How I'm Consigning My Unwanted Clothes... Using an App!

I went through a period of time when I, uh, bought a lot of clothes. Like, a lot-a lot. It was mostly when I lived in New Hampshire & New Jersey, where I didn't know many people (read: any people) & got bored a lot. I had extra disposable income & zero hobbies, & so I just... went shopping.

These days, I like to think I'm more discriminating about my purchases. I'm more careful with my money, & I'm more comfortable in my very specific style, so I don't just buy stuff to see what sticks.

But what to do with all the many articles of clothing I bought back in the day that aren't my jam? I had a bit of an ego-crushing experience in consigning awhile back, which turned me off to trying again. But instead of just giving all my clothes over to Goodwill, I tried something else: consigning online.

Enter Poshmark, a consignment app. They never use the word "consignment" in the description - they just call it "shopping other people's closets" - but that's what it is, really. I first found out about it through fellow blogger Kate, who works for the company (& is, unsurprisingly, so well dressed).

Here's how it works: You list your clothing, accessories, shoes, purses, or whatever in your personal Poshmark shop. You set your own prices, & you can upload photos & sizes & all of that right there in the app, & then voilà - your listing is live. There's no charge to list items, like on Etsy, & there's no timeframe for taking listings down, like on eBay. The only catch is that Poshmark takes 20% of each sale. Yes, that's a lot, but for items I would otherwise donate, any profit is a welcome profit.

Once you make a sale, Poshmark sends you a shipping label (buyers pay a flat shipping fee), which you simply print out & affix to the package before dropping it in the mail. When USPS scans it in, you & the buyer will both receive tracking, & when the package reaches its destination, the buyer uses the app to either accept the delivery or to contest the sale. (That happens if there's some issue with the item, like a hole or a stain. If Poshmark decides their complaint has merit, the buyer ships the items back to you & no money changes hands.) Once the buyer accepts the item, money is deposited into your Poshmark account, & you can either use it for in-app shopping or have it direct deposited into your bank account at any time.

I've been using Poshmark for about four years now, & while it's not, like, some steady stream of massive second income, it's a nice little side gig, like an ongoing garage sale. A year ago, I made enough to fund a trip to Nashville for a friend's bachelorette party, & I'm currently saving up for... well, I don't know what for, but something indulgent, probably (like more clothes...) My stock of leftover clothes will eventually run out, but in the meantime, it's been a great way to make a bit of easy cash.

Oh, & I've bought stuff, too! I mostly use Poshmark to find items I love but need to replace, like the Target sandals I wore out or the Lauren Conrad blazer I wanted two of. And when I was in search of a navy blue bridesmaid dress, I bought four options on Poshmark - & just re-sold the ones that didn't work for me.

And no, I don't get anything for writing this post. I'm not in cahoots with Poshmark. I've just really enjoyed using this app, & it's brought me a nice little wad of side cash - so I figured you might want in on the secret! Isn't that the joy of blogging?

If you want to try Poshmark, sign up with code HMUGD for a $5 credit. You can also follow my closet at @heysuburban (they won't let me change my old username, ugh). Hope you love it as much as I do.