The Ins and Outs of Reselling: Part 1 - Getting Started

The concept is simple, buy low and sell high, but there's so much more that goes into it and today I'm going to give you the lowdown.

So if you read my bio, you know I've sold my own items, but only in recent years started purchasing items with the intention of reselling. I talk more about it in depth here. Although there are many sales platforms available today, this article will focus on the ones I have the most first-hand experience with: Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, Mercari, and Poshmark.

I suggest starting by experimenting with selling your own unwanted items to become familiar with the listing process, record-keeping, and to attract followers on your chosen sales platforms. This will help you establish an audience for when you decide to buy items for resale, whether it's larger items for local pick-up on Marketplace or Craigslist, or smaller items for shipping on other sales platforms.

If you're diving into the world of shipping items, let me share a little secret with you: getting a postage scale is an absolute game-changer! Avoid mishaps like using your bathroom scale or playing a guessing game with weights. Errors are sure to happen! Invest in a postage scale, and you'll thank me later. I've gone through a few scales myself, and let me tell you, the right one makes all the difference. This is similiar to the discontinued one I use, I love the big display and large surface area.

Trust me when I say I made many mistakes at as a rookie when it came to shipping. Mistakes cost money! For little money you can snag a quality scale that will save you from future shipping shenanigans. So, go ahead, treat yourself to a postage scale and you'll be off to a good start!

Be a shipping superstar🌟 and start collecting free packaging materials NOW!

Gather Free Packaging Materials Like a Pro

• Get boxes of all shapes and sizes

• Scoop up bubble wrap and packing peanuts from neighbors, friends, stores, free groups

• Collect boxes of all sizes from your own deliveries

• Sweet talk your way into getting free boxes from local stores

PRO TIP: Supplies take up space, it's a delicate balance between storing and living. You don't want to feel like you live in a warehouse, so don't overbuy, especially in the beginning. Start small and only purchase items that can be storaged out of the way of your current living space.

Don't forget to buy tape, tissue paper, and thank you stickers!

While I personally still have fragile items in my inventory that will sell one day and need to be shipped, I try to stay away from those purchases and instead have built a following selling linens. They're easy to ship in a poly bag (I buy all different sizes), less costly for the customer in terms of shipping, and much easier to store.

clear bins for resellers

Tips for Effective Storage Planning

When it comes to storage, planning ahead is key, especially for inventory buildup. Here are some tips to help you organize your storage space, again you don't want inventory to flood your living space!

1. Avoid leasing a storage unit initially and assess available space in your home.

2. Evaluate the quantity and type of items you plan to acquire.

3. Develop an organizational strategy tailored to your needs for easy item retrieval.

4. Consider using clear bins labeled by item, letter, or number for effective organization.

5. Sort and store with a system that makes sense to you.

   
   

Through trial and error, I have developed a system of organizing items based on their materials (wood, metal, fabric), aligning with my natural way of thinking. I store these items in clear bins with attached lids, which are placed in second-hand plastic shelving units to avoid stacking them on top of each other. To control the climate in my basement, I utilize a dehumidifier. As a result, there are no funky odors in my items!

After gathering items and shipping supplies, the next step is listing. Learn about the different platforms: Each platform has its strengths and different fee structures. Take high-quality photos from all angles, provide detailed descriptions with measurements, and consider using copy and paste for common details; i.e., from a clean, smoke-free home. Be honest about any flaws to build trust with buyers for repeat purchases.

To keep things easy use the convenient shipping options available on the platform instead of managing it on your own. Here's how you can make the shipping process hassle-free and cost-effective:

**Benefits of platform shipping options:**

1. Simplified process: You provide the weight, and they provide you with a label.

2. Buyers typically pay for shipping, but you can offer free shipping and deduct the cost from your earnings.

3. No need for a shipping contract or equipment: Sales platforms have already negotiated discounted rates with shipping providers, ensuring you get a better deal.

4. Minimal requirements: All you need is a printer and standard paper to print your labels.

For bigger items, use Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist for local pick-up. While the latter may seem like a dinosaur, people still use it, especially older generations who find sales apps confusing. When my employer did a massive renovation in 2017, I successfully sold ALL the materials that were destined for the trash on Craigslist! For meet-ups, do what is comfortable for you, whether that's a face-to-face handoff in a public place, porch pick-up with a hidden spot for the money, or ask your local police department if they offer a designated, secure spot for such transactions.

Personally, I do not accept payment through cash apps such as Venmo or Paypal. I strictly require exact cash only. This policy is clearly stated in my ads to avoid any unexpected situations. I also inform customers that I do not keep cash on hand, so they should come prepared with the exact amount as I am unable to provide change..

To achieve optimal reach, I recommend listing on all your preferred platforms. Just remember to remove them once the items are sold. Although this may require a significant amount of typing, retyping, and uploading pictures, I try to streamline the process by copying and pasting in the description area whenever possible. However, since the fields are not standardized, manual input is still necessary. The most time-consuming part of preparing items for sale is dealing with measurements, pictures, and creating listings. There are software programs available that can help expedite this process. I personally used Flyp until the free trial ended and found it did save time. However, considering the volume of listings I manage, the cost didn't make sense for me.

Lets talk about the pros and cons of each platform:

Craigslist is best for large items and only available for local pickups. It's a great resource for selling vehicles, but be prepared to weed out the scammers.

Poshmark is primarily geared towards clothing, although it allows listings of various items. The platform requires active engagement from users, as it is not suited for a "list and forget" strategy. To increase visibility, users must consistently share their listings, participate in sharing other users' items, join special "posh" parties, and gain followers who reciprocate the sharing. The concept revolves around mutual sharing to expand the reach of items. Poshmark charges substantial fees, including $2.95 for orders under $15 and 20% of the order amount exceeding $15. Shipping costs a flat rate of $7.97 for packages up to 5 pounds, with any additional weight deductions taken from the seller's earnings. Sellers cannot transfer this cost to the buyer. For luxury brands, authentication is mandatory, but it is complimentary for listings priced above $500.

PRO TIP: I've found that buyers on this site are particular about fit, and just listing the size is not enough. I used to get constant requests for various measurements. This devoured my time, pulling the item out, measuring, and updating the listings. So, if you use this platform, I strongly advise taking various measurements on all clothing pieces.

Facebook Marketplace is probably the most well-known sales platform after Ebay. You can either ship items or arrange for local pickup. I discovered that joining groups tailored to the items I was selling had a greater impact than just listing on Marketplace. The main advantage is the wide audience reach, with additional benefits from group participation. However, the downside is being reliant on Facebook, where customer service is unhelpful and often automated. Responses lack personalization and may not address your specific issue. Disputing decisions or actions made against you is nearly impossible. I have been struggling for three years to recover hundreds of dollars lost due to chargebacks from a buyer's husband who disputed the charges following his wife's passing. He retained the products without payment, leaving me with the loss of the items, sale costs, shipping, taxes, and chargeback fees. Additionally, constant deletion, relisting, and renewal of listings are necessary to maintain visibility, leading to listing errors and glitches. Facebook was not initially designed as a selling platform, resulting in frequent glitches as it has expanded. Despite these disadvantages, the selling fees and shipping charges are reasonable.

Mercari has been my exclusive platform for listing new items weekly for over a month now. This is primarily due to the issues I've encountered on Facebook as mentioned earlier. Mercari is also a set-it-and-forget-it platform, eliminating the need for renewing, relisting, or sharing listings. While the fees were once high, they have now introduced a 0% selling fee, allowing sellers to retain 100% of their sale price. However, there is a $2 fee when cashing out proceeds. I have interacted with their customer service on multiple occasions over the years and found them to be prompt and fair. Shipping costs are reasonable, and now, you can even sell larger items such as furniture for local delivery (within 40 miles) through Uber. Click here if you'd like to get started!

Although I haven't been as focused on selling lately, there was a time when I was processing and shipping 200-300 orders every month! While it required a significant amount of time to source products, create listings, prepare for shipping, and drop off packages, the financial rewards were definitely worth it!! My bathroom remodel is proof of that!

If this is something you want to learn more about, subscribe. In part II, I'll go into greater detail on record-keeping, sourcing, and resolving issues. You won't want to miss it!

👜👜 SHOP my Mercari 👜👜

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