The apps are the easy part. What's hard is knowing what a thing is actually worth, what to say about the scuff on the back, and whether the person messaging you is real.
Most of reselling is the same wherever you sell: you price it, you photograph it, you describe it honestly, you answer an offer, you get it in the mail. Learn those once and every marketplace gets easier. Where a number would go stale — fees especially — we tell you where to look it up rather than guess on your behalf.
When you're starting out, list a batch of items rather than just one — more listings means more chances to sell. Price your first few items to move so you build reviews and a good rating, which makes future buyers trust you. Ship fast, be friendly in messages, and keep adding new items regularly. Consistency matters more than perfection — a steady stream of decent listings beats one perfect one.
For clothing, shoes, and anything where fit matters, add measurements — they prevent the number-one reason for returns: "it didn't fit." Lay the item flat and measure across the chest (pit to pit), the waist, the length, and the sleeve or inseam, and put those numbers in the listing. Buyers trust a listing with real measurements far more than one that just says "medium," and it cuts down on back-and-forth questions. Inky can build a clean measurement photo and write the numbers into your description.
Always describe condition honestly and show any flaws in photos and words. Note stains, holes, pilling, missing pieces, or wear. Being upfront sounds like it would hurt sales, but it actually builds trust, gets better reviews, and prevents returns and disputes. A buyer who knows exactly what they're getting is a happy buyer.
A good title is mostly the words a buyer would type to find your item. Lead with the brand, then what the item is, then the details that matter — size, color, material, or model. For example, "Levi's 501 Men's Jeans 34x32 Dark Wash" beats "cute vintage jeans." Use real, specific words, and don't stuff in a pile of unrelated terms — on most marketplaces that can actually hurt how you show up. Inky writes a search-friendly title for you, and it's easy to tweak.
When a buyer shows interest, act fast while it's hot. Sending a small discount — even a few dollars, or covering some shipping — converts far better than waiting. Accept reasonable offers quickly; the goal is to keep items moving, not to squeeze out the last dollar. For very low 'lowball' offers, you can politely counter near your real price instead of declining — many buyers are just testing. Stay friendly; a good experience brings repeat buyers.
Good photos sell items. Use natural daylight (near a window is perfect), a plain uncluttered background, and fill the frame with the item. Take a clear front photo, a close-up of the brand and size tag, and close-ups of any flaws. Showing flaws honestly builds buyer trust and means fewer returns. Your first photo is the most important — make it your clearest, most flattering shot. Inky can clean up your photos and remove busy backgrounds for you.
Price your item based on what similar items have actually SOLD for recently — not what other sellers are asking. Asking prices are just hopes; sold prices are real. Look up a few recent sold examples of the same brand and item, ignore the odd very-high or very-low one, and aim near the lower end if you want a quick sale. When you're unsure, price a little lower — a sale today beats an item that sits for months. Inky can suggest a price for you from recent sales.
If an item gets no interest after a week or two, refresh it: improve the first photo, tighten the title with words buyers actually search, and lower the price a little. On eBay, ending and relisting is generally fine and can help — but don't end a listing that already has bids on it or is close to its end time, because eBay counts that against you. On Poshmark, be careful — deleting and relisting the same items over and over can get your account flagged, so prefer sharing your closet daily and sending offers instead of constant relisting. Patience plus small improvements usually beats frantic relisting.
Keep every sale inside the marketplace — that's where you're protected. If a buyer asks you to take the deal 'off-platform,' pay by gift card, wire, Zelle, or send money before you ship, it's almost always a scam — say no. Don't click payment links sent in messages. Take a quick photo of the item and the packed box before you ship, in case a buyer falsely claims a problem. When in doubt, use the marketplace's official checkout and support.
Ship within one to two days — fast shipping protects your seller rating and earns repeat buyers. Most marketplaces give you a prepaid label, so you just print it and drop the package off. Reuse clean boxes and poly mailers to save money, and weigh items so you pick the right label size. Always use the tracking on the provided label so the marketplace sees it shipped on time.
Every marketplace quietly scores you on how good a seller you are, and a strong score means your items show up more and buyers trust you. The formula is the same almost everywhere: ship fast (within a day or two), describe items honestly so there are no surprises, reply to messages kindly, and avoid canceling orders. Late shipping and canceled sales are what hurt you most. Do the basics well and your rating takes care of itself.
Listing the same item in more than one marketplace gives it more chances to sell — this is called cross-listing. The catch: when it sells in one place, take it down from the others quickly so you don't sell the same thing twice and have to cancel, since canceling hurts your rating. Keep a simple note of where each item is listed. One caution — on Poshmark, don't rapidly delete and re-add items as a trick to stay visible; just remove an item there normally once it sells somewhere else.
Different items do best in different places. Women's fashion and shoes do well on Poshmark and Depop. Almost anything — especially electronics, collectibles, and brand-name goods — sells on eBay, which has the biggest buyer base. Mercari is good for quick, everyday items. Facebook Marketplace is best for local pickup and big or bulky things. Whatnot is for selling live on video. Listing the same item in more than one place gives it more chances to sell.
If you sell enough, a marketplace may send you a tax form called a 1099-K that reports your sales total to the IRS. It reports what you took in, not your profit — you generally only owe tax on the gain over what an item cost you. Keep simple records: what you paid for items, your fees, and shipping. Tax rules change and depend on where you live, so for anything specific check the marketplace's tax page or a tax professional. (This is general info, not tax advice.)
Get these right and the rest is detail. The marketplace guides below cover what each individual site does differently.
Inky writes and prepares your listings from a photo — you stay the one who decides what goes live. We never hide an item's flaws.
