Smashion: the secret is OUT
Have you ever found out about something really awesome that not a lot of people know about, yet? This just happened to me with Smashion.com. It's like eBay but way easier to use and solely focused on clothes and accessories. I have been poring through the site on the prowl for (what else?) animal jewelry!
1. lucky elephant necklace (as seen on Alexa Chung)- $40
2. vintage owl pendent (almost identical to mine!)- $12
3. vintage koi brooch (waiting on the seller to tell me how big it is!)- $15
4. F21 elephant ring (sadly too small for me)- $3
Like in any online marketplace, there is a wide range of prices and tastes. In terms of value, there's some really great stuff mixed in (among the things I really like: this shop, these vintage dresses in this shop, this body suit and these shoes) , but sadly, a lot of this stuff has been on the market for over 100 days! I have to conclude that the secret's not out about this site, yet, but GOSH! It should be!
I read and re-read the marketplace agreement, and GET THIS: there are no listing fees for anything. WHAT?! I thought this was a little too good to be true, so earlier today I emailed Vanessa, the marketing manager of Smashion and asked point blank (verbatim): "What's the catch? No listing fees? No additional buying fees? How do y'all make money?" Nonplussed, she wrote back just two hours later and said:
"We have no catch, regarding fees or anything. Our no-fees service is what separates us from our competition and acts as our main point of difference. Also, we are currently not focusing on profiting, as we believe in order to profit, we must first have established brand loyalty and a loyal user base. Please don't hesitate to ask me any more questions!"
I must be having a pessimistic/ skeptic day, and I thought, "There's GOT to be a catch! Maybe it's extremely difficult to buy something." So then I created an account (which was very easy) and bought this skirt:
Totally easy transaction. Everything has to go through PayPal, and payment is required immediately. This is all super standard, so that wasn't the catch.
So THEN I wondered if it was difficult to list something. I signed up to be a seller (again, there were no fees. The only requirement was a valid PayPal address and you have to give 'em your real address). Within two minutes of signing up for a seller's profile, I was verified and I listed this necklace (as previously seen here):
Again, incredibly easy! In fact, it was easier than posting a Craigslist ad! And unlike eBay or Etsy, there are no fees to list things, you can add up to five photos, and the listing stays up until the item sells or I can delete it or suspend it at any time before it sells.
I can't figure out the catch, so I guess Vanessa is right. There is none! Hopefully more people will start using Smashion. I'll do part two of my review after my new (to me) skirt arrives and after (or if?) my necklace sells. I have high hopes that this is just the internet's best kept secret and once the secret is out, Smashion will be hopping!
