5 Best of the Best Online Thrift Stores
5 of the best online thrift stores
Thanks to online thrift stores, secondhand shopping has never been easier.
That’s because savvy, modern thrifters harness the power of the internet, use the website’s search parameters, and find the exact item they are looking for in their desired color and size, for a fraction of the price of new.
Corporations have fed us the lie that new is best and most of us – including myself! – have bought it. But capitalism works only when consumers constantly buy, and the constant purchase of new goods leaves little space for older but perfectly fine garments to thrive.
Thrifting is recycling, and it is a powerful way to acquire needed items without all the problems that come with overconsumption.
Why thrift?
There are many reasons why we should give thrifting a try. Financial savings abound; embracing secondhand sends a powerful message to retailers, too, that you are uninterested in introducing additional fast fashion into the waste stream.
Here are 3 additional benefits to utilizing the best online thrift stores for your next secondhand purchase.
1. Thrifting reduces your environmental impact
Thrifting helps the planet. While one must consider an item’s afterlife, an item’s before life is equally important, because the mining of raw materials and the exploitation of finite goods used to make a product demand a hefty environmental toll.
Reduced consumer demand results in reduced manufacturing of new stuff. This ultimately results in fewer items sent to landfills, as thrifting for clothes keeps 300,000 tons of fabric from landfills each year.
It also results in fewer carbon emissions. If every person in the world substituted just one new piece of clothing with a used garment we would prevent 6 billion pounds of carbon emissions, collectively.
2. Thrifting may improve your health
Wearing secondhand clothes may be the non-toxic lifestyle choice. Anecdotal evidence suggests that secondhand clothes lack lingering chemicals used in both growth and manufacturing within their fibers.
Here’s a real life example. Say you purchase a new cotton onesie for your baby. The cotton was conventionally grown; lingering pesticides remain within the garment as a result.
Alternately, you could instead purchase a secondhand cotton onesie that has been worn and washed again and again. Those lingering pesticides may have washed out with time.
But the brand-new onesie? Those pesticides reside within, and may effect your baby’s endocrine system and overall development.
3. Thrifting supports humans
When it comes to workers’ rights, the fashion industry is a notoriously bad actor.
Sweatshop garment workers around the world toil 18 hour days 7 days per week during peak season.
They rarely earn more than two dollars per day.
Buying secondhand drives down consumer demand for cheap sweatshop goods. It is a tangible way for consumers to take a stand against modern day slavery, too.
Did you know?
You can find The Sustainable Minimalists podcast wherever you listen to podcasts.
Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher
Common thrifting concerns
Despite countless advantages – and despite the fact that online thrift stores make thrifting as easy as pie – many consumers remain reluctant.
Here are consumers most common concerns:
“But I like new stuff.”
Know that you can find brand new items when you thrift, including items with tags still on. Some thrifting websites encourage shoppers to use their filters so you can search only for New or Like New Items.
“I’m not interested in thrifting for EVERYthing.”
Thrift for just some stuff, then. Dabble in the thrifting lifestyle and see how it works for you. Next, reassess.
“Isn’t thrifting the opposite of minimalist living?”
It can be, especially if you go overboard. Thrift only for what you need right now and pass on the items you think you might need someday.
5 of the best online thrift stores
_____
#1: Poshmark
From fast fashion to high fashion, Poshmark offers items from over 5,000 brands.
Its smartphone app makes thrifting easy-peasy, as it enables buyers to filter results based on size, color, brand, and more.
Shopping on Poshmark for brands you love is as simple as typing in the brand and you size and assessing search results. You can even search “New with Tags”. (I have purchased countless quality pieces with tags still on for a fraction of the price of retail!)
I also appreciate that the site’s offer/counter-offer feature encourages bargaining. When I need to purchase many items, I bundle purchases from the same seller for extra savings, too.
Best online thrift store #2: ThreadUP
ThreadUP boasts little bit of everything. (As their website says, they offer “from Gap to Gucci”.)
ThreadUp photographs available on mannequins. As a shopper, I appreciate this because I want to see how an item actually fits before I buy.
ThreadUP’s best feature is that the site makes selling easy. ThreadUP does the hard work of listing items to sell, including inspecting, photographing, writing detailed descriptions, and shipping garments that do indeed sell.
They also take care of payment, too, and send a portion of earnings when an item sells.
The process is as easy as ordering ThreadUP’s Clean Out Kit and filling it with unwanted items. For the clothes that do not sell, ThreadUP responsibly recycles them.
Best online thrift store #3: Patagonia Worn Wear
Patagonia has been committed to environmental issues since its inception, and many sustainable minimalists support the brand for both its eco-conscious mission as well as its superbly made activewear.
Patagonia is a Certified B Corporation that is committed to corporate responsibility through their usage of recycled fibers, repair guarantee, and more.
The problem with Patagonia, however, is that its new products are pricey.
Enter Patagonia Worn Wear, which is one of the best online thrift stores because it exclusively sells Patagonia products for men, women, and children.
I appreciate that Worn Wear maintains a high level of quality control and repairs items that are ripped or torn in-house before selling on the website.
Worn Wear makes Patagonia’s products more financially accessible for consumers, too: beloved Better Sweaters, for example, can be purchased for half the price of retail on Worn Wear.
Best online thrift store #4: Tradesy
Tradesy is an online marketplace that specializes in high-end, designer brands for women.
While items listed on the site are more expensive than on Poshmark or ThreadUP, Tradesy is still *the* place to find great steals on luxury garments.
As a buyer, I appreciate that the site offers a 100 percent authenticity promise as a means of ensuring that I am not buying a knockoff.
I agree with Tradesy’s mission, too, which advocates for simplifying wardrobes by paying a little more for quality items that will be treasured for years and years.
[Related: When Overspending on Luxury Backfires]
Best online thrift store #5: Refashioner
Love vintage? If so, Refashioner is about to become your best friend.
It can be difficult – if not downright impossible – to find vintage clothing on sites like Poshmark and ThreadUP. Refashioner makes finding high quality vintage articles from the 1920s and onward possible.
The company boasts meticulous quality control; many of their pieces come with a story, too.
2 honorable thrifty actions
Rent
There once was a time in my life when I bought a new dress for each occasion I was invited to. The result was a closet full of dresses and gowns that were out of style and barely worn.
Sometimes it makes more sense to rent a particular garment than buy new. If you have a wedding or other even on your calendar, consider renting your attire.
Rent the Runway offers luxurious pieces in many styles and sizes for a fraction of the cost of a new outfit.
Swap With Friends
Clothing swaps save money, reduce textile waste, and lower swappers’ carbon footprints. They are also a fun and easy way to socialize with friends.
Simply invite your friends over and ask them to bring clothes and accessories they no longer wear.
Once everyone arrives, instruct them to organize garments into sorted piles. Then invite guests to sift through and find items to try on and perhaps take home.
Alternately, if you would prefer a less structured way to swap clothes, simply swap items with a friend whose size and style is similar to your own.
Which online thrift stores do you love? How do you score great secondhand deals online? Tell us in the comments!
