Is it the time for spring cleaning yet? Feeling the urge to clean out your closet? Are you looking to rehome your old dresses? Is your light red sweater not sparking joy as it used to five years back? Holding up a yard sale in your driveway and hoping for passers-by to notice is a thing of yesteryears as online consignment stores connect you with shoppers around the world from the comfort of your home. The second-hand clothing sector was priced at a $28 billion industry in 2019 which is expected to reach $64 billion by 2024. If you are looking to turn your old pile of clothes into extra cash, there are some amazing online second-hand stores to declutter your closets and offer to take the mess out of buying and selling clothes.
Whether you have recently become a fan of 'KonMari Method' or you recently became a fan of Netflix's show 'The Minimalists: Less Is Now', buying and selling second-hand through these fashion online thrift stores are becoming an incredible trend among lovers of minimalism and also among people who are looking to cash on previous investments. It's time to stop letting your garments collect dust and help them find new, loving owners! While there are some websites that do all the work from you there are other apps and sites that might require snapping photos and describing the items you want to sell. Buying and selling second-hand fashion is also an amazing way to reduce your carbon prints as you are eliminating four-fifths of the emissions and water impact that goes into the making of a typical garment. Buying second-hand fashion keeps these old garments from going to the landfill while creating a sustainable impact. Apart from being sustainable, second-hand fashion brands offer their products at low prices which makes it a great choice for people on a budget.
There are also several second-hand fashion brands that vouch for their transparency and quality and with several reputable names of the fashion industry like Nordstrom and eBay joining the bandwagon of sustainable fashion you can always find something no matter what your budget is. We have compiled a list of our favorite online websites and apps where you can shop second-hand fashion, browse and find preloved clothes that fit your budget and style. These online second-hand fashion stores are digital yard sales that can make your bank account go cha-ching!
thredUp
Also known to be the largest online consignment store across the internet, thredUp is a second-hand apparel brand for women and children, based out of San Francisco, California. From checking quality and functionality before shipping second-hand items to the buyers, this second-hand cloth store accepts maternity and children's clothing in inclusive sizes, as well as jewelry and accessories from over 35,000 brands across the world. From buying some of the top designer wedding dresses to buying and selling high-quality second-hand clothes and accessories ranging in brands from Old Navy to Gucci, thredUp also lets you have a free Clean Out Kit to sell out your old clothes. While 40% of the received items are accepted and sold online, the rest of the items are recycled responsibly, making it perfect for eco-conscious women to indulge in sustainable clothing.
eBay
Ever since its inception in 1995, eBay is considered to be one of the most reputable online auction sites for second-hand items. From needle to a submarine, you will find everything on eBay! From selling out your designer wedding gowns to auctioning out your vintage items and getting your hands on some of the most surprisingly rare items, buying and selling things on eBay is not a secret anymore among the online audience. Sellers have complete control to upload photos, choose the item's price, choose the shipping price and interact with interested buyers or even try out the bidding option to set out a minimum sale price and ask buyers to bid on your items, where the highest bidder will win. The variety of payment methods including credit cards and PayPal makes it one of the most feasible online thrift stores.
The RealReal
One of the favorite online marketplaces for people who are into luxury items, The RealReal is based out of San Francisco and has become a go-to place for online luxury consignments. A leading luxury consignment store, you can earn up to 85% commission out of your designer closet when you decide to sell on The RealReal. Items are sold via the website rather than dealing from seller to buyer. This online consignment boutique focuses on luxury brands like Chanel, Prada, Louis Vuitton, and Fendi, and is considered to be one of the favorites among standout brides and women who love designer clothing. For instance, you can beautifully photograph your wedding dress for resale and schedule them for in-home pick-up, ship directly to the company using a free prepaid label, or visit a consignment office for a free drop-off and valuation of your items.
Tradesy
The online peer-to-peer resale marketplace, Tradesy is based out of Santa Monica in California where one can buy and sell women luxury and designer contemporary fashion. It is an online store that was created by women for women to make fashion resale simple, affordable, safe, and accessible for everyone. One can snap, share, and sell their preloved clothing items and accessories for minimizing their wardrobe and making space for new items before buying them. For instance, if preserving your wedding gown does not seem to be a good idea anymore then you can quickly pass along your quality garment to someone else who might be looking for it.
Poshmark
"We made an early decision to allow everything to be done on the phone with no need to go to a website," says Manish Chandra, Poshmark CEO, and founder. The e-commerce marketplace enables people to buy and sell clothing, shoes, and accessories of men, women, and children. You can create a listing by using the Poshmark app and start selling from your closet. You can browse for people who have the same body type or sense of style and are more likely to be interested in your closet and sell your items to them directly. You can also share your favorite brands or your same size clothing items by interacting with them, following them, and also shop their closet. You can even offer discounts on bundles of your items, and users have the option to make a counteroffer, similar to eBay.
ASOS
Based out of the UK, ASOS Marketplace deals in adult apparel, accessories, and bags for the UK and Europe-based thrifters. Taking only a 10% commission in between on the sale price, this online second-hand website focuses on designer goods, the seller-driven resale emporium featuring edgy used and retro fashion, functioning like your very own thrift store. Dealing with designer brands as well as independent brands from around the world you can earn up to 80% commission for your independent labels, vintage clothing items, and multi-brand accessories. You just have to pay a membership fee of £20 every month and follow the photography rules, as this site is known to be the quickest if you want to resell your clothes and accessories. For instance, if you would not like to donate your wedding dress and instead you want to sell it, now you know where to go.
LePrix
Dealing with exclusive designer labels like Chanel, Louis Vuitton, and Gucci, LePrix is an online marketplace that was formerly known as SnobSwap. From reaching out to one of the boutique partners near you to requesting prepaid shipping labels, this unique resale boutique online brand is a place where you can trade one item for another. You can score a gorgeous Topshop dress for $20, the retail price of which would be around $80, or even exchange your Nasty Gal skirt for an awesome Zara jumpsuit. This handpicked online second-hand shop to buy and sell your clothes and accessories also has boutiques in various cities, including Los Angeles, New York, Miami, and Washington DC.
Etsy
It is a one-of-a-kind website that focuses on handmade goods, independent sellers, and vintage items. You can tap into the beautiful community of talented artists and craftsmen and score some finely curated collections of vintage and handmade items. Why creating a profile, you can sell whatever you want, whether you make it yourself or find it somewhere else and want to resell it. This online marketplace specializes in the sale and purchase of rare handmade and vintage items, where you can manage your own orders, chat with buyers, and buy and print discounted postage for a super smooth experience. There are small commission and processing fees, as Etsy charges a 3.5% transaction fee and a 3% payment processing fee.
Depop
Originally started as a social network for users to buy items that were featured in magazines and online portals, Depop is an online resale platform that is also a creative community marketplace based out of London, UK. This incredibly popular app for buying and selling trendy items is a social app for buying, selling, and sharing fashion inspiration and is recommended by stylists, artists, influencers, sneakerheads, and celebrities around the world. With more focus on a younger clientele, Depop where sellers have complete control over their descriptions, prices, and photos, and this app only takes a 10% fee from completed sales. From shipping your favorite wedding dress that you saw in the latest spring magazine edition to increasing your chance of getting noticed by engaging with buyers and sellers with a similar style, this online second-hand fashion hub is a global marketplace for lovers of vintage, designer labels, or name brands.
Material World
Specialized in handpicked and pre-owned luxurious items, Material World is a second-hand luxurious online store that also specializes in simplicity. If you love simple and minimalistic details, this online shopping destination can give you an experience that helps to foster your personal evolution by decluttering your designer closet and keep it to a minimalist aesthetic. One can sell their designer labels by requesting a free Trade-In Kit, where they can seal their luxury apparel and wait for an itemized offer. Inspiring one to have a sustainable and environmentally friendly wardrobe while following the latest trends, this online second-hand brand partners with Housing Works, an NYC nonprofit combating AIDS and homelessness. If your garment or accessory didn't make the cut, you can request them to be returned for a small fee or donate them to charity.
Flyp
Flyp is a fashion reselling app that is amazing because you do not have to do the work yourself! You can just upload the photos of the items you want to sell and give them a second life in a hassle-free way, as the onboard professional sellers offer to sell your pieces for you. From taking care of every little detail like prices and product descriptions to negotiating and shipping the products, the sellers are going to do everything for you and you just have to pay them a small commission. This is a great app if you want to declutter your wardrobe and resale some of your clothes and accessories but you do not have the time to follow up on buyers.
Rebag
If you are looking to sell or buy luxury handbags, Rebag is an online store dedicated solely to selling handbags. Dealing in brands like Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Hermes, Gucci, as well as Balenciaga, Tom Ford, Versace, Givenchy, and more, all the luxurious preloved designer bags are white glove-inspected for the highest quality and authenticity. If you have a luxurious designer bag that you are willing to part ways with, all you have to do is submit a few snaps of the bag on their site. Their Infinity Exchange program allows you to turn in any Rebag handbag within 6 months in exchange for credit worth at least 70% of its purchase price. Rebag also has physical locations in select metropolitan areas, including Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, Miami, and Manhattan.
What about those clothes that are a little too pre-worn for you to sell? Can you get any financial advantage from those? Research shows that most of us only wear about 20% of the items that we own. Rehoming your old clothes and vintage items is like giving a new life today these clothes that lie without a purpose in our closets. The preloved fashionable clothing is easy to pass along via sleek mobile apps and online platforms in exchange for a few bucks. Alternatively, if you are looking to shop secondhand wedding dresses or preloved fashion, there are many online thrift stores for vintage and secondhand finds that can be a gold mine for people with a good sense of fashion. After all, what is the use of keeping all the items in our closets hoping we will one day find an excuse to wear them while the reality is every time we need new clothes recently by them without looking into our old pile of clothes?
Most secondhand clothing stores have high standards for quality. The clothes should be fashionable, cared for, and appropriate for the upcoming season. While donating your clothes to a shelter or having a yard sale are good options, consider using some of these websites and selling apps to sell your old clothes and earn some extra cash. So take the big purge and sell your preloved clothes via these online second-hand fashion stores and see how good it makes you feel at the end of the day.
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