My Ranking of the Best Secondhand Shopping Apps, From an Online Shopping Addict

Among the many habits of mine that got worse throughout the pandemic, one that stands out to me is online shopping. Because online shopping can get expensive with the never-ending options, I turned to secondhand shopping apps to save money. Not only is buying secondhand going to help your bank account, but it is also better for the environment than shopping through large corporations and fast fashion companies.

depop

My number one most-used secondhand shopping app is Depop for its variety of styles and trendy items. Of all apps, I find that Depop caters the most to my age group of young women, but it carries many stylish options for men as well. For those of you who love thrifting, Depop is the perfect app because of its vintage and reworked pieces. Of all secondhand shopping apps, I find the most unique styles on Depop, and many accounts sell niche clothing items, for example vintage collegiate apparel. If you are looking for something specific, Depop makes it easy for you to search for items based on brand, size, or color. It also has a button called “My DNA,” which gives recommendations based on your style and posts you have previously liked.

mercari

Mercari comes in second place because I find it the easiest to use for both buying and selling. Mercari allows you to message the seller directly and make offers if you hope to get a lower price. Additionally, I find its search tools the most useful for selecting the category of clothing you are looking for, and you can filter items for free shipping. Mercari also has a “recommended for you” page when you open the app, however I find it less accurate than Depop’s for finding clothes that are my style. To ensure the reliability of sellers, Mercari has a system which publicly shows every account’s rating from zero to five stars. There are also “seller badges” on some accounts with rewards like “fast responder” and “quick shipper,” which can be helpful when deciding whether to purchase from someone or not.

poshmark

Poshmark is the most popular secondhand shopping app for its variety of styles for every age group. There are endless options on Poshmark for clothing, accessories, and home items. I mainly use Poshmark to find specific pieces from brands I like but am not willing to pay the full price. The search tools on Poshmark make it easy to find and filter different sizes and colors of the clothing item I am looking for. The only downside I find with Poshmark is that there is a $7.45 flat rate for expedited shipping on all orders. While this can be useful when buying larger products that might be more expensive to ship, it can be inconvenient when purchasing smaller pieces such as jewelry. Poshmark does, however, give sellers the option to provide a discounted shipping price of $4.99 if they wish to do so.

Using these apps has changed my shopping habits for the better by allowing me to find unique pieces that no one else has at a fraction of the price. Buying clothing second hand will help you boost your ‘fit game—and be sustainable while doing it.

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