For some, wearing used clothing is hella Josie-Grossie.

As a gal who’s heaven is rolling up her sleeves in 90 degree weather at a flee market and getting knee deep into trash bags of 1950s dresses, I can’t agree. (Although, I have thought, “someone smells like sweaty mofo mothballs,” only to realize it is me and my new uber cute vintage find one too many times to know “used” is CERTAINLY not for the faint of heart.)

Poshmark is the perfect gateway drug for girls down with scoring last season’s good good on the cheap, but not quite ready to use pit stains you know a dry cleaner can scrub out as a bartering tool.

Do:

Go for brands that usually fit your body.

There are no returns or exchanges on Postmark, so gravitate towards the brands you know your size in. Brands usually have a particular cut that they’ll stick to over the years and across all seasons. In addition, their fit models have a definite body type, so once you’ve figured out which brands use cuts that will flatter you and fit models that have similar proportions to your own, you’re golden.

Look for your favorite bloggers, podcasters, and influencers on the site!

You follow them and listen to them for a reason! Check out their socials to see if they advertise their Poshmark account. These folks are used to being super responsive to DMs if you have questions and usually don’t wear a lot of things more than once. Plus, chances of getting ripped off is way lower as they won’t jeopardize their reputation or follower numbers by being sketchy or untruthful about an item’s quality.

The creators of my fav podcast did a mass Poshmark drop and it was actually so fun to see listeners buy their discounted goodies and then post photos of them in the clothes re-creating the podcaster’s original Instagram.

Go for the trendy B.S.

Spend good money on really well made basics that you’re obsessed with and will last you years. The LBD. The perfect pair of high waisted black jeans. The comfy bra that some how also makes your boobs look extra perky. Empty the piggy bank for those dudes. The beauty of Postmark is that it has a bunch of trendy stuff that people got tired of wearing super quick. Buy it for cheap, get the gram, get over the trend, and pass it on to your roomie without a second thought.

Don’t:

Don’t buy anything more expensive than an amount you’re comfortable giving away.

There will be times where you will get the item in the mail and it fits so poorly that you will just have to throw it in the Goodwill bag. Never buy anything that you can’t just cut your losses and be able to completely forget about it in a few hours.

Don’t buy yoga pants, swimsuit bottoms, or slinky nighties. Ever.

You don’t want to mess with a strangers juju, do you?

Have too high of expectations.

Go into this the way you’d go into a flee market. Sometimes you hit a gold mine and walk out with THE PERFECT birthday dress and an armful of freaky fun trinkets you’ll be using to decorate presents all year. And sometimes… you come out with nothing but a great desire to wash your hands and the business card for a one-eyed psychic that chased you down at the food court.