I discovered Poshmark last year. At first I didn’t really like the app. However, I think it’s great that people are starting to see that buying used clothing and resale is a good idea.
Thrifting and Reusing
First of all, I am personally all about reusing clothes, shoes, bags, etc. Anything that extends the life of all the stuff we use is a good thing. It can take decades for much of the synthetic materials we use in our apparel to break down. The amount of water, energy consumption, pollution, and human exploitation that is part of our consumer based economies is troubling.
Poshmark
Poshmark is incentivising people to resell unwanted items from their closets while making money. The app allows me to search based on sizes, types of apparel, and brands. The buyer and seller also get to make offers to each other to get to a price both can agree to. Once purchased, the seller ships them to my door.
Recently, I have used Poshmark for eight transactions. I have been thrifting for quite a while and you can read my blog post I Love Thrift Stores to find out more about that.
Three Poshmark Experiences
Pretty Good Buying Used Experience
I began searching on Poshmark for Tommy Hilfiger jeans exactly like the ones I own but one size larger. Within minutes I found what I wanted. To get the full Poshmark experience, I decided to “bundle” to get a discount. So, I purchased two additional tops from the same seller. Within a week my order arrived at the rental home we are selling. One of the shirts and the jeans fit great. The second shirt was smaller than I expected even though I was provided “approximate” measurements. I will donate that shirt at St. Vincent’s Thrift Store.
Not So Good Buying Used or Resale Experience
Recently, while out snowshoeing I realized that my snow pants are not going to be good enough for longer trails. They were all I could find, a couple years ago, at a thrift store when I wasn’t sure how many times I would actually ski or snowshoe to really invest in the expensive outdoor gear.
Searching on Poshmark I found a couple options. I bought the gray Billabong pair for about 60% of the cost of the snowpants when new. When they arrived I was excited. Turns out, they fit great, everywhere except my thighs. All the back and forth with the seller about measurements and the pants still didn’t fit. I was able to resell these for a loss of $20. My new plan is to shop Patagonia for snow pants at the physical store – they are an eco friendly brand and I can actually try them on before purchasing.
Perfect Buying Used Experience
I wanted to replace the LL Bean hiking pants I bought years ago. Lucky for me, I was able to buy two pairs from different sellers. They fit exactly as expected and were very inexpensive compared to buying new hiking pants.
Poshmark’s Pros and Cons
What makes Poshmark great is that a cell phone and mailing address is all that is required to shop for pre-worn items in specific brands and sizes. The downside is the ability to get all the precises measurements needed. The site doesn’t allow returns for something that doesn’t fit.
Unintended Consequences
Poshmark, Plato’s Closet, and other high end, second hand shops online and in the real world have changed the Goodwill, Salvation Army, and other donation based thrift store experiences. When I started shopping in thrift stores during the late 90s there were always name brands, high quality clothes, and shoes available. There were a lot of K-mart and Walmart brands, too, but the stores had plenty of better quality items to find.
Not as much anymore. I’ve not found a single pair of Tommy Hilfiger jeans in my size at my usual donation based thrift stores for the last two years (in all fairness I only go about once a month). I started to wonder what was going on.
After spending a lot of time on Instagram, using Poshmark, FacebookMarketplace, and Thread Up I think I know. Some people that used to drop their used clothing at thrift stores are now choosing to sell online or in physical stores like Plato’s Closet and Savers (for profit thrift stores). As a result of these new marketplaces and so called “thrifting hauls” pictured on Instagram, people are shopping their local thrift stores regularly, buying up all the brand name items (including clothes that are not their size) to resell themselves.
Two Perspectives
This is great and a bummer at the same time. This is great for people making a small business for themselves. It’s a great way to make all the better quality items in thrift stores available to way more people than those that live nearby. I was able to search for specific sizes and brands on the Poshmark app so it makes thrifting much more convenient.
The downside is people in the community that need access to inexpensive and used items might be missing out. Also, I find the purchase of clothing that I can’t measure myself or try on in a dressing room frustrating. People without financial resources can’t afford to pay to ship clothing hoping that it will fit. There is a “no return” policy. You have to relist it yourself.
Final Thoughts
For the last year I’ve attempted to resell a items on Poshmark. I was successful four times. I found it tricky to have the right price and photos to catch the right attention. It may be easier for people living in a home with the storage space to wait more than a couple weeks for the riht buyer, though.
I will continue to use Poshmark for purchases when I want to replace something I already own or have a good knowledge about sizing. Primarily, I’ll continue shopping in the small and national donation based stores, from brands that are sustainable, and of course making some of my clothes, too.
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