10 Popular Places You Can Thrift Clothes Online
Being able to thrift clothes online is such a game changer. Gone are the days of spending hours at the thrift store only to find a few things, and then having to get your mom to hem it when you bring it home. Now you can choose the exact brand, size, color, and fabric of your ideal piece you are looking for!
Since I have been thrifting for a while, in person and online, I wanted to put a list together of some of my absolute favorite thrift shops to save you time!
I split the list into different categories depending on what you may be looking for. Another benefit to this list is that most of these shops you can sell your second hand clothes to as well!
Benefits of thrifting clothes online
Personally, I love the hunt of thrifting in person but you can’t beat the convenience of online shopping. You are able to find exactly what you’re looking for and don’t have to rummage through a bunch of clothes. There is a larger array of items than just what is available at your local thrift shop. If you do not have a thrift store near you then thrifting online can be really helpful.
A friendly reminder, any type of second hand shopping is better for the environment than buying clothes online new! Best of all, it is generally cheaper too!
Things to look out for when thrifting clothes online
There are a few things you should keep in mind while thrifting for clothes online in order to not get scammed and to be able to find the right pieces.
Unfortunately, a part of buying things off the internet is that scams do exist. These are usually pretty easy to spot though. Here are some things to look for:
- Clothing should be a reasonable price based on the original price of the item. You can find good deals thrifting but if it is too low then it might be a scam.
- Photo of actual product and not just stock photos. This also helps because you can see if there are rips or stains.
- Look for a profile photo of a person and not a logo. Some people make a big profit from reselling cheap items on thrifting apps rather than using the app for its original purpose. They also tend to mark up the price by a lot. Stear clear of this because it can be tied to supporting fast fashion brands which defeats the purpose of thrifting.
Shipping costs
Just like any other online purchase, you will most likely have to pay shipping. Some online thrift stores have recently upped their shipping costs so when you are shopping and make an offer for an item be sure to calculate the shipping into what you will pay.
You never know who it is coming from
Unlike buying from a normal store, thrifted clothes are coming from someone’s home. Some sellers will mention that they are a smoke-free and/or pet-free home. If that is important to you and it is not listed be sure to ask! I also always wash everything I buy just because..germs.
The typical woes of online shopping still apply
No matter if it is second hand or bought new, online shopping can be challenging. You’re not able to try stuff on and there aren’t reviews saying if items run big or small. It can be hard to tell the color or texture of an item. You just have to rely on chatting with the seller! Lastly, return policies can be kind of wack. Sometimes when thrifting online you are not able to return clothes.
Why I still love thrifitng for clothes online
With all that being said, I still love thrifting for clothes online! We can divert so much waste from going to the landfill. I am able to find unique pieces that I cherish for a long time. I also love being able to sell clothes when they no longer fit or are not my style.
Below I put together my favorite stores for purchasing second hand clothes! I hope this list is helpful for your thrifting journey!
If you are looking for more helpful tips on thrifting you can check out this guide!
Best apps for online thrifting
Poshmark
This is by far my favorite place to thrift on the internet. I have been using it for years and it has consistently kept my wardrobe stocked with some of my favorite pieces. I love that you are able to haggle prices with a seller to find the best deal.
I feel like the interface on the app and the laptop version is also really easy to use. You can easily ask questions about the items you are looking at.
One downside is that shipping recently increased to $7.45 but if you bundle items you can save on shipping overall.
Selling clothes on the app is really simple too. You just print off a (FREE!) shipping label, put it in a box, and drop it off at the post office.
Overall, I have found Poshmark to be the most user friendly and convenient for both buying and selling.
If you want to shop my closet you can find my preloved clothes here!
Thred up
Thred up is unique because the clothes don’t come directly from the seller. Because of this, the price you see is what you pay (plus shipping!). There is no negotiating involved. Luckily, they are constantly running sales. Thred up sources their clothing from customers and then stores them and sells it on their website.
One interesting thing about Thred Up is that you can buy clothing by the bag. So if you are looking for a set of basic tees you can get a few of them at once (and at a discounted price!) rather than picking them out individually. This is unique to this shop and I haven’t seen this elsewhere.
One of my favorite parts about this company is that the packages come in really cute teal polka dot post consumer recycled packaging!
Best apps for trendy & vintage thrifted clothes
There are some really amazing curators on Instagram that sell second hand clothes. They tend to stick to a specific style so once you find someone you like you can follow them and buy from them directly! This makes thrifting super efficient because you don’t have to hunt around as much once you find a curator you like. I have never bought an item this way but I love following them for inspiration.
Etsy
Etsy has so many great home decor pieces but did you know you can buy clothes from there too? This was new to me! People hand make clothing and sell it on Etsy and there is also vintage clothing for sale on there too.
Depop
Depop got really popular recently. They have specific styles like Y2K, cottage core, etc. I love this platform because you can buy pieces from all over the world! Also, a lot of influencers have closets on Depop so if you follow someone on social media and you love their style be sure to check and see if they have a Depop shop!
Outdoor thrifted clothes
Some major companies are starting take back programs where you can send in used clothing and they will resell it. I absolutely love this concept because a lof of donated clothing does not end up being resold and instead it ends up in the landfill. Some clothing is even sent to various countries around the world. This can be very resource intensive (shipping!) and can harm the local communities economies. So companies that are taking responsibility for their waste get an A in my book.
Both of these brands tend to be pretty pricey too so it is helpful that they have an option to score some great pieces for way cheaper!
If you know exactly what you’re looking for
So for these you really need to know specifically what you’re looking for i.e. a winter jacket, specific purse, vintage item etc. Some of these options involve meeting up with people from the internet so stay safe!
- Ebay
- Craigslist
- Facebook market place
*these shops also have furniture, plants, outdoor gear, and basically everything!
Have you thrifted for clothes on any of these sites? I would love to hear your experience and which one is your favorite in the comments below! Also, if you have a favorite place to thrift for clothes online that is not on this list please list that below too!
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Stay well,
Maggie
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