Full Disclosure

Here is the deal. You can sell almost anything, as long as you are completely honest about the condition. Of course, for branding purposes, you might not want your closet to be associated with damaged goods. But once in awhile, you might have an item that, while not in great condition, you know someone might want it.

I have made some great purchases, knowing in advance that they had imperfections. And I have been unlucky to receive a few items that were not well-described. My philosophy when buying is that unless specifically noted, I should expect the item to arrive clean, without odors, stains, or tears. In fact, this is pretty much the only reason I have ever given anything other than a five star rating. If the gorgeous DVF dress you have listed has an imperfection, I may still want to buy it. But if you sell me that dress, no matter how great of a deal I got, I will not give you a good rating if it shows up with a hole in it that you did not disclose.

One of my favorite purchases ever is a white North Face jacket. The seller noted imperfections, took pictures, and even messaged me after my purchase to make sure I read her description and was aware of the imperfections. It was a great price, and I was ok with the wear that she had described. I was so pleasantly surprised when I received it that the wear and staining were nowhere near as significant as I thought. Wouldn't you rather be pleasantly surprised than majorly disappointed? Of course the listing with the full disclosure is going to get a better rating.

Of course you will need to price the item accordingly, but you should be doing that anyway. You won't win over repeat customers with unfair prices!

I had a great buyer this week give me five stars on a necklace after I specifically offered to cancel the order for her. When I was wrapping it up, NWT, I saw that there was significant tarnishing on the back. She told me to ship it anyway. And then she came back with that rating!! Guess who now has a $25 credit in my closet? Yep, I like to take care of my customers. And I really did feel terrible that she purchased an item that had wear that I hadn't disclosed.

I also made a sale awhile ago on an item that was in pretty bad shape. But it was a cute little Coach purse and I couldn't bring myself to throw it away. I honestly didn't think it was even in good enough shape to donate. But I listed it, and made sure in the description to specify that it was in bad shape, but I thought I would take offers on it before throwing it away. Someone was thrilled to find that bag, and offered me $20 for it. Win win!

I also learned the hard way to shop closets from smoke free households. It is really hard to get the smell of smoke out of clothing, especially wool. I am ok with pets, but not everyone is. So it might be a good idea to disclose that you have pets in your listings if you do.

So what do you do if you miss something? You make it up to her!

I think what it comes down to, is that you want to set it up so that the only possible complaint your buyer could have is that the item didn't fit. And even that can be headed off by providing measurements.

No surprises, unless they are good ones! And always strive for good reviews and repeat customers.

Check out my closet at Poshmark.com/closet/corporatebarbie