Zadie Moyer| January 2, 2024
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Secondhand gifts can be thoughtful, unique, and more affordable than something first-hand. There are tons of secondhand shopping sites nowadays, and it can be a bit overwhelming to someone lacking experience with them. Each site has its specialties and drawbacks, and there’s a lot of overlap between them, which I will outline.
What I look for: Specific brands, and clothing items.
Shipping: $8 + $3.00 per item. Kind of pricey, but unlike Depop all items] are priced fairly.
Tips: ThredUp is sort of like the Plato’s Closet of online secondhand stores. People send in a bunch of clothes, and they pay you based on how they price the items.
Look for brands you know or know of, quality fabrics, and make sure you check the measurements (you can compare to something you already have by finding it online). You might have to look for a while. There are so many items on ThredUp so you might be scrolling for a while until you find that gem. If you don’t want to look for a while, then I would recommend Poshmark or Depop instead, since you easily can filter with the search option.
When you find something, you like, buy it as soon as possible! Things sell quickly on ThredUp, and I've missed out on amazing finds by stalling.
What to look for: Vintage clothing (t-shirts, denim, sweatshirts), leather accessories (bags, belts, boots), women’s blouses, tanks, dresses, and skirts like silk camis, baby doll tops, dresses, and summery skirts.
Shipping: Sellers can choose the price set for an item, sometimes included in the price, and sometimes added after adding to your cart. It usually averages around 6 dollars, and often sellers offer deals for bundles. The time it takes to ship is always risky, so I tend not to shop from here if I need it by a soon and/or specific date. Shipping for something small is usually around 4-6 dollars.
Tip: Always send an offer first, even just for a few dollars lower. Every time you do this, and the seller accepts, you save a little bit and it adds up if you shop Depop often.
What I look for: Branded (contemporary or vintage) clothing and accessories. You can find some gems on here that would be going for a lot more money on Depop because Poshmark is mostly used by older women who aren’t up to date on niche vintage fashion. Poshmark is also good for finding vintage room décor.
Shipping: Like Depop, sellers choose the cost of shipping for their items.
Tip: Always filter the “type” of listing as a “closet,” so you don’t get fast fashion boutiques and instead find real people cleaning out their closets. Unlike Depop, if you make an offer and the seller accepts it, the payment will be automatically processed, so only make an offer if you are sure that you want the item.
Other sites I have heard raving reviews about but have not personally tried:
Vinted, The Real Real, Swap, Tradesy, Vestaire. REBAG, and Mercari.
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