When you think of sourcing goods to resell you should first think of hitting up your favorite thrift store right? Wrong! While thrift stores are great places to source merchandise for your online business, they can be a bit pricey and can increase your COG (Cost of Goods) quite a bit. Here are a few of the places I search first to find low cost items for my Poshmark site.
Your Own Closet
Remember that sweater your Aunt Susan got you for Christmas that never really was your style or the name brand jeans you grew out of too fast? List, list, and list!! I’m sure if you looked through your closet right now there are plenty of clothing items you haven’t worn in months that are just taking up space. If you don’t plan on wearing the item again, why not make a few bucks and clear out some space in the process? And better yet, because you did not have to source this item using money, the COG is virtually free! That’s a major win in my book!
Friends and Family
Next you should check with family members or friends to see if they have gently used clothing they are planning on getting rid of or donating. When sourcing through individuals you know it is important to be upfront with your intentions to sell the clothing they are providing you. If you haven’t already shared with them your new business endeavor, now is the perfect time! If you aren’t comfortable asking outright, offer to buy the clothing from them at a low cost. However you decide to go about it, you are likely saving them a trip to a donation center and growing your business at the same time!
Garage Sales
Oh my favorite summer pastime! If it isn’t garage sale season right now, it will be soon and you need to jump on those deals! People are often trying to clear out items from their own closet and to do so they are selling them dirt cheap. You may have to sort through lots of items, but I have found plenty of gems for just a few bucks. An important key to sourcing anywhere, but especially at garage sales, is to pay attention to the condition of the item before you buy. Nothing is worse than taking an item home only to discover a hole or a stain.
Facebook Groups
And finally, another one of my favorite places to source large quantities of items at a time is from Facebook! I am a member of all sorts of clothing and garage sale pages from my local area. Every so often someone will post on one of these sites selling a bag of clothing they no longer want for a set price for the entire bag rather than sell each piece individually. This can be a gold mine for you! Depending on how much is inside this could be a great way to keep your COGs reasonably low.
Do you have any other places you prefer to source inventory over a thrift store? Let me know in the comments below!
And don’t forget to use my code Currently Jess to start your own Poshmark Closet and save $10 on your first purchase
