10 Places to Second Hand Shop Online
Sustainable Fashion
September 6, 2018 | Kathryn Kellogg
Last Updated on May 25, 2022
Not only is it fun to Second Hand Shop online, but it’s also great for the environment too! You can find gorgeous vintage and trendy clothes and other items for a fraction of the cost too.
Thrifting has become increasingly popular over the last few years because you can save money, help the earth, and do your part for sustainable living. In addition to buying clothing from consignment shops in your local community, you can also shop at the best online thrift stores with the click of a mouse.
A lot of people lack access to quality resale shops or don’t have the time to dig through a bunch of piles searching for that one hidden gem – this is where these best online thrift stores can really come in handy.
Did you catch my last post on how to master second hand shopping? Be sure to check it out, because #4 is so important when it comes to shopping for secondhand clothing online.
Before I go shopping, I always like to have a list of the pieces I’m looking for. As someone who previously had a shopping problem, this prevents me from overbuying and really keeps me on task. Check out my post Why I Wait 30 Days Before Buying Anything for more information and why you might want to add a waiting practice to your shopping schedule.
Table of Contents
second hand shops:
One of the major advantages of consignment stores online is that you can search for the really, really specific things that you’re looking for. Many online secondhand stores will let you filter your search by color, size, brand, and price point to find something matching your exact criteria.
And, if you’re looking to sell some of your clothes, be sure to check out my blog post where I’ve rounded up the 7 best places to resell your clothes online like Flyp or ThredUp — the first stop on our list of best places to shop secondhand online!
1. ThredUp:
This shop is a thrifting dream come true! I’m a huge fan of ThredUp*. I have probably spent a small fortune on all of the clothes I’ve bought through them.Their search function works very well, and all of the clothes I’ve ordered have been very high quality.
I really like that they list the fabric so I can make sure I’m buying natural fibers.
I also love that I can return items that don’t fit. I still try to be really careful with what I purchase because I don’t want to be contributing to a lot of extra carbon miles for returning.
ThredUp ships in cardboard and tissue paper keeping things totally plastic free!
It’s one of my favorite online consignment stores because I can always find exactly what I’m looking for on their site. If you haven’t used ThredUp before, you can get $10 off your first purchase!*
2. eBay:
eBay has been around for a long time and is one of the best online thrift stores ever. While you can buy new stuff there as well, there are plenty of opportunities for thrifting. I have bought quite a few pieces off of eBay, as well as homewares. My mom was super into eBay when the site first launched. She used to buy and sell all the time and taught me a few tips and tricks.
Whenever I’m looking for something specific, I turn to eBay. Some sellers allow you to return, and others don’t. So, always double check if you’re not sure what you’re buying will fit.
When you purchase on eBay, make sure that you leave a note to the seller asking that the items are shipped without any plastic.
Also, make sure that you check the secondhand box on the left hand side when searching for items to ensure that you’re getting a preloved item.
Check out my guide for Zero Waste Online Shopping.
3. Poshmark:
I’ve tried thrifting from Poshmark before. It’s a great app, but you can’t return what you buy so you have to be really careful.
I find a lot of the items on Poshmark to be a little overpriced. If you know exactly what you’re looking for, it’s a great app, but I prefer the safety of being able to return what I buy.
Make sure that you ask lots of questions, know your measurements, and ask the seller for plastic free packaging!
4. Swap:
I just placed my first order from Swap.com* and I’m eagerly awaiting the box to report on the quality of what I receive. The deals are so, so good! Almost too good…. like “What’s the catch” good.
I have seen some of the same items on Swap.com available on ThredUp at a much higher rate. I wonder if it’s just because they’re less popular?
I was almost scared to share my newest discovery because I wanted to keep it all for myself!! The deals are sooooo good.When I say it’s one of the best online thrift stores ever, I am not even kidding!!
Swap.com isn’t the best at listing out its fiber content, so it doesn’t hurt to double check online. In the above graphic, you can see that they list polyester/silk where thredup just lists silk.
With a quick double check on google, I can see that the garment is 100% silk.I will definitely report back on how the quality is.
EDIT:
I received my first box from swap.com and the quality is amazing!! Unfortunately, everything in the box was wrapped individually in plastic. I will be sending the company an email because that was a real bummer.
You can only return items for store credit so I decided to keep what I ordered. I filmed a fall haul on YouTube with the items I got.
I spent $150 on the box for 12 really amazing pieces made out of silk, cotton, tencel, and other natural fibers.
The Rest:
I have not personally ordered from these other six sites, so I can’t attest to their quality or how they work. However, I have been a serial browser on Real Real, Tradesy, and Vestaire.
5. The Real Real
6. Tradesy
8. Grailed
9. Vinted
10. Depop
is thrifting online expensive?
The prices are going to vary between each resale shop. As you can see from my photos above, it’s a good idea to check out multiple shops before making your purchase. Consignment stores tend to have pretty good prices and the clothes are often almost new.
are the clothes clean when you buy from a resale shop?
It would cost a lot of money and energy for companies to wash all the clothing before they sell it. Then, most people re-wash it when they receive it anyway. So that is double the cleaning.
I recommend cleaning any clothing you buy from the resale shops before wearing, just to be safe.
Most online second hand shops will not sell clothes that are stained, ripped, or missing buttons. But you should still investigate before making your purchase and reach out if you do have issues.
Do you have a favorite place to shop secondhand online?
This post contains affiliate linking. It’s denoted with an asterisk. This means if you choose to purchase one of these items I will make a slight commission for referring you. You can read more on my disclosure page.