Dallas woman has made $450,000 by reselling items online

A woman who has earned more than $450,000 reselling secondhand items online has revealed how she turned her side hustle into a lucrative part-time business. 

Ashley Peek, 27, from Dallas, Texas, started selling clothes from boutique brands like Free People and Lululemon on Poshmark when she was in college in 2016 and made $7,000 in two years. 

As the full-time accountant became more serious about reselling, she expanded her offerings on eBay and other platforms to increase her profits. She has already made $158,000 in earnings this year.  

‘I have made over $315,000 in earnings after fees on Poshmark alone,’ she told Good Morning America. ‘eBay adds an additional $120,000 since starting in 2020. Other minor platforms such as Tradesy, Depop, and thredUP added in about $25,000 from the start, making my total sales a little over $450,000.’

Peek started selling clothes from boutique brands on Poshmark when she was in college in 2016 and made $7,000 in two years

Peek now focuses on reselling mid-tier luxury and designer items. Her biggest sale to date was an Hermes bag that she sold for $4,999 — earning her a $2,000 profit. 

‘It was nerve-wracking to spend that much money on one item, but even early on I knew the value of these bags,’ she explained. 

Peek, who is known as @reclothcollection on social media, has more than 31,000 followers on Instagram, where she shares her top tips for reselling and the common mistakes to avoid. 

She also gives a behind-the-scenes look at her growing business on her YouTube channel and in her ‘Six Figure Reseller Guide,’ which she sells for $399 on her website. 

Peek stresses that people need to run their reselling business like it’s a business if they want to see success. 

In 2019, the full-time accountant became more serious about reselling and expanded her offerings on eBay and other platforms

Peek continued to grow her reselling business, and by 2021, she was raking in $8,000 a month

Peek told Good Morning America that she has already made $158,000 in earnings this year

She tracks her sales and expenses in Google sheets and uses the cross-listing service ListPerfectly to easily list items on more than one platform with a click of a button. 

The reseller edits her photos using the Lightroom and PhotoRoom apps and saves money by using free USPS boxes when shipping on Poshmark. 

Peek has credited her success to consistency and research, saying she wouldn’t have been able to grow her business without them. 

‘Taking time to educate myself about what items sold faster and at higher prices allowed me to start making $3,500 monthly consistently at month six of my reselling business,’ she told GMA. ‘That jumped to $6,000 monthly six months later. The consistency over the years allowed me to see what was selling well.’

For those feeling inspired by Peek’s success, FEMAIL has compiled a list of the best reselling advice she has shared on Instagram over the past year. 

Three myths about starting a reselling business 

Peek shares her top tips for reselling and the common mistakes to avoid on Instagram, where she is known as @reclothcollection 

The savvy thrifter insisted that you don’t need to know about fashion to start a profitable reselling business 

Peek stresses that people need to run their reselling business like it’s a business if they want to see success, which includes tracking sales and keeping an organized inventory

Peek debunked some common myths about reselling in one of her Instagram videos, insisting that you don’t need to know about fashion to get started. 

‘Everything within reselling can be learned,’ she wrote in the caption. ‘You do not need to have a fashion or business background to become a savvy reseller. I didn’t come from either background! But I have the curiosity and dedication to keep learning.’

She went on to note that ‘having good local inventory is helpful’ — but people can still have success without it. 

Peek explained that online sourcing is a great way to get inventory, saying: ‘You could live in the middle of nowhere and have a six-figure business.’

She also slammed the notion that reselling fees and expenses don’t leave any room for profit, pointing out that they are a part of ‘running any business.’  

‘With the right sourcing strategy, you can know ahead of time what you are making,’ she said. ‘It is possible to keep expenses low, and no matter what job you have…you are paying taxes. It’s just whether you have to handle it by yourself or not.’

Biggest mistakes to avoid 

Peek explained in another video that one of the biggest reselling mistakes that people make is ‘not evolving with current fashion trends’

Peek noted that platforms like Poshmark offer trend reports because listing in-demand items will lead to more sales for these companies

‘Knowing what trending means knowing what is selling!’ she explained 

Peek explained in another video that one of the biggest reselling mistakes that people make is ‘not evolving with current fashion trends.’

‘Knowing what trending means knowing what is selling!’ she wrote in the caption.

The savvy thrifter noted that platforms like Poshmark offer trend reports because listing in-demand items will lead to more sales for these companies.  

‘Don’t just pass over this info,’ she stressed. ‘The styles and keywords that come from trend research will play a big part in how quickly an item will sell if you list it.’

Peek recommended keeping a notes tab of everything that is trending and continuing to add to it when new things pop up

Peek added in another clip that people who are looking for quick sales should also avoid reselling items that are priced close to retail and are saturated online

Peek recommended keeping a notes tab of everything that is trending and continuing to add to it when new things pop up.  

‘Sourcing with these trends is especially helpful if your business model revolves around vintage or mall brand items as a lot of shoppers are looking to part-take in trends on a cheaper budget,’ she said. 

‘If you source more mid-tier/luxury items, shoppers may be looking to shop with trends by looking for specific styles.’ 

Peek added in another clip that people who are looking for quick sales should also avoid reselling items that are priced close to retail, basic pieces, items that are saturated online, and items with bad flaws.  

How to increase your profits by selling LESS

Peek now focuses on reselling mid-tier luxury and designer items

Peek shared on Instagram that she has managed to sell less this year and still double her income from 2021 by increasing her profits per item

Peek acknowledged that this led to higher costs upfront, but she is saving time and making more money with half the effort

Peek shared on Instagram that she has managed to sell less this year and still double her income from 2021 by increasing her profits per item.

‘I was actually working more time when I was making half as much because I spent so much time sourcing and gathering so many items that ended up taking a lot of time to process due to how much there was,’ she explained. 

‘Ever since I made the switch to acquiring inventory for better profits, I started to see much better results.’

Peek acknowledged that this led to higher costs upfront, but she is saving time and making more money with half the effort. 

The reseller added that hunting for items in secondhand bins instead of a thrift store is another way to decrease costs and increase profits. 

‘If you feel like a chicken with your head cut off at times [and are] not seeing the results you want, it may be the hard truth that you need to look into your business and see what changes make the most sense in order to increase your profits per time spent.’