Learning something new everyday!  Some "stuff" I just noticed on Poshmark.

I said before that I love the latest update from Poshmark.  It is much, much better.  I love how it looks and the additions they made like the easier to use tools and better-looking layout.

Today, I explored a little more deeply into things.  I love that we can now see data on each and every item in our closet.  This data can help me see what's getting shown, seen, clicked, and more.  

This is a gorgeous dress at what, I believe, is a very good price. 

I bought it at a Teen Challenge thrift shop.  I would not have even considered it because it cost me 15 or 20 dollars.  But, when your adorable grandson picks it out and feels very strongly that it will sell, what else is there to do but get it. And, I did.  My research showed its original price was $500. I listed it at $99 eventually.

It has had 201 Impressions which means it has appeared in feeds and ads that many times.  It has been listed longer than 89 days.  I edited it at least once by creating a copy, deleting the original and updating it.  That resets the days listed.  

It has only 1 like which is disappointing.  Only 25 clicks?  That means only 25 lookers actually clicked on it to find out more about it.  I've made an offer on it 5 times.  Guess that one liker is the recipient of all of those. 

What does all this tell me?  I honestly do not know except ask myself "What more do I need to do?"

I already share at least 3 times a day.  I respond to likes as quickly as I can.  I send a message to my shoppers only once a month because people do get tired of all the spam coming their way. I share on Pinterest every time I share to followers.  I put ads on Instagram.  And, I do this blog.

I believe my listings are presentable especially the ones with the virtual models I make with Photoroom. I also believe my descriptions are thorough and well-written. I am inconsistent with adding measurements.

However, I've sold 35 items and earned over $300 this month.  That's definitely an uptick compared to pre-changes to the app.

Overall, I am happy with Poshmark and will continue to sell.  I cannot spend all day sharing but I could do more than 3 times a day.  I need to update listing older than 60 days more often too. 

Want to join Poshmark?

It's easy.  I recommend downloading the app and it will lead you through the steps.  Be sure to use this code to receive $10 of your first purchase:

LEPROF_74

My closet: https://poshmark.com/closet/leprof_74?sort_by=added_desc&all_size=true&my_size=false 

See something you like in my closet? Comment that you read my blog and I will give you at least 25% off your item or bundle. 

My first big sale! I hope there are more.

A buyer bought a  bundle of 17 items.  Nice stuff too.  I did offer a huge discount but the name of the game is to sell and to make room for more inventory!

Some of the items were for two of my friends.  We have a good agreement.  They give me the items and I get 60% of the net and they get 40%.  When their earnings accumulate to at least $10, I give them their money when I see them.  It's a fun relationship.

I've been doing more of clicking on the blue follows and maybe that is bringing more people to my closet.  I share a lot until my arthritic fingers cannot take any more!

Who knows what tomorrow may bring.  But for today, I feel very good about my closet and Poshmark.  It has provided me with something to do that is fun and a little profitable.  

Please come shop my closet and you, too, may receive a huge discount on great stuff.

Update on AI- It can be turned off.  You do not have to use it.

Want to join Poshmark?

It's easy.  I recommend downloading the app and it will lead you through the steps.  Be sure to use this code to receive $10 of your first purchase:

LEPROF_74

See something you like in my closet? Comment that you read my blog and I will give you at least 25% off your item or bundle. 

Oh no AI!

First, I am not a fan of Artificial Intelligence.  As a retired teacher, I fear kids will not learn to think for themselves.  They already think all they have to do is ask Google! More cheating!

So, I had an upgrade alert on my app.  When I added another listing, it was very different,  Now, it scans the pic of your item and generates a description.  You still add all the essential info but it does fill in some for you.  Trouble is, it may not be accurate.

It may generate a nice, weill-worded description but it is very generic and trite.  It is important that the title and description say what you want it to say.

Example:  I added a listing for a bodycon sheath dress that was a floral pattern of yellow and orange flowers on a teal background.  I had to type in the title three times so it said what I needed it to say.

Another was a full skirted dress and the AI said it was assymetrical because the pic was off kilter.  It called it cowl necl. It had a shiny bodice and AI said it was sequins!  It is actually polka dot.

So, good rule of thumb, double check before you hit the list button!

It does generate a generic "this will be a nice dress for a wedding or special occasion"  Pretty soon, nothing will be unique and everything will be the same unless we continue to do our own descriptions.

I am going to add a few more listings tonight and see how this new addition to Poshmark goes.  Most likely, I will continue to do my own wording and continue to giggle at the AI descriptions. Sequins! Right! 😏

Want to join Poshmark?

It's easy.  I recommend downloading the app and it will lead you through the steps.  Be sure to use this code to receive $10 of your first purchase:

LEPROF_74

See something you like in my closet? Comment that you read my blog and I will give you at least 25% off your item or bundle. 

Better than Goodwill!

I spent the weekend at my Mom's house.  I miss her often.  It's great that I can stay in her home whenever I want.  It came in very handy when I started taking care of my grandsons because it is only fifteen minutes away from my son's house.

I like being on my own.  Making my own decisions.  Not having to worry what anyone else may want.  No second guessing.

I just chilled and did some sharing and following.  I added a few new listings.  I did go shopping.  Bought some things for myself for a change.

There's this store in my hometown called Label Shopper.  ( Label Shopper)  It's great.  Name brands for up to 70% off.  I found two sweaters, two tops and a pair of capri jeans for myself for about $20! (Liz Claiborne, LC Lauren Conrad) It could be a good place to source as well.  Sometimes, you may find things for as little as $3!  That's better than Goodwill!

I have also bought items for my grandsons from Spyder, Champion, Under Armour.... They carry home goods and clothing for men, women, and kids. I want to go back and shop some more just by talking about it!  Addicted to shopping much?

On the closet front, I went to the Curosity Shop on Saturday and found a few bags and one Cat's Meow item. Then, I took a road trip.  Just because I could!  It was cold but sunny.  I cannot wait for top down weather! I have a Buick Cascada convertible and love my top down road trips.  

On Sunday, I stopped at a Goodwill before going home.  I was there before they opened!  This man started pounding on the door five minutes before 11.  Wow! Can you imagine? Who is that impatient to get into Goodwill?  I did find a few items.  

There was a seamstress mannequin they had priced at $50.  It had a yellow label so it would have been 50% off.  I considered it because having a mannequin would help my items look better in pictures.  But, it looked damaged, old and really ugly.  So, I decided against it.

Then, I went home to the same old same old.  Not much happens after forty years of marriage and getting up in years.

So, a relaxed weekend.  It's nice to have that once in a while.

Want to join Poshmark?

It's easy.  I recommend downloading the app and it will lead you through the steps.  Be sure to use this code to receive $10 of your first purchase:

LEPROF_74

See something you like in my closet? Comment that you read my blog and I will give you at least 25% off your item or bundle. 

 An adventure and a lesson in sourcing:

I did go to Plato's closet on Saturday.  My plan was to stuff the bag with thin, small items as much as possible and get as much as I could.

So, I ended up with 14 items for $12.  Not bad.  I did not take the time to check labels, I should have.  Lesson learned.

I had 3 or 4 Shein items, a few IDK what they are items, and one ZARA sweater that may make up for all the others that I may not sell.

However, it came out to about 84 cents each item.  If I only sell the Zara sweater for at least $25.  I will still get my $12 back. 

Next time, I will take more time to look for labels and check the condition of the items.  

The salesgirl said that one of their sales is that you bring your own bag and everything is 90% off!  I cannot wait.  It will be so much fun.  I have a huge bag ready for it!!!!

Want to join Poshmark?

It's easy.  I recommend downloading the app and it will lead you through the steps.  Be sure to use this code to receive $10 of your first purchase:

LEPROF_74

See something you like in my closet? Comment that you read my blog and I will give you at least 25% off your item or bundle. 

 An unexpected frustration!

The other day I read a few articles on how to share my blog with social media and hopefully attract some attention.

Instagram, no problem.  I made an Instagram just for posting things from my closet separate from my personal one.  I did not want to mix the two.  I doubt my friends and family would appreciate all my posts about items in my closet. I do not post often but when I create something on Canva, it's easy to share on Instagram.

The problem was Pinterest.  Yes, Pinterest.  The never in the news, never controversial Pinterest.

I've had a Pinterest account forever.  Before AI and all the many sites on the internet to help teachers, I used Pinterest for finding ideas for bulletin boards, saving my favorite pictures, and dreaming about living in the South of France, Provence to be exact.

One article suggested making an ad for my blog and posting it on Pinterest.  I first explored what was already on Pinterest to see what other people had done.  Then, I went to my trusty Canva site and created an ad.  

I posted it to Instagram and Pinterest.

 Later that day, I received an email that my Pinterest account had been deactivated because I had violated the Community Guidelines.  I am one who likes to do good things.  I am not a bad person and when I get called out on something, I feel awful, like a criminal.  I feel like my dog, Nipper, does when she knows she's in trouble.

I had no idea what I did and still have not received a full explanation.  I am not even sure my ad caused the issue.  All they told me was that I may have been flagged for spam and directed me to read the review on my account.

Funny thing, when your account is deactivated, you cannot get into it to read the review!  Great system!

I emailed not once, not twice, not even three times!  The fourth time was the charm in this case.  I asked every time for an explanation about what happened so I would not repeat the same thing.

They did finally reactivate my account.  I immediately went in to read the report.  All I found in the review was:

Status:  Reactivated

Reason:  Spam

That was it.  Nothing else.  No report.  No explanation.

So, I read the Community Guidelines section on Spam.  Best I can figure is that Google Blogspot is not an approved partner and since I included the link, maybe that triggered it to flag as spam.

So, now what?  If I post again, will they deactivate my account again? Since they have not explained why other than to say "spam", I am very hesitant to post any other ads about my blog.

Here's a kicker.  This post about sourcing had more traffic than any other!!!

Man, sometimes you just can't get a win!  Maybe the traffic came from Instagram!

Want to join Poshmark?

It's easy.  I recommend downloading the app and it will lead you through the steps.  Be sure to use this code to receive $10 of your first purchase:

LEPROF_74

See something you like in my closet? Comment that you read my blog and I will give you at least 25% off your item or bundle. 

 

Why I engage in my Poshmark app several times a day!

It is simple, really.  Algorithms.  

Poshmark’s algorithm is designed to match buyers with the items they may like.  It uses keywords to find listings that shoppers are looking for. (I do not like ending with a preposition)  It is important to be clear in your listing and use keywords which help the algorithm understand what you’re selling.

Just calling an item a cute dress does not cut it.  Make sure to include the brand, color, size and as many words as you can to describe the item. You have 80 characters available, so use them!

Which one of these descriptions will get matched to buyers better?

LC Lauren Conrad faux suede pink jacket size Medium. Long sleeve Button front 

Or,

Nice pink jacket

Fairly obvious, yes?

The algorithm also promotes active sellers.. So, share often and answer questions quickly. If you want your stuff to be seen more, try to be on the app every day. (https://selleraider.com/poshmark-algorithm/ )

This morning, I woke up in time to see American Madison Keys win the Aussie Open Semi final.  What a match!  It was over two hours. She won in the third set tie-break!

I shared all 600+ items in my closet several times while I watched the match and held my dog Nipper in my lap.  An aside- Nipper thinks she is a lap dog but she is medium sized but likes to stay closr to me especially in the morning.

I also went through all bundles and made new offers on those I could.  After a month or so, expired bundles are available again to make new offers  Don't ask why or how, I simply accept that they are. Plus, some bundles may have items that have sold since they were created.  If you remove the sld items, then you can make a new offer on the bundle.

I find it easiest to go to my closet and click the bundle icon.  Then, go through all those for sale.  It will either say "Unable to make an offer" or it allows a new offer. I do this about once a month and whatever is available, I make an offer.

Bottom line- I do not spend precious time tryng to figure out the algorithm and how to hack it, I just engage as much as possible every day by doing some or all of the following:

1. Share

2. Follow

3. List

4. Update offers

5. Run a silent show

6. Message buyers

7. Welcome new Poshers

8. Check out other Poshers' shows

9. Add to stories (I use Canva to create these)

10.  Check progress

Want to join Poshmark?

It's easy.  I recommend downloading the app and it will lead you through the steps.  Be sure to use this code to receive $10 of your first purchase:

LEPROF_74

See something you like in my closet? Comment that you read my blog and I will give you at least 25% off your item or bundle. 

So, I chickened out on doing a Live show.  I will get there, eventually.

Here are three little things I have discovered that I have not seen anywhere.

1.  If you edit a listing, check that you've included the discounted shipping.  It often disappears when any change is made to the listing.

2.  Sharing items from your closet?  If you are sharing all items, the app will only select the first 40 items. Select all then scroll to the last item you want to share so it includes more than the first 40.

I often filter and share by categories so I can arrange the items in my closet the way I prefer.

3.  Type your own style tags.  It does not have to come from the list.

Now, three questions I have.

1.  What is the advantage of a tag list and how do you do one?  Is it worth the time?

2.  When you do a silent or live show, it is recommended that you mark all items in your show "Not for Sale".  This has to be done one at a time and takes what seems like forever.  Is it absolutely necessary?  Why can't the items in a show automatically be marked as "in a show" or something.  It would be easier for the seller.

3.  One of the reasons I hesitate to do a live show is because I do not know if I can multitask between the phone and laptop.  Why can't we control the show from the laptop so the phone can be used just as a camera?

I've noticed that some sellers have 2 phones and a laptop or a phone, laptop, and tablet.  Does it need to be that complicated?

Want to join Poshmark?

It's easy.  I recommend downloading the app and it will lead you through the steps.  Be sure to use this code to receive $10 of your first purchase:

LEPROF_74

See something you like in my closet? Comment that you read my blog and I will give you at least 25% off your item or bundle. 

 Today started with a bit of an issue but now I know what to do.

An offer on an item had expired and the buyer asked me to resend it.  Well, that is not something you can do, apparently.  

First, I asked Google and found a Reddit answer.  The suggestion was to edit the original listing's size, list, and then edit it back.  Then, offer it in a bundle. 

Didn't work.

Next, I made a copy of the original and tried adding it to her bundle.

Didn't work.

Finally, I asked the buyer to like the Copy and I'd send her an offer she could accept.

That worked.

Any editing ends the active offers and that is probably what messed everything up.

I'm just glad it worked.  The buyer was very patient and understanding.

Lesson learned!  If an offer has expired and the buyer wants another offer, any editing you do will end all active offers.  Making a copy of the original, deleting the original, and asking the buyer to like the copy may be the only way to resolve it.

I did contact support to ask what to do on the future.  I'm looking forward to seeing what they say.

Tips:  Or, what I've learned throgh trial and error Part 2

Tip 5:  USPS is my best co-worker, other than my husband and my dog Nipper!

The Post Office has every size box or envelope imaginable FOR FREE!  Yes, you can order from USPS or pick them up in your local Post Office. I use only Priority mail boxes or envelopes.  

Also, you do not have to wait in line with a gazillion other peoplw to mail your sales. I usually go inside the Post Office and put the packages in the drop box.  Or, I place them on the counter the cashiers have designated as a drop off. I have had a few people look at me like "What makes her so special?" but then they realize my package already has a label.

You can also arrange for package pick up through the USPS website if you prefer.

Poshmark makes it so easy to prep your package for mailing.  If it weighs more than 5lbs, you need a different label.  I've never had to do this but Poshmark provides directions if you ever need them.

Tip 6:  Package the sale nicely but no need to go overboard.  I wrap the item in tissue paper and include a nice thank you card that I try to personalize.  Occasionally, I will add a little surprise.  If I sell a purse or wallet, I'll add a penny for good luck.  Recently, I sold a tea light holder so I included a couple of tea lights.  Once, I knew I had screwed something up so I added some costume jewelry as a way to say, "I'm sorry." 

Tip 7:  Always have what you need to package an item on hand.  I keep everything on or under my desk.  All USPS mailers, packing and regular tape, lots of tissue paper, bubble wrap, any saved stuff from packages we have received like heavy duty paper, filler, etc., scissors, pens, and thank you cards.

Where to get the best deal on these items?

I have found Dollar Tree and Amazon to have the best prices.  It is also great that my husband has bought supplies for me.  It's a long story but he handled mailing items for me while I was taking care of my grandsons.  Since my Dollar Tree tissue paper and tape did not seem adequate to him, he bought tons of tissue paper, tape, and some bubble wrap from Amazon.  Thank you dear husband!  

Want to join Poshmark?

It's easy.  I recommend downloading the app and it will lead you through the steps.  Be sure to use this code to receive $10 of your first purchase:

LEPROF_74

See something you like in my closet? Comment that you read my blog and I will give you at least 25% off your item or bundle. 

Tips or  "What I've Learned Through Trial and Error"!  Part 1

There truly is plenty of trial and error but whenever a mistake is made, no biggie.  Just don't sweat the small stuff- it's all small stuff.

Tip 1-  Spend some time watching YouTube videos where Poshers explain "How to's"  and share their finds from rummaging the bins at Goodwill or even big pallets.

You may need to do some searching before you find someone you like and who is reliable. 

You can tell who is serious about sharing what they know and others who are not.  I did not need to buy anything from any of these YouTubers to start my closet nor have I to this day.  Just watch and learn.  Yes, I'm that nerdy person who took notes!

Tip 2-  You do not need all the fancy smanchy equipment to have a Poshmark closet. At least, not right away.   So, when you see other Poshers with all these fantastic gadgets, remember that you want to make a little money first not invest more than you make in fancy equipment.  Yes, I may be jealous slightly of those with a big room devoted solely to their inventory and housing a photo room, lights, mannequins, racks for shows and on and on.  But, I can maintain a decent closet without huge expense or space. I mean, I do have two racks, a gazillion hangers, and no closet space left. But, none of this cost me more than I had made.

However, do take your pictures in a well lit area.

Extra hint:  remove any lampshades.  They tend to "yellow" the light some and that is reflected in the picture.

Tip 3:   Photoroom is an extremely helpful app.  Download the app and use on your phone.  Start from a pix of the item you want to list and presto the app removes everything around your item. It has Marketplace oprtions.  I almost always use the Poshmark one. Export it from the app to Gallery on your phone and you have your cover photo for your listing.

Guess what? You now have a pix that is very nearly the same as if you took the pic in a photo box.

Tip 4:  Canva is a FANTASTIC site!  I do pay the 12.95 a month for this because I use it for much more than my closet.  I am a retired teacher so I used it for presentations, projects, creating bulletin boards....  I also use it for digital greeting cards, Instagram pics and stories, and, my favorite, creating digital "books" and projects with my grandsons.

You do not need to pay the subscription.  There's plenty you can do with the free version.

You will see in a person's closet where people have added a listing that is not for sale but provides information for the shopper.  For example, I have a listing welcomng you to my closet.  I have one that explains my offer on a bundle. I made all of these using Canva.   Also, in the closet, you can create a story just the same as in Instagram.  These are easily added by clicking the + sign on your profile pic.  Upload your item and then you can add text and up to five of your items.  They can also be used as the cover pick for your Posh Show if you choose to do one.

So, Canva is great for creating ads and stories for your closet.  It is awesome for creating original or using ready-made cards, invitations, flyers, presentations.... Well, you get the idea.

I recommend exploring Canva and you will see how easy it is to create your own content.  

Want to join Poshmark?

It's easy.  I recommend downloading the app and it will lead you through the steps.  Be sure to use this code to receive $10 off your first purchase:

LEPROF_74

See something you like in my closet? Comment that you read my blog and I will give you at least 25% off your item or bundle.