I’ll admit it up front: I have a problem. It’s a huge, expensive problem. It’s also one of my favorite activities and, according to my Fitbit, a huge contributor to my weekly cardio. It’s shopping. Ask any one of my friends, and they will tell you that I have never said no to a trip to the mall. It is, however, like I said, a super expensive hobby. I always say that I have “American Apparel taste with a Forever 21 budget,” but I don’t think this means that I should always settle on clothes and shoes that are “dupes” of the real product to be satisfied. So, this summer, I tried a different form of shopping: online thrifting.
As someone with a fashion obsession, I was not a stranger to thrift stores. I was also very familiar with online shopping, since it allowed me to purchase clothes in sizes unavailable in stores (side note: I almost always wear the smallest possible size, and extra smalls are sometimes too loose). Online thrifting, however, was definitely new to me. It works something like this: websites like Poshmark, Vinted and Mercari allow people to post used or new products for sale, and you can get your name brands for way, way cheaper than the ticket price. After briefing myself on how these sites worked, I made an account and went shopping.
Vinted:
I may favor Vinted a little bit, since it was the first website I tried. I have purchased the most from Vinted, and my favorite part about it is how easy it is. If you see something you like, you have the option of messaging the seller to let them know that you will be purchasing. The shipping prices can range from $3 to $6, and it’s largely up to the seller. Buyers can rate their sellers, and you can view these ratings before purchasing to make sure the seller is reliable. Prices may be negotiable, and you can always ask for more photos of the product to make sure it is in the perfect condition.
Poshmark:
Poshmark, as far as I knew, had the most variety, since it seems to be the most popular of the websites. I did have some issues though: first of all, shipping is a flat rate of $5.95, which seems okay in principle, but you find that it really adds up when the $10 dress you decided to purchase ends up being $16 instead. This causes lots of buyers to buy the same article of clothing on different websites or through Paypal instead of from Poshmark directly. Also, the seller ratings seem to be available only via the app, and not the actual website. There is no messaging function, and to get in contact with the seller, you must comment directly on the item. However, the prices are still great and shipping only takes “1-3 business days.”
Mercari:
Mercari was the last stop in my online thrifting trip. I was vaguely familiar with it, since it was a website my little sister had told me about before. On Mercari, shipping and prices are 100% determined by the seller. Free shipping is an option! However, I found that this made it easier for seller-buyer communication to be a little foggy, thus causing this site to have lower reviews. The website does have variety, and if you join using a code, you can get $2 off your first purchase. The prices on this website were the lowest, and I even found several articles of clothing from Poshmark on Mercari from the same seller. The seller reviews are harder to look at, and are condensed to small numbers under the seller’s name.
Overall, online thrifting was a positive experience that I would highly recommend for the girl-on-a-budget, and I still use all three websites to this day. Here are some of the things I bought:
Urban Outfitters T-Shirt Dress
Retail: $69
Thrifted: $16.56
Brandy Melville Flannel
Retail: $25
Thrifted: $18
American Apparel Babydoll Dress
Retail: $52
Thrifted: $11
Happy Thrifting, collegiettes!
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