Starting Reselling – What We Learned

Reselling has a lot of potential to become more than just a hobby. If you are interested in starting reselling, we wanted to come up with some helpful tips. These reseller tips are some things we thought would be good to think about if starting reselling appeals to you.

Track Your Paperwork from Day 1 

When I was starting reselling, I started out by watching how people sold. I was consciously looking for a side hustle with thoughts of a career change hovering as what felt like an unrealistic fantasy in the back of my mind.  I began selling out of my closet. Then, I started to buy large amounts of things in my size at thrift stores without trying them on and selling the ones I didn’t keep. It was hard to decide when to start “business paperwork”, and more complicated due to the wait. I had to reconstruct records for all of my early inventory. 

I suggest you think about things like setting up as an LLC and establishing a business banking account as soon as possible. If I had set up and been consistently keeping inventory and accounting records from day 1, I know it would have been easier. 

Don’t Be In Too Much Of A Hurry To Accumulate Merchandise 

When I first started reselling I became a member of lots of reseller groups.  People in these buy merchandise (source) at all different average prices and types of places. Some hobby sellers don’t mind making less per item than someone who counts on the income.  I started modeling on what I was reading and bought a lot of things too high before I learned. The other thing I learned is there are few absolutes in resale.  You should always pick up new with tag items. Unless they are department store brands. Get Ralph Lauren purple label. Don’t get Ralph Lauren Lauren. 100% linen always sells, but it doesn’t always sell fast or high.  There’s a lot to learn. If you shop too much too fast you end up with a pile of things you feel obligated to list but aren’t excited to sell.

Figure Out Storage

Most resellers have a story about how they couldn’t find something they sold. It is a horrible feeling.  The faster you can implement a good storage/inventory system, the better (and you can stop worrying about it happening to you).  It’s easy for items to accumulate quickly. Having a great system to stay organized from the beginning is key to stave off the overwhelm of playing catch up later on.

Take Time to Learn The Platforms

There are some things I prefer to sell on Mercari or eBay (things under 1 pound). Some items, I prefer to sell on Poshmark (things between 1-5 pounds that are allowed there). Other items, I save for my Vermont Antique Mall customers (almost all of my delicate vintage hats). There are also things I prefer to sell directly using Instagram, Facebook Marketplace or personal connections.  Learning what to sell where has made a huge difference for me. 

It also was important to learn how to make offers on each platform. How to run reports. How their search results come up. The more you know about the places you sell the more efficient you’ll become and the more you’ll make.

Learn to Calculate Shipping

I’m a fan of cross-listing. If you are going to do it, you will want to learn how to ship. I ship through eBay and Pirate Ship. Paying more than you need to for shipping adds up as the number of packages you send grows. If you don’t weigh and measure your items when listing you will most likely either overcharge your customer or lose money. 

Learn to Package Well 

Shipping costing more than it should isn’t always due to incorrect shipping calculations. While you want your items to be safe, you want the package to be as small as possible to reduce shipping costs. It’s an art. Put some time into learning it.  Don’t buy things to resell that you aren’t sure you can store and deliver safely. Learn to package things so there is no damage during shipping. Damage leads to expensive returns, dissatisfied clients, and poor reviews.

Really, starting out in resale comes down to organization and learning. Watch videos, follow Instagram profiles, read blogs (wink wink). Utilize every avenue available to form relationships. Network with people who have skills you don’t. Take what you learn and use it to create exactly what you want. Be patient with yourself, and never stop learning. You’ll be pleasantly surprised by how many new things you learn along the way!