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Reselling clothes online can be a lucrative side gig. Find out how one reseller made $3,000 in 30 days.
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Best. Month. Ever. That’s what my housemate, a professional reseller, told me after checking her eBay and Poshmark sales. Combined, she earned over $3,000 in profits in November. It’s her best 30 days of sales, period.
Here’s how she made $3,000 in 30 days:
She crosslisted to eBay and Poshmark.She created new listings consistently.She tracked inventory and sales.
My friend attributes much of her success to being a consistent seller. She runs her reseller stores (@Contempo Closet) for 20 hours weekly. She’s also a full-time mom of two, so she has limited time to spend online. Read on for a deeper breakdown of her reselling strategy.
1. Crosslisting to eBay and Poshmark
“That’ll sell,” she told me, pointing to my worn Halloween costume. I was skeptical, but she was right — the Spirit Halloween costume sold in less than a week, netting us $20. I was shocked, but that’s the magic of eBay, one of the biggest reselling platforms on Earth. Everything sells.
To reach a broad audience of buyers, my friend crosslists her items, posting the same item across two platforms. In doing so, she ups her chances of securing sales. When one item sells on Contempo’s eBay store, she quickly removes Poshmark’s sister listing, or vice versa.
Crosslisting boosts sales, but it’s time-consuming to double-post. My friend cross-posts her closet with List Perfectly, a crosslisting platform, to move things along fast. It’s an imperfect solution, but it helps, especially when she has tons to list.
Last month, 45% and 55% of her sales came from eBay and Poshmark, respectively. Without her Poshmark or eBay buyers, sales might’ve been much less. Folks like to compare Poshmark versus eBay for sellers, but it may be worth trying both.
2. Creating new listings consistently
Many members of the reselling community swear by the magic of listing consistently. One of eBay’s top sellers (@Bargainz Babylon) says, “I would list at least five a day, no more than 10 a day, and have more listings ready to go once you get through that 50 listings.”
“…any selling site rewards engagement and activity.”
Poshmark actively encourages sellers to list more. In any given week, 94% of sales go to sellers who have listed that week, according to a 2022 blog post. My friend lists at least five items daily, which takes her 20 minutes to complete. It keeps her stores visible.
3. Tracking inventory and sales
To earn lots of money, you have to sell lots of items or sell your stuff at a premium price. My friend does the former at Contempo. Her inventory includes hundreds of neatly wrapped apparel, including hoodies, dresses, boots, and bags. It’s easy to get things mixed up.
Popular reselling YouTuber Sandra the Mom Boss uses spreadsheets to keep track of inventory and sales. As your list of things to sell grows, having a go-to place to check names, prices, and listing information becomes more important. The alternative is losing track of items.
Lost items lead to canceled sales and bad reviews. Bad reviews are bad for business.
My friend uses a mix of Excel (free) and List Perfectly (paid) to track her sales. It’s a big part of her reseller routine. It also helps her track when items sell, are returned, and their value relative to similar brands. She’s used it to achieve Top Seller status on eBay, building trust with buyers.
Getting started with selling clothes online
Supporting two kids and running a business part-time is doable. The more time you spend on your business, the more you earn and the faster you learn. Soon enough, buyers will be whipping out their credit cards to buy your clothes at a good price (fingers crossed!).
Listing basics: New to reselling clothes online? Consider checking out eBay’s listing best practices. It’ll give you a head start toward learning about common problems new sellers face. And these tips will hold from your first sale through your first $3,000 payment.
My friend is excited to continue growing her business. What started as a casual gig has become a part-time side hustle that puts thousands into her checking account. It takes time to get started, but the results speak for themselves.
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