it first rolled out, and has since been copied by many other online selling sites. It partners with Paypal which makes things even smoother, and the buyer protection programs in place are phenomenal. I have often thought that the seller protection could be better, but for the most part, it works.

There are many aspects of eBay that I find "user-friendly". I will be talking about some of them now and hopefully it will shed light on the subject for those of you still perplexed about how to sell. There are many tutorials on there that will help "newbies" get started. Once you create your first auction template, you can save it to be used for future auctions...easy! You can either post from your computer, or if preferred, your mobile device. It takes a little longer than Poshmark to create your auction, but it also has more information available for potential buyers to see. They also have a Global Shipping Program that is available to experienced sellers with top ratings. This is a great feature as it allows you to sell to people all over the world, yet eBay handles the difficulty of greater shipping costs and customs forms. You are able to sell a multitude of items verses only ladies fashion items and cosmetics as Poshmark states (new update 3/5/17 is that Posh now allows mens items, and kids items). Believe me, I do see many "unsupported" items for sale on Poshmark, but it is because the moderators haven't caught them yet. The community is growing so fast, it is practically impossible. As far as fees go, they are both just about the same. Posh charges a flat 20% commission on all of your sales, unless it is under $15 and then it is $2.95 per sale. eBay has a tiered commission structure based on final sale price. They also stick you with Paypal fees, but they are minimal. I must say, I love that Poshmark generates a shipping label for you and you just print and ship. It costs the buyer $5.95 and sometimes that is quite high if it is just 1 item (new update 3/5/17 reflects a higher shipping cost of $6.95), however, other times it is a super deal! eBay definitely has more tools in place to fight against fraud and poor behavior. I have had lots of success when I call them directly and share my issue. Posh, on the other hand, has nothing like that and it can be very frustrating. They have an email address, but it takes several days to get a response, and often times the response is fairly general. You can message buyers directly on eBay, but you can only leave public comments on Posh directly under a seller's listing. Search tools on eBay are 100% better than Posh as you can filter items by price, color, location, etc. This saves tons of time!

Ok, now I will share some things about Poshmark. Actually, many of these tips can apply to eBay as well. There are so many things to share and it is hard to cover it all in this short blog post! Before I started selling (which was just the end of Januray 2016) I'd read all kinds of reviews about it. I must say, had I just gone by what I read, I never would have started my closet on there! The reviews were horrific! But, many times people only post the negatives about something. I've seen that happen numerous times, even when I had my own retail store. Well, I LOVE Poshmark. I might not like some aspects, but just like a relationship, you accept the good with the bad :-). In the few months I have been selling, I've sold almost $1500 worth of items, have top ratings, and am one of their top 10% sellers! (New update 3/5/17 reflects a selling total of $8000 and still a Top Rated Seller!). This has been an exciting journey. It's been equally exciting to sell my "previously loved" items, and be able to use that cash to purchase new loves! I have gotten some fantastic deals and have met some amazing ladies. These are a few things I have learned, however, that have helped my sales and have given me valuable experience:

1. You MUST "follow" others, "like" other items, and continually add items to your closet, or at least "bump" up items frequently. It is all about "engagement" as this boosts your sales tremendously!

2. Take very clear, bright, uncluttered and as professional as possible pictures. People want to see things as if they were looking in a store catalog, not a garage sale ad.

3. Research your items before you list them! Look at what other 'Poshers" are selling them for, and price yours accordingly. Remember, people want deals! Don't be too greedy with your items, and be willing to negotiate!

4. Make sure you list your items as accurately as possible (note flaws, stains, rips, etc). Just like eBay, this will come back to bite you if you don't!

5. Link your closet to Pinterest, Twitter, Facebook, Tumbler, etc. This will boost your sales incredibly! You can also add a handy "closet widget" as I have on the first page of my blog that shows items you currently have for sale and will update in real time.(New update 3/5/17 shows that about 70% of my sales are from buyers who have seen my items through social media)!

6. Sort your closet as often as needed to bump "for sale" items to the top, and keep the "sold" items on the bottom. Buyers will appreciate this.

7. Don't list junk and old styles! Ladies prefer current designer labels and not things you can find at Walmart, etc. or that are more than a few years old.

8. Ship your items out within a couple of days. No one likes to wait a long time for you to finally send them their things.

8. Tag the buyer under the posted item they just purchased and thank them for the sale, also letting them know when it will be shipped.

9. ALWAYS have a "bundle discount"! You will DEFINITELY sell more this way. I do 20% off 2 or more items, and sometimes extend that deeper to change things up a bit. (New update 3/5/17 is Poshmark now allows buyers to create bundles and make an offer on it. I have sold quite a bit because of this as well).

10. Don't list items in your closet that are not Poshmark supported. Make sure you are clear about this beforehand. Take time to read the rules and best practices.

11. Pack your sold items carefully and with a nice touch. Wrap them in tissue paper, and include a handwritten thank you. You can throw in a "gift with purchase" too. You will get repeat customers this way for sure!

12. Make sure your items are clean with no odors like smoke or pet smells...AGH!!

13. Don't immediately reject an offer even if it is a lowball offer. I have had to learn this, as I initially would get annoyed and just hit "reject"! I've learned to always counter-offer, because many times they will accept it.

14. Make your closet appealing to the eye. I actually have mine color coordinated (my home closet is like that :-)). Ladies have commented on how much they like to see it this way.

15. Participate in Posh Parties and add your related closet items to them accordingly. This will also boost sales!

16. Follow others who have "liked" the same items you have. They will usually follow you back, and they will then be able to see styles that are similar in your own closet (provided you have some).

Well, I could keep going on and on, but hopefully these tips and this feedback will be helpful for now. Feel free to post any questions and I am happy to answer them (to the best of my knowledge). I wish you the best in your selling whether it is on eBay or Poshmark!!