Hello everyone!

If you know me, you know I love shopping for vintage or pre-loved clothing. Not only do I love that it is better for the environment, but the thrill of the find, the deals and the amazing items make it all worth it. I have found amazing items of amazing quality for extraordinarily low prices that I could not find anywhere else. Whether it be the item is vintage, the brand is no longer made or the item is sold out I can always count on second-hand apps like Poshmark or Depop to find some super cool items. Additionally, sometimes I want a fit that brands nowadays cannot replicate. For example, I wanted a slouchy 90s fit sweater. Although stores like Aritzia or Abercrombie have items labelled as “90s fit sweaters” its simply not the same. So in these situations, I hop onto Poshmark or Depop and get searching. 9 times out of 10 I find exactly what I am looking for.

I both buy and sell on Poshmark and Depop and have for quite some time now. As I get more and more into sustainable shopping I have gathered some tips that have enabled me to find the best items, at the best prices. I am going to share all of those tips with you all and I hope it encourages you to do some second-hand shopping yourself. If you use any of these tips let me know or send me a picture of your finds!

Wanna shop my closet? Visit my Poshmark @touchofgoldxx to shop! Accepting offers:)

SEARCH BY BRAND

I always get asked how I find the items that I do on Poshmark or Depop. I get told that it is so time-consuming to go through all the listings. Now unless you have the exact style name for an item, odds are that you are not going to find it, as most times people put generic terms like “Nike Sweatshirt” as the name. My advice is to start searching by brand, you will be amazed at how many more items you can see in comparison to being more specific. I have found so many amazing items this way because sometimes you don’t know exactly what you are looking for off the bat. Search some of your favourite brands and get scrolling!

Some brands to keep your eyes out for:

• Lands End
• Ralph Lauren
• Patagonia
• K-Way
• Levis
• Sancho
• L.L Bean

SEARCH BY ITEM

If searching by brand is not your thing search by item. Now I don’t just mean “Sweater” I mean “Vintage 90s Sweater” or “Chunky Knit Sweater” or “Cropped Cream Sweater”. Always try to have a time period, colour, or adjective in your search term since that is how Poshmark and Depop narrow their search for each item. This will open your eyes to many brands which could make your search a little more time-consuming, however, it is useful when you don’t know what exact brand you’re looking for.

DO NOT SEARCH BY PRICE

The reason I suggest not searching by price is that Poshmark and Depop enable you to put offers on items. You never know what someone is going to accept, therefore you could miss out on some amazing pieces this way. I would utilize the “Sort from Low to High” or “Sort from High to Low” filters instead.

ONE MAN’S TRASH IS ANOTHER MAN’S TREASURE

The last tip leads me to the next tip that you need to remember when shopping on Poshmark or Depop. You need to remember that one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. Most of the time you could be looking at an item that you think is amazing, but the person selling it is ready to let it go or has sourced it for someone else to enjoy. My point here is that you should more often than not make an offer that is lower than the selling price. The worst that could happen is that it is rejected and you offer a different price or pay in full. You never know till you try, so give it a shot!

BE INVENTIVE AND USE YOUR IMAGINATION

Certain items might not photograph as well and therefore some imagination needs to be involved. I recommend searching for some inspiration on Pinterest for a better idea of how it will fit. Also, do not be afraid to ask the seller for the garments measurements. The best practice is to ask for the pit to pit, sleeve length, garment width and, garment length measurement if not already listed. Compare those measurements on yourself with some fabric tape to judge how it will fit on you.

LIKE ITEMS

If you find an item that you like, ALWAYS like the item to save it. There is nothing worse then finding an item you like, not liking it and never being able to find it again. It takes two seconds to like and you will have all of your favourite items in one place. This is also a great feature if you do not want to commit to purchasing the item right away. Also, a majority of the time sellers see that you liked the item and will offer you an exclusive discount, therefore it is good to give items a little time before pressing “buy”.

MAKE A BUNDLE

On Poshmark you have the ability to add an item(s) to a bundle. Adding items to a bundle incentivizes sellers to offer a further discount on the item or on shipping. Or if you purchase more than one item from the same seller a discount could be offered as well. Although liking an item provides the same incentive, it is not always the case. Bundling more often than not leads to a discount on the item and shipping. Definitely, something to try out!

Well, there you have it! Those are all my top tips for shopping on second-hand apps like Poshmark and Depop. I hope you all find these tips helpful. Happy shopping!