I’m so excited to share an interview I did with Julie from Casa Chic about clothing resale. Julie has been an eBay reseller for many years and she specializes in fashion items.
What made you start reselling?
Julie was a trial lawyer and her husband was a stockbroker. Although she loved being a trial lawyer, she was always very busy. She has two children of her own and she took three months of maternity leave twice. On the first day of returning to her job after giving birth to her second child, her parents found out that her nanny had lied, and Julie quit her job. They went from two paychecks to one paycheck overnight. Julie started selling her lovely maternity suits on her eBay. Everything was put up for auction and sold within a week. Then she started selling items around her house.
One day, she was at a park with her mom friends and told them that she had sold a handbag from her closet for $300. They started offering her clothes from their closet and that’s how Julie started her consignment business. Her business grew through word of mouth and she made enough money that she didn’t have to return to law.
Currently, she works in law very part-time through consulting. Her children are grown and she continues to resell her business. Thanks to her resale, Julie was able to earn a full-time income while working part-time, and she was able to participate fully in her children’s lives by volunteering at her children’s school.
How has your consignment business evolved into resale today?
Julie has always said she’s not interested in anything she can’t fit in her car. She is generally a fashion reseller. When she started her consignment business, people would actually organize closets that had been full of stuff for years and years and give it to her. From there, you’ll be giving her a small amount of items every six months. She needed more merchandise, so she started saving her merchandise to resell. Today, Julie’s business is a combination of consignment sales and thrifting.
How have things changed since the pandemic?
Julie says the pandemic has made people of all ages feel more comfortable shopping online. Despite financial difficulties, Julie is selling better than ever. She said adapting is key. Julie doesn’t buy products she can find on Amazon or Target. She’s buying what people want and what people with disposable income would pay for. There are still people with disposable income, and they are increasingly shopping online.
Some of her wealthy acquaintances have surprised her with their second-hand shopping discoveries. It’s not because you can’t afford to go to the mall. That’s because the shopping mall is no longer working and there’s nothing to buy there.
Please tell us about your company’s business model.
Julie teaches her students to buy items for $3 to $5 and resell them for $30 to $50. One item should easily net her more than $20. If she sells five items a day, she can earn $36,000 a year as a side hustle. To earn $100,000, she would sell 15 items a day, making a profit of $20.
If you take your kids for a burger, you’ll be spending $100, so it’s not that hard to spend $50 on top. We carry some wonderful items, but only a few are designer brands such as Gucci and Prada.
How did you start Poshmark?
Julie says she wishes she had started selling on Poshmark sooner. She is always on eBay and she has two eBay stores. At one point, she also had retail stores in shopping malls and airports. They eventually got rid of them and she then joined Poshmark. Some months, Poshmark sales exceeded her eBay sales.
Which resale platform do you prefer?
Julie says eBay provides great customer service for sellers. It’s hard to call a real person on Poshmark, but when it comes to shipping, Poshmark is the way to go. Anything under 5 pounds is $8, so it’s a great place to sell heavier clothing. Julie also sells her products on Mercari.
What would you say to someone getting into this business?
Julie says reselling is fun, but if you want to do it as a business, you have to treat it like a business. You have to analyze it like a business. You have to be disciplined and consistent. It’s a good idea to start selling things you have at home and then sell things that interest you. It may not be suitable for people who are not interested in clothes or don’t like learning about clothes. . Choose something fun. For example, if you love golf, you can specialize in clubs and golf girlfriend apparel.
Do you recommend consignment sales?
Julie says consignment sales are a great way to add inventory to your resale business. Tell everyone: your friends, family, neighbors, hairdresser, school teacher, etc. They don’t have to live in a mansion. Everyone has too much stuff and doesn’t know what to do with it.
Most people don’t have the time, energy, or desire to put it online. It’s a great way to get inventory without paying upfront, which helps with your cash flow.
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Further resources
4 week procurement workshop
Find the high-profit item that’s right for you!
Free Workshop How to Turn Your Passion for Flipping Items into a Profitable Resale Business
flipper university
Download 47 Household Items to Resell Now!
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