How to Sell On Tradesy
I have been selling successfully on Tradesy for over five years. While I do find that my sales for whatever reason on Poshmark are more frequent, I still think Tradesy is a great place to sell. Before I share my tips, I first wanted to share a few things I prefer about Tradesy versus Poshmark:
Less cheapskates! The culture of Tradesy is to just pay the asking price. Of course, I do get some messages sometimes from buyers asking for a lower price, but many of my sales are at the listed price.
Higher end clientele: I think you’ll have better luck selling designer clothes and more upscale, niche brands on Tradesy . That is not to say I don’t sell designer shoes and accessories on Poshmark, but in general I think the buyer on Tradesy tends to be more upscale.
No sharing, no parties, no B.S..
I think Poshmark and Tradesy both have their merits and I often will listen items I want to sell on both platforms to increase my chances of an item selling. When an item sells on one platform, I simply take it down from the other. Below are some tips to get started. I also recommend reading my Closet Clean Out Tips , The T&T 3Ps , and Reselling FAQs. Happy selling!
LISTING YOUR ITEMS:
I recommend taking clean photos that are well lit (take them in the morning).
Iron your items. No one wants to buy a crumpled up shirt!
BE HONEST. That is my number one piece of advice. If you aren’t truthful about the imperfections on your item, it will come back to bite you in the proverbial you know what.
I am extremely explicit when listing, for example “This is extremely well loved. The soles need to be redone. Priced to sell.”
Be sure to use important key words. For example, include the word “wedge” in the description when selling wedge. If you know the name of the product, include that, for example Patagonia Better Sweater Fleece. That will help Tradesy match your listing to a buyer. If you’re vague, Tradesy won’t know to include your listing in a relevant search.
Don’t use stock photos! I once bought a pair of shoes on The Real Real. They were too small, so I wanted to resell them on Tradesy. I used the photos from TRR in my listing. The seller was able to return them because they were not photos taken by me. I did not think that was really fair, but, be it as it may, now I always am sure to use only photos I’ve taken.
Important Note: If you have lower end items (Old Navy etc.), I would focus more so on Poshmark. I think you’ll have more luck.
SHARING:
Good news, you do not share on Tradesy!
SALES
You can opt into Tradesy promotional sales, and and you can indicate how much you’re willing to let them discount your closet.
You can’t pick and choose the items you’re willing to discount, so I opt out of the sales. It is a simple, one-time setting to opt in or out.
MESSAGING
You can easily message another user and have private conversations which is nice.
SHIPPING:
You have three options when it comes time to ship:
Tradesy can send you a shipping kit (label, pouch)
Tradesy can email you a shipping label. You will supply the box.
Ship using your own materials and methods.
I opt to have Tradesy email me a label. The buyer pays a flat fee of $10.50 and the label is emailed immediately. I find this is the best method as shipping can often be up to $20 if the buyer lives far away from you or in a remote area.
I find the shipping kit can take a while to arrive at your house, which can be frustrating for the buyer as this delays shipment of the purchased item.
Optional: Especially if you’re shipping something of high value, it never hurts to take some photos of the item right before you ship, including the packaging. I say this not to freak you out but it just provides an extra layer of time-stamped, photo evidence of the condition of the product and the packaging in case the seller happened to open a case claiming condition was not as pictured. I’ve never actually needed to use these photos before but they take about 30 seconds to do so no harm in adding this extra step. You can delete from your phone once the sale is complete.
DISPUTES:
If the buyer is not happy with the item when it arrives, he/she can send it back to Tradesy. Tradesy will review the original listing and assess whether the item matches the listing. If it does not, they will end it back to you. This is why it is so important to be honest and detailed in your listing. Would you want to feel scammed by another seller? No! So ensure your listing is clear so the buyer knows what to expect.
COMMISSION:
Tradesy will deduct a flat commission fee of $7.50 for sold items less than $50. On sold items $50 or more, they deduct a commission rate of 19.8%. You can withdraw earnings using Paypal, a debit card, or an ACH transfer.
PAYMENT
Full disclosure: Tradesy is slow to pay. They pay you 21 days after the item is delivered. Poshmark pays you 3-6 days after the item is delivered. The delay is annoying, but I’ve never had any issue getting paid after that 21 day period.
You can receive a check or do direct deposit. They do charge a processing fee to take the money out (Poshmark does not). If you leave the funds as a credit, you won’t pay that small fee.
I do not shop on Tradesy, so I always just accept the fee and move on with my life.
Overall, I would say my experience with Tradesy has been positive. I do not have daily sales (and sometimes have long dry spells) but I certainly still sell items (especially higher end) with success on Tradesy. There are additional blogs/resources online so I also recommend just googling Tradesy + whatever you have a questions about and you’ll likely find tons of information. This link on Tradesy is a nice primer too. Happy Selling!
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