Those of you who follow me on Insta know I fell in love with selling my clothes online. You also know it took me awhile to get to the place where I could sell on Mercari, the selling app that really streamlines the process and makes it as easy as can be. I want to share with you a step-by-step process so you can avoid my apprehension, start selling today and receive some cash for clothes you no longer wear or your kids grew out of.
What I want to do with this post is show you:
Before we get started, I recommend having a goal for your money before you get started. Just like I advocate having a budget to guide where money from your paycheck goes, it would serve you to know what you want to accomplish with this money. The money I earned from selling on Mercari went toward my house savings goal. Perhaps yours will be to pay down student debt or save for a vacation. Have a plan before you begin.
When I first started selling on Mercari, I sold six items in two days. I was excited to make $100 on those sales. In the past, it seemed like buying clothes was a one-way street. You spend your hard-earned money at a store, wear your clothes, then get rid of them, either giving them to a thrift shop or selling them for pennies on the dollar at garage sales.
Mercari now provides an easy way to recoup some of those dollars we spent on clothing. This is especially good news for those of us who have kids, because you know how fast they grow out of the outfits we buy for them. Selling on Mercari is a good idea because it can help put cash back in your pocket.
Here is a second reason why you should sell your clothing on Mercari: It will help you organize and declutter your life. When I went through all of my family's clothes, it felt so good. As you organize and declutter your clothing, use the ACT NOW method (it is useful for deciding on what to do with clothes, too).
A third reason is its simplicity. You might recall, when I started sharing my stories on Insta about selling clothes, I intended to use a different service. Many of you steered me toward Mercari, saying how you had success and it was easier. I feel at The Budget Mom, we are a community. It is not a one-way street. You learn from my experiences, and I learn from yours. It has been a great partnership.
So, when all of you told me I needed to sell on Mercari, I listened. And, because of my penchant for organization, I also streamlined some things and created the online sales tracker (you can never be too detailed, can you?).
On more thing to like about Mercari: Everything ships. No one comes to your house, and you don't go to their house. The seller and buyer never meet. You sell; it ships.
Ready to make some money on clothes (not to mention electronics, toys, cosmetics, shoes, and other household goods)?
Here is how Mercari describes the entire process: Sell it. Ship it. Get paid.
Mercari calls itself The Selling App. You can work sell on Mercari via the web, but the iOS or Android app will make it easier.
Be sure to sign up for Mercari, you can list items for free and start making money from items you thought you were going to have to get rid of, either by throwing them out or donating them to a thrift store.
Mercari will ask you “What are you selling?” This is the title area. Try to say as much as possible in 40 characters. If you are selling a name brand, include it. You might want to use abbreviations. Here are some common ones:
You will want to include the brand, the style, the model name, the color, the condition, the fabric, the size (consider adding measurements), whether it is used, and if it has any flaws or defects. When you bought it, what did you like about it? Feature what you liked. Include anything they need to know about the item. In the description, you have to write at least five words, and you have up to 1,000 characters. You can also add up to 3 hashtags.
Based on your title, Mercari will recommend which category your item should be listed in. You will need to make sure you agree with Mercari's suggestion, so double-check it. Sometimes you will not be able to find an appropriate one. If this is the case, then choose “Other” and do a good job with the title and description.
You will have a chance to add a brand name separately, but to capture attention and retain interest, be sure to use the brand name in the title and description whenever possible.
This is where you will let them know if the item for sale is new, like new, good, fair, or poor. Be honest so the seller knows what she is buying. This will reduce the chance of a refund.
Be descriptive. Is it pink? Mauve? Salmon? Coral?
We'll go into detail about how to ship what you sell a little later. But, when you list a product, you need to answer two questions related to shipping:
Mercari says when you offer free shipping, your item is five times more likely to sell. If you have purchased anything on Amazon Prime, then you know shipping is not really “free.” Those who sell items under the Prime program mark items up a little to cover the cost of shipping. This is something to consider.
When you sell an item on Mercari, you have three days to pack it up and ship it. While Mercari works to make the shipping process simple, there are several things to consider. You already know you need to decide about whether to offer “free shipping” or have the buyer sell. Other things to ponder:
Mercari will take a 10 percent commission on everything you sell. You don't pay to list your items for sale. You only pay the commission when your items sell. You will get paid when the buyer rates the transaction. You might be thinking, what happens if the buyer doesn't feel like it? Mercari has taken this into account. The buyer has three days to rate the transaction, and if it does not get rated, then Mercari automatically rates it as approved.
Mercari offers two ways to pay:
Mercari is a wonderful place to sell your stuff. Some women make serious money selling on this platform. This can be whatever you want it to be. It can be a place to get rid of stuff so you can declutter your home and make some quick cash in the process. Or, it could be a side light for you where you create a steady supplement to your household income. No matter which option you choose, here are some tips when you sell on Mercari:
As you know, I'm obsessed with organization and productive systems. As I started listing more and more items to my Mercari account, I found myself losing track of what I posted, what I sold, my fees, and my profit. It gets confusing if you cross-post items on other selling platforms.
You know I had to find a way to organize all of this. That is why I created my Online Sales Tracker. It's perfect for keeping track of your online sales, and where your items are listed. It also helps you keep track of what items you have shipped vs what has sold.
Get your free Online Sales Tracker in our Free Resources Library. You can sign-up or sign-in here.
Start earning money by selling clothes you no longer need when you sign up for Mercari.
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This was so helpful! I have felt kind of overwhelmed with the task of listing my stuff but I appreciate the step by step guide.
I wish we owned a ton of decent clothes to sell. I don’t think people would want to buy our used walmart clothes though, lol!
Thank you, regardless
Love love love Mercari! I’ve sold everything from old nail polish to my husband’s ugly sunglasses 😎 I recommend it to my clients as well! This is an awesome article that makes it easy for anyone to understand.
This article was super helpful! As a somewhat discouraged person trying to sell on Mercari my faith has been restored! I found your tips on creating price points for clothing items especially helpful. I have always felt like I was arbitrarily charging for items and never felt confident in my prices. Going to apply your methods and tips later today. Thank you, thank you, thank you Mike!
I downloaded the app yesterday to try it out! But when I go to list an item, I push the list button, and it says, Oops, Sorry for the inconvenience. Thank you for your patience. For two days straight!!! Am I doing something wrong?