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Do you like to thrift online? My friends swear by it, but secondhand shopping online has always intimidated me. What if the item doesn\u2019t fit? Or the fabric doesn\u2019t feel as good in person? Ready to learn, I asked five smart women to share their wisdom\u2026<\/p>\n
1. Make a counteroffer.<\/strong> \u201cI rarely pay the sticker price for a secondhand item. When I\u2019m figuring out my counteroffer, I estimate the cost of tax and shipping, as well as the cost of any potential tailoring. (I\u2019m 5\u20193\u201d and often need to get items hemmed.) That way, I can figured out what overall price I\u2019d be okay with. Usually the seller will counteroffer, and then you can accept, decline, or keep negotiating.\u201d \u2014 Kaitlyn Teer<\/a>, Big Salad editor<\/a> <\/p>\n 2. In the kids\u2019 section, don\u2019t forget outerwear and shoes.<\/strong> \u201cI often find high-quality, name-brand rain gear and winter coats in gently used or new-with-tags condition at steeply discounted prices. Think: North Face puffers<\/a>, Patagonia fleeces<\/a>, and Hunter rain boots<\/a>. I just type in the item I\u2019m searching for and limit the search results by my kids\u2019 size and my preferred brands.\u201d \u2014 Kaitlyn Teer<\/p>\n 3. Make bundles.<\/strong> \u201cTo reduce shipping fees, I have two strategies. First, I search for listings that contain multiple items. For example, six Gap T-shirts in size 4T or three pairs of H&M jeans in size 7. Second, if I like several items from a particular seller, I\u2019ll check out their whole closet and put together an offer on a bundle of items. So, instead of paying $8 in shipping for each piece that I order, I\u2019ll pay $8 in shipping for five pieces together.\u201d \u2014 Kaitlyn Teer<\/p>\n 4. Search for heritage brands and designers you love.<\/strong> \u201cWhen thrifting, I keep an eye out for vintage Wranglers, 100% cotton tees from L.L. Bean or Lands\u2019 End, and Norma Kamali dresses<\/a>. Also, Rachel Comey sweatshirts<\/a> \u2014\u00a0they always come in on Noihsaf<\/a> and sell immediately.\u201d [more here<\/a>] \u2014 Kate Lindello<\/a>, Noihsaf Bazaar founder (here\u2019s her week of outfits<\/a>)<\/p>\n 5. Try on clothes in person, then set up alerts.<\/strong> \u201cI\u2019ll try on clothes at brick-and-mortar stores, and if I like them, I\u2019ll set up alerts for the pieces in my size online. I did that with a sundress<\/a> that I love and wear all the time. \u2014 Youngna Park<\/a>, product advisor and writer<\/p>\n 6. Use your favorite colors\/prints\/animals\/etc as keywords.<\/strong> \u201cI\u2019m really into seahorses, so one day I typed \u2018seahorse\u2019 into Poshmark, just to see what would pop up. I ended up finding this straw bag<\/a> and getting it for $20. It\u2019s become my go-to summer purse.\u201d \u2014 Leela Cyd<\/a>, photographer<\/p>\n 7. Stock up on workwear.<\/strong> \u201cWhen I worked in an office, I found all my work clothes on Poshmark and eBay. I still search by material \u2014 cashmere, silk, and linen \u2014 and for brands that people often sleep on, like Banana Republic<\/a> and Ann Taylor<\/a>. You can find a perfect cashmere sweater for $15 after browsing for 10 minutes.\u201d \u2014 Mya Hansel<\/a>, writer and stylist (here\u2019s her week of outfits<\/a>)<\/p>\n 8. Keep searching, even if it takes a while.<\/strong> \u201cMy Frye boots<\/a> are one of my favorite vintage finds. I searched for two years<\/em> before finally finding them in my size. I got them on Poshmark for $100 \u2014 down from $500. They\u2019re my prized possession.\u201d \u2014 Mya Hansel<\/p>\n 9. Accept that some purchases won\u2019t work out.<\/strong> \u201cAll shopping is hit or miss. The good thing, however, is that if you bought it secondhand, you can also probably re-sell it secondhand \u2014 so don\u2019t get discouraged!\u201d \u2014 Youngna Park<\/p>\n Plus, a few fun secondhand finds we love:<\/p>\n What tips would you add? I love this polka dot dress<\/a>, and how fun are these Chlo\u00e9 sandals<\/a>?<\/strong><\/p>\n P.S. Three week-of-outfits<\/a> posts: a vintage seller in England who wears only secondhand<\/a>, a Chicago-based stylist with thrifting tips<\/a>, and a Berkeley creative director who finds her shoes on eBay<\/a>.<\/p>\n (Photo Mya Hansel<\/a> by Julia Robbs<\/a>. Photo of Kate Lindello<\/a> by Liz Pawlik<\/a>.)<\/p>\n Note: If you buy something through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission, at no cost to you. We recommend only products we genuinely like. Thank you so much.<\/em><\/p>\n