I love fashion but live in a small town, so I’ve become a pretty savvy online shopper. And with being a stay-at-home parent, I search even harder for a good deal. I like Amazon and eBay (and posted about some great finds from those places), but I discovered yet another fashion gem: Poshmark!
Here’s how it started: I found a beautiful photograph on Pinterest of a toddler girl wearing the most adorable peacoat, and of course I decided I needed to get one for my daughter (I’m not going to post it since it isn’t my photo). It was quite the investigation! First I Googled ‘tan baby girl peacoat’ and other variations without any luck. I followed the pin, which took me to an article about baby names that didn’t even include the photo. I followed more pins with the same photo to other dead ends, like overseas places using the photo to sell cheap knock-offs. After more digging on Pinterest and searching by image, I found the original photo, which was for a photography business. I friend-requested the photographer on Instagram. That went nowhere. But the website let me see additional photos showing more of the coat, which had a cute bow on the back. I searched Google again adding the word ‘bow’ and tried different names for the color (tan, camel, etc.). Finally, the product image popped up…it was from the Gap! Well, of course it was. I loooove Baby Gap! I searched again adding the word ‘Gap,’ selected Shopping, and there it was, THEE coat. On Poshmark. In my daughter’s size, just like it was meant to be. I vaguely recalled seeing a Poshmark commercial so I figured it was safe to sign up. I downloaded the app (it’s free), signed up, and bought it immediately.
I hope you are impressed with my mad sleuthing skills (and how cute my baby looks in her coat, and her hat that I crocheted), but I digress.
I was so excited to find the coat, and so new to the app, that I didn’t know how to use it like the Posh Pro I am now, so here are 2 easy tips!
Tip #1!
After you sign up, select your sizes (it’s under ‘My Size’ when you select your username on the bottom right). I have my own sizes in Women, my husband’s sizes in Men, and my daughter’s in Kids. I didn’t know that for a long time when I first started shopping, and that would have saved me a lot of searching time! When it knows the right size, it will pull up when you search!
Tip #2!
The listed price is just the asking price, so you can make an offer! If you really want a listed item, you don’t want someone else to buy it, and the price is acceptable to you, then by all means, hit that ‘Buy Now’ button! But you can always tap the heart, which will add it to your Likes, and also alert the seller that you are interested. This very often prompts them to offer you a lower price (with discounted shipping too), OR you can always just make an offer. I made a low-ball offer on a pretty necklace and it was immediately accepted, so it doesn’t really hurt to try, especially when you are on a budget.
There is a misconception that Poshmark is only for luxury brands (probably due to their initial advertising), and while you can definitely find expensive brands, they are still expensive, and Poshmark has just about everything! To give you an idea, here are some things I’ve bought so far…
- Target swim cover up – $5
- Skechers athletic shoes – $15 (originally $40)
- Lucky Brand necklace – $15 (originally $60 – $70)
- Baby boots – $5
- Betsey Johnson Performance top – $20
- Banana Republic cardigan – $16
- White House Black Market pencil skirt – $12
You can also follow brands you like (and other Poshmark users too). If you have clothes or accessories you are never going to wear again, put them up for sale and see what happens! You can take photos of your stuff right in the app.
I have found exactly what I was looking for many times, and even with shipping, they still cost about half or less what I would have paid for them new in a store. Have you found any treasures on Poshmark yet? Let me know with a comment!
