First of all, hang on to your hats, because you are about to be blown away by baby cuteness. I do not apologize if this post induces baby fever (pictures of El have that effect on me too…haha). Second of all, if you’ve been curious about secondhand clothes shopping, but are easily overwhelmed by thrift/consignment stores (ME!!), this post is for you. Buying secondhand clothing is a great way to make your wardrobe more ethical and eco-friendly (while also saving money!!). I will mostly focus on children’s clothing, but a lot of these tips will apply to adults as well. Also, this post is chock full of tips and ways that I apply them, so it’s not short. My goal here is to be as helpful as possible, so feel free to save this to read later. Let’s jump right in, shall we?
GAP Sweatshirt from ThredUP
As far as WHERE to shop, I like ThredUP & Kidizen the best. Their apps are super user-friendly. I can easily find good deals & quality clothes. Although the focus will be mostly on those two apps/websites, most of these tips will apply to other online platforms such as Mercari or Poshmark (I’ve purchased a few things from these sites as well). At the end of this post I will also tell you what types of clothing items I tend to buy on each of the different platforms.
My first tip for buying secondhand clothing online is to know what you like! This applies to brands, colors/patterns, styles, and fabric types. I’m going to tell you what I like in order to give you some ideas. As far as brands go, I buy a lot of GAP, as well as some Old Navy. I like classic pieces, what can I say? Although there is a lot of GAP in my daughter’s wardrobe, I also like pricier brands like Mini Boden, Hanna Andersson, Alice & Ames, Zara, and Tea Collection. These brands tend to wear really well, and for that reason have a slightly higher resell value. For shoes I like brands like TOMS, L’Amour, Livie & Luca, See Kai Run, Salt Water, etc. {Because I know you’ll ask, I’m generally pretty picky when I buy secondhand shoes. They have to be in very good condition, because shoes tend to shape to our individual feet, and I would not want my “early walker” to have shoes that didn’t fit her feet well. I tend to buy shoes that have never been worn or only worn 1-2 times.} For colors/patterns and styles, I mostly lean towards solids/stripes/polka dots. I like the occasional ruffle, eyelet detail, etc. I try to pick clothes that mix & match well, and I stick to colors I love (because El doesn’t care yet), so you’ll see her wear a lot of pinks, yellows, & blues (as well as a lot of neutrals—typically black or grey). These aren’t hard & fast rules, but it does make picking out clothes in the morning super easy. When it comes to fabric, I avoid polyester whenever possible (because 1. bad for the planet; and 2. Ellis has super sensitive eczema-prone skin). I mostly stick to cotton, & sometimes buy linen or tencel.
Adorable Top from ThredUP
If you’re wondering how to apply this information to your shopping experience, it’s simple. In ThredUP’s app you can filter your search by size, price, fabric/material, colors, patterns, brands, etc. (there are more, but these are the main ones I’ve used). In the Kidizen app you can narrow your search by category, size, gender, price, & condition. Your knowledge of what you like, along with utilizing these filter options will help you to reduce overwhelm when purchasing clothes.
A couple of other “search tips”… For toddler sizing, always select “2 AND 2T” (or whatever) because you’ll find the same size clothes under both options. You don’t want to miss out on great pieces just because they are marked “3” and you only searched “3T.” If you’re looking for something specific, search for it using different search terms. There’s a company I found on Etsy that makes really cute “Go Outside” tees & onesies. I ended up finding one in excellent condition on Kidizen for half the price using this tip! #winning
Top from Kidizen. Shorts from ThredUP. Shoes from Mercari.
While I do search by the options noted above, sometimes I search solely by PRICE. Obviously one of the perks of shopping secondhand is that you can get nice clothes at great prices. There are a few things to keep in mind for finding good deals. First is to know the rough retail price of things when possible (just go to the brand’s website & check). Some things are overpriced, but what I may think is a good deal, you may think is overpriced. Just keep in mind that certain brands have a higher re-sell value. One thing I’ve noticed is that some sellers price H&M, Old Navy, & Cat & Jack pieces at above retail even when they aren’t “new with tag.” (Ex: H&M makes adorable sundresses that retail for $5-8, but I see them listed for re-sell at $10-$13. While I fully understand that shipping isn’t free, I’m not willing to buy secondhand clothes at above retail. Especially not for inexpensive brands like I mentioned above!) On the other hand, I don’t mind occasionally paying around 50% off retail for nicer brands that hold up well (Hanna Andersson, Mini Boden, Alice & Ames, etc.). When searching by price, I typically search less than $10 on Kidizen (that’s the minimum you can search there) & less than $8 on ThredUP. I will spend a little more than this though if I really love something and/or it’s a good brand. Ex: I love Hanna Andersson jammies & will spend $15-$20 on them (they are $40+shipping new). When my daughter was a baby, I easily found lots of $2-$5 (& even a few $1) finds on ThredUP (I also got lots of hand-me-downs at that age). I realize that $8-10 may sound like a lot for secondhand clothes to some of you. Keep in mind that when you buy online, it’s more consignment than thrift and the quality and condition reflect the prices. You also have to keep in mind that shipping is often included in the price. There are a few ways to save more money though.
For example, ThredUP has an “outlet” section. If you purchase 5 or more things in this section, you get an additional discount with code “OUTLET.” Many online sellers will allow you to “bundle and save”, which basically just means if you buy 2-3 things from the same seller you will get a discount (I’ve gotten up to 50% off this way). With the exception of ThredUP, most online secondhand platforms have the ability for you to “make an offer” below what the seller is asking. I’ve only done this a few times, but my offers were quickly accepted & my orders were auto-completed. On a couple occasions my offer was rejected, but no biggie. I would def recommend doing this on Poshmark in particular because shipping is set at $7.11 (because it’s automatically Priority Mail) & that makes your total cost higher than other platforms where the seller can choose to use cheaper shipping methods. My best advice would be don’t be a jerk and completely lowball the seller. I tend to offer around $2-$5 cheaper depending on the initial cost. Poshmark & Mercari have a button where you can make an offer. On Kidizen you can just message the seller. I’m not sure about Poshmark, but on Mercari, if you don’t see the “make an offer” button, it means that the price is firm/the seller isn’t willing to entertain any offers. So I take that as a “if the button is available, you should at least try.” Obviously this is not always the case, but you certainly don’t know unless you try. Another thing to keep in mind is that Poshmark, Mercari, & ThredUP will charge sales tax if applicable in your state.
PJs from Kidizen
I have two additional great money saving tips! The first is to “favorite” things that you like. On most platforms you will get a notification (either in the app or via e-mail sometimes) when the price drops. Favoriting things is also helpful for keeping track of things you like without having to buy it all at once. On Mercari and Poshmark you can sometimes get lower offers from the seller after you favorite an item. ThredUP has sales every once in awhile and sometimes the sale items are based on what you have favorited. My second great tip is to add things to your cart if you really love them. On ThredUP this allows you to hold things for 24 hours so no one else can buy it (right now they only have 4 hour cart holds. I’m hoping that’s just temporary, but we’ll see…). You can also keep adding it back to your cart every day—I’ve done this for weeks when I’m being super indecisive. On Kidizen sometimes sellers will send you an extra discount just for carting something (you typically have 24 hours to use the discount in these cases).
Now that we’ve talked about searching and saving, I’ll give you a few additional tips that I’ve found to be helpful. Most importantly, PAY ATTENTION TO DETAILS! Does the size on the listing description match the size on the tag? Sometimes something will say 2T & really be 18-24 months (if no tag pix send a message to the seller on Kidizen). I see this happening most often with baby sizing. On ThredUP I rarely see the tag in the pictures, and I have gotten a few things that are not the size advertised, but they will let you return them for a full refund if you explain what happened (annoying, but one of the downsides to buying online). Make sure you read the description that details the condition of the item. I mostly buy things that are described as ‘very good’ ‘excellent’ ‘like new’ or ‘new’. I don’t generally buy clothes with stains, but I don’t mind wash wear in most cases (usually that involves minor fading or minor pilling). These are personal preferences; yours may differ.
On Mercari you can do “saved searches.” This is nice if you’re hunting for something specific (ex: I have one for ‘LSU’ in sizes 2, 3, and 4). I’m pretty sure you can do something similar on Poshmark & ThredUP, but I’m not entirely sure how, as it’s not super obvious to me. My last tip is to think outside the box! You can buy costumes, books, and toys on a lot of these platforms. Additionally, barely (or never) used baby items are also available. I’ve purchased several books on Kidizen and I recently bought my daughter a secondhand Wonder Woman costume on ThredUP.
LSU cheerleading outfit from ThredUP
Way back at the beginning of this never-ending post I said that I would share my favorite platforms to buy specific items. This is based on my personal experience, so keep in mind your mileage may vary. For shoes, I have had the best luck finding good condition great deals on Kidizen and Mercari. I just bought Ellis a pair of Salt Water sandals in great condition on Kidizen for $15 (these cost $30-$50 new and tend to retail for $20+). I’ve been able to find LSU cheerleading outfits for El on ThredUP, and Mercari, but I have seen some on Kidizen as well. For some of the pricier brands I mentioned in my post, I’ve found the best deals on Kidizen and Mercari (don’t forget about the sales on ThredUP though). I would definitely recommend checking Kidizen first for things like jackets and coats. For pajamas, I’ve found the best deals (at least on Hanna Andersson pjs) on Kidizen and Mercari. This last one is going to sound weird, but the number one thing I buy on Poshmark are sports bras for me. I’ve found great deals that are either “new with tag” or “new without tag.” People often sell them for cheap, so even with the $7 shipping, they still end of being a good deal.
Romper from ThredUP
If you’ve made it this far—congratulations! You have completed my master class on online secondhand shopping! haha I hope you’ve found this helpful. Please don’t hesitate to ask any questions you may have in the comments below. If you’re already a secondhand shopper, tell me what your favorite “score” has been? I’ve found so many things I love, it’s too hard for me to pick one.
P.S. Yes we own a Nugget Comfort. Yes I think it is worth the money. ;)