Posted in Reselling

Let’s Talk About Mercari

I wasn’t going to do a specific post about Mercari, but recently I’ve received some questions- likely due in part to their commercial campaign that has been airing. (Have you seen it? Thoughts?)

If you are here, you are probably either already a reseller, or thinking about getting in the game. Mercari is an app that you can buy or sell goods of (almost) any type. This has always been one of the biggest pro’s for me. You can sell clothes, books, household goods, tools, toys, electronics, etc. The app itself is free and can also be accessed on a desktop.

If you don’t have Mercari yet, you can download it here. For a time, they are offering a bonus of $10 if you use my code – @33magnolia- or you can use this link: https://merc.li/efBv4Rb

Mercari has been around since 2013, starting in Japan before moving over to the U.S. in 2014. In 2015 they expanded even further into the U.K, although they have since pulled their U.K. operation. The CEO of Mercari currently is John Lagerling. John came to Mercari in 2017 and was previously on the management team of a little known app called…Facebook.

Let’s talk about the Pro’s of Selling your Items on Mercari:

  1. It is absolutely free to post items.
  2. It is easy to use.
  3. They offer several different shipping options.
  4. You can sell (almost) anything.
  5. There is no ‘social’ component, i.e. sharing, that is needed. (Think Poshmark)
  6. The fee on Mercari is a flat 10%.

Now, there are some Con’s of selling items on Mercari as well:

  1. The only way to promote your item is to continually reduce the price- which you can only do every three days.
  2. If you choose to promote items, you are limited to 10 per day.
  3. It is near impossible to search your store for a specific item without scrolling through all your items. (Mercari: PLEASE give us a search or filter option!)
  4. If you prefer to use their shipping (recommended for protection) , it can get pricey with heavier items. I typically only list heavier items (Coats, boots, tools, etc) if they are higher value, or I’ve had a hard time moving on other platforms.
  5. Funds take 2-4 days generally to transfer. This really isn’t a big deal, or even really a con for that matter, but since I transfer money once a week from all platforms, I notice the delay. Both Poshmark and Ebay (Paypal) are in my account next day. Mercari takes an extra day or two.

So HOW do you sell on Mercari? It’s so simple. Download the app.

Walk through the steps of setting up your account. If you have items to list, use the search function to see what it is selling for and how many are listed. When you are ready, start listing.

  1. Click the Sell Icon.
  2. Take or Upload GREAT photo’s and as many as you can.
  3. Create a title with the brand name/item name.
  4. Write an accurante description of your item, disclosing any flaws and highlighting special features. Mercari requires a minimum of 5 words- you should easily exceed that.
  5. Add three hashtags. Think of what word people would search for you to find your item.
  6. Complete all areas with a red asterisk.
  7. Choose your shipping method. Yes, this can be the tricky part for a beginner. See some shipping information here from Mercari: https://www.mercari.com/shipping/ .
  8. Set your price. Keep in mind people can & will send offers. Also, if you are offering free shipping, make sure you’ve calculated that in your price.
  9. LIST.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on the Mercari App. It seems they are making a push for 2020, and I’ve heard a lot of favorable feedback lately on this platform. It’s never been my frontrunner, but I’m encouraged to step this one up this year.

Do you currently sell on Mercari? Why or why not?

If not, are you going to give it a try?

Posted in Reselling

December 2019 Resale Stats- A Baseline for 2020

Just to test the waters, and to show you where I am starting from, I thought I’d throw up some quick numbers & graphics to depict December 2019 sales.

Now, as I head into 2020, I’m hoping to turn this into more of a full-time job instead of a regular side-hustle (thus why I am all the more intrigued by what the numbers show).

In addition to some freelance work done inside the home, I also work outside of the home about 30 hours a week. Reselling, is ultimately my *3rd* gig. Keep that in mind when thinking about the time & effort given.

I do plan on documenting that part of the journey as well, to see if spending more time on the business relates to more money in the bank. We will see.

For now- check out some stats from December 2019:

This is just a baseline and I will be using this data to show deviations month to month. There will be much more data looked at as we move on. I will be not only analyzing my data, but that of other resellers- both full & part time.

Remember- in addition to hard numbers as shown, I’m tracking activity logs daily. This will help in determining which activities are bringing the best results, and on which platforms.

So without further ado – Here we go- kicking off 2020 strong!

Posted in Reselling

Reselling Stats to Watch in 2020

Photo by Lukas on Pexels.com

Let me do the dirty work. I am analyzing stats and data and will share with you weekly, monthly and quarterly statistics.

These are some of the items I am watching- (comment if there is another area we should be looking at!):

  • How Many Items Sold Per Platform
  • ASP (Per item)
  • Method of Sale (Full Price, Offer from customer, Offer to customer, etc)
  • Brand of Item & Item Category
  • How many new Watchers/Followers/Likes, etc
  • New Listings Added
  • Promotional Activities Conducted (Sharing, Pay-to-Promote, etc)

There are reasons I am watching these items mentioned. The obvious ones – how many sold, ASP, etc- are important as they fall to our bottom line of profit. Other items- the ones that are activity based- I am watching to see how active the community is and how much exposure I am getting. Certain trends can lead me to adjust prices, or create more exposure for my stores.

Watch for the detailed weekly recaps on Monday’s, although this will depend on life happenings of course!

Monthly recaps will happen the first week following the end of the month.

Quarterly recaps will be up within 1-2 weeks after the completion of the Q.

I will also bring over some data from these platforms directly & hopefully bring on some guests to share their wisdom also.

Be sure to follow along & share your insights along the way too. The reseller community is known for their helpfulness, transparency and support of one another- let’s keep that going in 2020.

Let me know in the comments if there are other items you’d like me to monitor.

Have a safe & happy New Year’s Eve!

-Jennifer

Posted in Reselling

How do I Side-Hustle?

I realize that a quick introduction might be in order.

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

My name is Jennifer, and I am a side-hustler extradornaire. (Pretty sure that might not be the correct verbiage, but while I’m a hustler, I am not the grammar police. So no picking on my writing.)

I’ve been actively reselling for years- mostly as a hobby & mostly my own things. In 2019, I began buying things with the intent to resell- thus offically I began calling myself a “reseller”.

This blog will follow my journey in 2020, and will analyze data & trends in the reselling world.

Where am I reselling?

  1. Poshmark: I use Posh as my main platform for clothing, accessories, shoes & bags. If you aren’t on Poshmark yet, use my code for a $10 shopping credit! My Code: 33Magnolia (Also my closet name 🙂
  2. Mercari: For a long time, Mercari was my “everything else” platform. I now crosslist items from Posh to Mercari. While Posh is definitely the front runner here, Mercari comes in clutch for items that I need to move! Click here a FREE $10 credit also (limited time) https://www.mercari.com/invitations/?iv_code=FCCUDM
  3. Ebay: So many people swear by Ebay in the reselling world. I don’t love it, but it works for some of the more unique items and high dollar items. It’s important to remember that the Ebay audience is much larger than Posh & Mercari, so it’s worth dabbling in.
  4. Kidizen: Only a few sales hit or miss on this kids stuff resale app, but it’s so quick & easy to list, it makes sense to crosspost my kids stuff here too. I don’t do a lot of kids items, so that probably plays a role in my lower sales. But, I’m happy with one a month for now to help move the kiddie stuff along. Click here for a $5 credit when you sign up for Kidizen: www.kidizen.com and use the code- bgo4c
  5. Facebook Marketplace: Only used for larger items that would benefit from a local sale. Otherwise, this platform is generally a time-waster of messages & no-shows for me, but I do believe that different areas of the country vary!

That’s the gist of it. For now.

If you are interested in learning how to succeed at reselling on these platforms, be sure to follow this blog for updates! I will be discussing personal experiences, inviting other professionals & corporate guests to provide insight, and looking over market data.

Posted in Reselling

Preparing for the New Year

So. much. to. do.

Do you feel the same way?

I am working on setting myself up for the new year, and I want to do it correctly from the get-go. Here is my to-do list for today & tomorrow:

  1. Open new bank account for reselling business.
  2. Set up Poshmark , Mercari & Ebay (Paypal) to Transfer to new account.
  3. Finish inventory system update.
    1. Manually
    2. Digitally
  4. List as much inventory as possible.
  5. Ship any orders that come in.
  6. Order Free Shipping Supplies from USPS.
  7. Order Polymailers.
    1. My Favorites Are: https://amzn.to/2MH9AqK
    2. And this one: https://amzn.to/2QwjY5Q -Yes, I love animals 🙂
  8. Create a Schedule For January.
  9. Create Goals for January.

Like I said. So. Much. To. Do.

But, the best part is, my other business is slow this time of year & my (J.O.B.) is closed until January 12th, giving me so much more time to focus.

We got this.

Are you goal setting? Are you prepped to begin 2020 strong? Do you have any tips/tricks to share?