Four prom dresses. That’s how my journey into reselling began.

Not with a business plan. Not with an intention to start a side hustle. Just four formal dresses hanging quietly at the back of my daughter’s closet, taking up space and waiting for a decision.

These weren’t off-the-rack prom dresses. They were carefully chosen, mail-order dresses — the kind that come with a price tag significant enough to make you pause before donating them. Knowing what they originally cost made it hard to let them go without at least trying to recoup some of their value. For months, I’d glance at them and think, I should try selling those. And then I’d move on.

Eventually, curiosity turned into action. I started watching YouTube videos and reading reseller blogs, learning how people listed items on eBay. The process seemed straightforward enough, but starting still felt intimidating. Measuring, photographing, writing descriptions — it all felt bigger than it probably was.

When I finally decided to do it, I took measurements, snapped photos, and announced my plan to my daughter. She immediately suggested I list the dresses on Poshmark instead. I’d never heard of it, but I trusted her instinct. By the end of the night, all four dresses were listed on both Poshmark and eBay.

Once those listings were live, something shifted. The process wasn’t as complicated as I’d imagined. It felt accessible. Almost practical. So I started looking around the house for other things to sell. Books. Clothes. Odds and ends. My daughter’s SAT study book made the cut.

About a week later, I heard it — the familiar cash-register sound from my phone. The SAT book had sold.

That moment did something to me. Not because it was a big sale, but because it was proof. Proof that this worked. Proof that something sitting unused on a shelf could turn into actual money with a little effort and attention.

Over the next few weeks, I sold more items from around the house — including the prom dresses. And then I ran out.

That’s when thrifting entered the picture.

I started visiting local thrift stores, including Goodwill locations around Seattle, and occasionally stopping at garage sales. Sourcing items quickly became my favorite part of the process. It felt like a treasure hunt — scanning racks, checking labels, running numbers in my head, wondering if something overlooked by everyone else might be worth listing.

Every trip came with the quiet hope that something would lead to that familiar sound again. Not greed — anticipation. The satisfaction of spotting potential where others didn’t.

It took several months before I felt comfortable calling myself a reseller. Even now, I’m selective about how I talk about it. It’s not always easy to explain without it sounding like something temporary or unserious. But when people ask, I tell them the truth.

Reselling gave me more than extra income. It gave me breathing room.

As a single mom raising two kids, it helped cover the extras — school activities, trips, unexpected costs. But beyond the money, it offered reassurance. A sense of capability. Confidence that if things got tight, I had a way to figure it out.

Seattle’s thrifting culture played a role in that. There’s something grounding about sourcing locally — about walking into familiar stores, handling items with history, and knowing that what you’re doing is both practical and resourceful. It felt aligned with how I wanted to live: thoughtful, observant, and willing to do the work.

Looking back, I never would have guessed that four dresses sitting in a closet would lead me here. I didn’t set out to become a reseller. I didn’t plan for it. I just paid attention to what was in front of me and took one small step.

If you’re considering reselling — whether in Seattle, through Goodwill, or anywhere else — my advice is simple: start small. Sell what you already have. Learn as you go. Let curiosity lead instead of pressure.

You don’t need to know where it’s going to take you. Sometimes, all it takes is clearing a little space and seeing what happens next.