9 Essential Tools Every Poshmark Reseller Should Have
As a full-time reseller, I’m always trying to find ways to improve the efficiency of my day-to-day tasks. Running a business is hard work, so whenever I discover a tool that can make my life easier I’m like, “Sign me up!”
Believe me when I say—I’ve tried and tested just about every reselling gadget under the sun. But there are only a select few that I use on a regular basis. So…which ones are worth it? Keep reading to find out the 6 tools I consider essential for my biz that I can’t imagine living without:
FABRIC SHAVER
If I could only have one mending gadget in my reseller toolkit, it would be a fabric shaver (sometimes referred to as a de-piller or sweater shaver). Regardless—everyone should own one. It significantly extends the life of a garment by removing any nubby pills by finely trimming them with guarded rotating blades. It can take the crotch of yoga leggings and make them look brand new. Pilling sweater? It's no match for this small-but-mighty device! Since a fabric shaver can transform a raggedy garment and make it look nearly brand-new, you can list it for a higher asking price.
Just remember to use with caution—especially on thin or delicate fabrics. It has razor blades, after all, and if you're not careful you can cause snags or holes if the fabric gets caught. Just use your common sense! Don't be rough or careless, take it slowly, and you'll be just fine.CLOTH TAPE MEASURE
I couldn't live without my tape measure. More specifically—a soft cloth tape measure. Traditional tape measures are rigid, bulky, and can't measure clothing as precisely and flexibly as a cloth tape measure can. You definitely need one handy because I guarantee you will get comments on your listings requesting measurements for your garments. I like this one because it comes as a 2-pack with both a standard and a retractable version.
LINT ROLLER
I know you love your cat (trust me, I'm obsessed with my dog) but pet hair (and human hair!) has no place on clothing you are selling. Would Anthropologie still be in business if their clothes looked like they'd rolled around with a bunch of farm animals? No? Then yours shouldn't either! Do yourself a favor and get a lint roller. Don't worry about being a perfectionist. A few stray hairs never killed anybody. But if your buyer immediately notices pet hair straight out of the package, you weren't thorough enough. PRO TIP: if you do live with a furry friend, be sure to mention "pet friendly home" in your listing descriptions for allergy purposes.
PACKING GUN & TAPE
Y'all—I slept on this too long! I can be a real cheap ass, so I used to always go to the post office to use their Priority Mail tape gun (yes, I do realize driving to the post office for free tape is not actually cheaper in the long run). When I started scheduling a USPS Package Pick-up every day, I caved and bought a bulk pack of packing tape —and OH MY GOSH has it been a game changer! I also used to hand-cut every strip of tape with scissors until my boyfriend pointed out how inefficient it was. Moral of the story? Don't wait like me. However, don’t make the mistake of getting the cheapest one on the market. Here are the ONLY ones I would recommend:
Uline H-596 Packing Tape Dispenser Gun 3-Inch Side Load
Scotch H180 Industrial Packing Tape Dispenser
Uline H-150 2-Inch Hand-Held Industrial Side Loading Tape Dispenser
TIDE-TO-GO PENS
This is my all-time favorite stain remover because it's one of the few I've found that does not lighten or bleach clothing (a life-saver for white jeans!). Tide To-Go pens are great to bring with you to Goodwill because you can do a quick in-store test to check if a stain will actually come out (and avoid making a bad purchase). Tip: for personal use, a stain will almost always disappear if you apply it quickly after a spill.
PRINTER OR THERMAL LABEL PRINTER
This may be an obvious one, but a printer is a must-have. I have an HP ENVY 5055 and the reason I recommend choosing an HP Printer is because they have an amazing HP Instant Ink Program which is the most affordable ink option I know of. Ink can get hella expensive and if you're not careful, it can eat away at your profits. But with HP Instant Ink, pricing plans are based on the number of pages you print per month. For instance, it only costs $4.99/mo. to print 100 pages! That's insane!
Use code BCH7m to get 3 FREE months of HP Instant Ink when you enrollNot only that—your HP Printer sends a signal to trigger a delivery when your ink gets low and ships cartridges directly to your doorstep—so you'll never run out of ink again. Another money-saving trick is to have free 4x6 Priority Mail sticker labels shipped to you in bulk (a huge time saver vs. taping labels to every package).
All in all, a standard printer is a good option if you want a device that performs multiple functions and can print more than just labels. Here are my recommendations:HP Envy 5055 Wireless All-in-One Photo Printer
HP Tango Smart Wireless Printer
HP OfficeJet Pro 6978 All-in-One Wireless Printer
HP OfficeJet 5255 All-in-One Printer
If you're primarily printing labels and don't need all the bells and whistles of a standard printer, I've heard nothing but great things about thermal label printers. It’s a one-time purchase that saves you money in the long run because it uses heat technology to print so you never have to buy ink again. All you have to do is order label refills! I recommend ROLLO because it’s compatible with any thermal direct label—unlike competitors (I’m looking at you, DYMO) who force you to use their expensive, overpriced proprietary labels. Kiss expensive ink and toner goodbye once and for all!
TISSUE PAPER HOLDER
Some resellers ship their items “naked” (meaning without any tissue paper or protective element) and while I love how eco-friendly that route is, I’m still Team Tissue Paper. Not only does it protect clothes from snagging on the inside of a box—it also makes for an elevated unboxing experience. That being said, storing tissue paper can be a real b*tch if you don’t have a good holder. Fortunately, my boyfriend made me a custom tissue paper holder that mounts to the wall for easy access. Since I realize not everyone has a handy wood-working boyfriend, here are some alternative options I’d recommend:
SPREADSHEET
If you aren’t keeping track of your numbers (cost of goods, sales, gross profit, etc.) through a digital spreadsheet—whether that be Google Sheets or Excel—please do yourself a massive favor and start today. Having a record of your business stats is absolutely imperative—not only for tax purposes but also so you can determine at a glance whether your business is turning a profit (or God forbid—losing money).
CLOTHING RACK
I could not function without my handy dandy clothing rack. It allows me to batch steam and photograph to save time and maximize efficiency. If your photo station is in a different location than your office (or wherever you steam your clothes) I’d advise getting a clothing rack with wheels for easy transport. Below, I’ve gathered a variety of styles to help accommodate different needs:
Most popular: Simple Houseware Heavy Duty Clothing Garment Rack
Cheapest: Simple Houseware Standard Rod Garment Rack
White with shelves: IRIS USA PI Standing Garment White Clothing Rack with Shelves
Gold aesthetic: BOSURU Modern Clothes Rack Retail Display in Gold
Double Rail: Simple Houseware Heavy Duty Double Rail Clothing Garment Rack
Find this post helpful? Then you’ll definitely want to check out the one tool I love so much I wrote an entire blog post about it.
Get $10 when you sign up for Poshmark using my invite code: POSHTOPROFIT
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