I’m bargain-obsessed. My friends lovingly nicknamed me the “Bargain B*tch” because of my ability to find quality items on the cheap. While I’d like to take 110% of the credit, I actually learned most of my thrifting skills from my mother. Many of my favorite childhood memories surround second-hand shopping with my mom and older sister. From Goodwill to estate sales, I learned how to spot trendy items or items I can alter to become trendy. I’m below average at a lot of things, but thrifting is not one of them.
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That being said, how can you get thrifty while living on campus? JCU is located near some thrift stores and boutiques like Revolve Fashion, Cleveland Consignment Shop, Sassy Salvage, and Spaces Consignment & Liquidators. Any of these shops are great along with several smaller ones on Coventry like Avalon Exchange. It is also really easy to find estate and garage sales online through Google. However, now that we’re transitioning into fall, these are harder to come by. If you live on campus without a car, going anywhere that’s not on the Cabbie is rough.
The best alternative? Online thrifting.
Because my schedule is crazy this semester, and because I’m lazy in general, I have been utilizing online retailers. I like online shopping better in some aspects- mostly because I’m very fickle. Instead of handing the cashier a stack of pants I because I changed my mind while only buying a T-shirt for $1.50 because of preemptive buyer’s remorse, I can just delete items from my cart. Tangent: If I ever become famous, my biography slogan will be “Indecisive Ivy.” Just a few days ago I found the most amazing dress with the OG tags on for $19. Instead of buying it, I walked away only to stay up all night debating whether to buy it. I went back the next day and the dress was gone (RIP). You may relate to these struggles, you may not. Regardless, online thrifting saves time and money (and social trauma).
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The Go To’s:
Poshmark
Posh is my favorite site because it is very user-friendly. You can buy new clothes (and now home items) easily. Selling on Posh is also the most user-friendly. You don’t have to stress about shipping or fees as Poshmark handles this automatically. I love how you can filter items by size, brand, price, color, etc. It takes away the deer in headlights look of a first-time thrift store shopper. If you sell on Poshmark then your earnings going into an account that you can either use to purchase new items or cash out via direct deposit.
Thred Up
Thread Up is interesting because it is not filled with individual sellers. This site is the most similar to a “real” thrift store. Like Poshmark, you are able to filter and search for specific things. They also have a lot of outfit and style ideas available. A downside of Thred Up is that it’s slightly more expensive than other online retailers I mention. The prices are still way lower than traditional stores but you can often find the same items on other sites for cheaper. However, Thred Up has employees to check the quality of each item which is not the case for individual sellers on Posh, Depop, or Tradsey.
Depop, Tradsey, Mercari
I lumped these online retailers together because they are all similar (at least to me). I personally find these less user-friendly than Poshmark which is why I placed them lower on the list. Depop, Tradsey, and Mercari are just three of the many places to buy online or via apps. There are some amazing deals on this site, you just have to be patient and go through the listings carefully. I would definitely start with Poshmark and Thred Up first before making your way to these sites.
eBay
I know eBay reminds you of your grandfather’s rare coin auctions, but I promise that there are actual gems on here. When someone first suggested that I use eBay, I was appalled. I felt like the whole eBay trend died in the mid-2000s. There are a ton of unique and cheap items on eBay that you can buy instantly or bid on. If you love one of a kind items then eBay is the way to go.
Bonus: The Real Real
I made The Real Real a bonus because it’s not realistic for most college students. There are some decently-priced items here, but because of their “luxury” status are still expensive. If designer names or labels are important to you, then The Real Real is worth it.
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