Shopping for pre-loved clothing is one of the best actions you can take to fight against fast fashion, and online thrift stores make the process enjoyable and straightforward for buyers and sellers alike.
In this article, I list some of the best platforms you can use for your next thrifting experience, all of them have web versions, iOS, and Android apps.
I researched all of them and outlined some of the essential points to help you decide which one is the most convenient for you depending on your objective. Whether you’re looking to make some money from cleaning up your closet or acquiring your next luxury or vintage bag, these apps got you covered!
Before you get started, here is a summary of the main characteristics of every service, in case you’d like to skip to the ones that interest you the most.
| Site | Countries available | Men and women and kids? | Clothing & accessories only? | Luxury only? | Seller fees | Listing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Depop | Worldwide | Yes | No, selected items like art and books are also sold on Depop | No | Yes | Listing made by the seller |
| Vinted | Europe (some countries) and the USA | Yes | Yes | No | No | Listing made by the seller |
| Poshmark | USA, Canada, and Australia | Yes | No, also some selected home goods can be sold on Poshmark | No | Yes | Listing made by the seller |
| Etsy | Worldwide | Yes | No, all kinds of things can be sold on Etsy, as long as it’s handmade or vintage | No | Yes | Listing made by the seller |
| ThredUp | USA and Canada | No, only women and kids | Yes | No | No | Listing made by ThredUp |
| Vestiaire Collective | Europe (some countries), the USA, Asia (some countries), and Australia | Yes | No, selected lifestyle items like art or decoration can be found on Vestiaire Collective | Yes | Yes | Listing made by Vestiaire Collective |
| Tradesy | USA | No, women only | Yes | Yes | Yes | Listing made by the seller |
Depop
Depop is a super fast-growing start-up founded in London. It’s used by millions of people every day, providing a state-of-the-art social shopping experience. If you’re interested in connecting with people who care about sustainability and want to find unique, pre-loved items, then this is the platform for you.
As they state on their website: “Depop exists to build the world’s most diverse progressive home for fashion. We are a community-powered fashion ecosystem that’s kinder to the planet and kinder to the people”.
Where is Depop available?
Depop is available worldwide.
What can you buy and sell on Depop?
On Depop, you can mainly find men’s and women’s fashion and accessories and other unique items like art and books.
Buying on Depop
Is it safe to buy on Depop?
In general, yes, it is safe to buy on Depop. The company has a few measures in place to prevent scams, for example:
- Transactions can only take place via Paypal or Depop Payments via Stripe. Making direct payment arrangements between seller and buyer is not permitted.
- Buyer Protection covers all purchases, and you’ll receive a full refund if your item doesn’t arrive or if it’s significantly not as described.
However, you should consider that Depop is a marketplace, and as such, everything from shipment to returns is handled between you and the seller.
Shipment
Shipment of your items is handled directly by the seller. Some sellers may include shipping in the article’s price, listing it as “free shipping,” but others may not. Items can be shipped internationally.
Returns
All returns should be arranged between buyer and seller, so you must check the seller’s return policy.
Selling on Depop
How to sell and make money on Depop?
First, you need to consider that Depop is a social platform; thus, the process is very similar to using Instagram. Follow these steps to start making money on Depop:
- Download the app and create your account.
- Setup your profile preferences and write a bio (again, just like on Instagram!).
- Take pictures of your items, price them, and list them in the app.
And just like that, you can become a seller on Depop. But not too fast; there are few things to consider if you want your items to sell. The most important is, you need to grow your following! So that you get traffic to your page and hence more eyes on your items.
Growing your following works like any other social platform: you need to be active, following other accounts, liking and commenting on posts. If social media is your thing, you can thrive on Depop! But if that’s not the case and you don’t have much time to invest in growing your following or building a community, then definitely try another option from this list.
In summary, to sell on Depop, you are responsible for publishing, marketing, and shipping your items to the buyer; that is good because you have control over the whole process.
Seller fees
- It’s free to post an item!.
- If an item gets sold, Depop takes 10%.
- PayPal transaction fee of 2.9% + £0.30 in the UK and 2.9% + $0.30 in the USA. If you are in the USA and have added USPS shipping, Depop will also take this amount.
Download the app: iOS, Android
Vinted
Vinted is a Lithuanian online marketplace that allows you to buy, sell and swap second-hand clothing items and accessories. Due to its social features, you can consider Vinted a community where members can communicate via forums.
Being mainly a social network, Vinted is excellent for looking for inspiration, but it also allows you to search items by seller, brand, size, or color and find the exact article you want.
The greatest thing about Vinted, and what truly sets it apart from other platforms, is that it is free to use and doesn’t take any sales percentage, making it one of the best platforms to be a seller! How can they afford that? You have optional, additional paid services within the app (like the promotion of your closet, for example).
Where is Vinted available?
As of 2020, Vinted is available in 12 countries: Spain, France, Luxembourg, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Austria, the Czech Republic, Poland, Lithuania, the UK, and the USA.
What can you buy and sell on Vinted?
Vinted not only offers women’s fashion but now it has also expanded to men’s and children’s clothing!
Buying on Vinted
Is it safe to buy on Vinted?
It is safe if you pay through the Vinted payment system. Vinted covers you with a Buyer Protection that ensures they won’t transfer your money to the seller until you confirm everything is good.
You’ll get refunded in the following situations:
- The item is significantly not as described
- The article doesn’t arrive
- The item arrives damaged
Shipment
The seller will have five working days to send the item to you. Delivery usually takes 5-7 working days.
Returns
Returns are possible with Vinted under certain conditions, for example, if your item is significantly not as described. For other situations, you should, in general, look for a solution with the seller.
Selling on Vinted
How to sell and make money on Vinted?
Vinted is one of the best platforms to be a seller, given that they don’t charge any sales commissions. As a seller, you are in charge of listing your items and promoting them. You also need to take care of your social presence and learn how to get followers since that will increase your credibility and, therefore, your sales. These are the steps you need to start with:
- Create your profile. Verify your account and write an “About you” section.
- List your items. Add nice and clear photos as well as honest descriptions.
- Wait for your item to sell. In the meantime, you can boost your wardrobe’s visibility.
Once your sell an item:
- Time to ship! Pack the item and send it within five working days.
- Once the client receives the item, collect your earnings!
Seller fees
There are no seller fees or commissions on Vinted.
Download the app: iOS, Android
Poshmark
Poshmark is a social marketplace for selling used goods. It’s like having Instagram and eBay combined! The community around it is enormous, with around 70 million members. You can be sure you can find items you love in their 200 million items listing.
Poshmark has an entertaining concept called Posh Parties, which are virtual selling events with various brands and themes.
Where is Poshmark available?
Poshmark is only available in the USA, Canada, and Australia.
What can you buy and sell on Poshmark?
On Poshmark, you can buy or sell clothing, accessories and select home goods, new or pre-loved.
Buying on Poshmark
Is it safe to buy on Poshmark?
Yes, buying items on Poshmark is safe. Of course, you should always research the seller and carefully read the descriptions of the things you’re acquiring. Poshmark has protections for you as a buyer; for example, you can accept or return an item once you receive it, and the payment isn’t released to the seller until you receive the item and approve the purchase.
Shipment
The buyer pays the shipping fee. Poshmark provides a flat rate of $7.45 for expedited shipping on all orders.
Returns
According to the Poshmark returns policy, all sales are final, meaning that returns are not accepted if you didn’t like it or didn’t fit correctly. However, you can open an issue for other reasons, and they will evaluate it and assist with returning the item to the seller for a full refund.
Selling on Poshmark
How to sell and make money on Poshmark?
Poshmark is a social marketplace. As such, it requires the seller to be active in the platform and constantly interact with buyers. You also need to grow a following and keep up with posting your closet. The social aspect can be very time-consuming; you should consider that before deciding to be a seller on Poshmark.
It’s also worth considering the seller fees (20% for sales over $15), which is high compared to what other platforms charge.
On the other hand, there are no listing fees on Poshmark, so trying it out is free!. Given the vast number of members the platform has, you’re almost guaranteed to find buyers for your items as long as you put in some effort.
Seller fees
There are no fees for listing items. However, they charge $2.95 per item under $15 and 20% for sales over $15.
Download the app: iOS, Android
Etsy
Etsy is a global marketplace where you can find millions of unique and creative clothing and accessories listed mainly by independent brands and artists. Etsy has become the place to go if you want to buy or sell vintage clothing and curated secondhand items.
Where is Etsy available?
Etsy is available worldwide.
What can you buy and sell on Etsy?
On Etsy, you can buy or sell handmade items, vintage, or a craft supply.
Buying on Etsy
Is it safe to buy on Etsy?
Yes, it’s safe to buy on Etsy as long as you use your best judgment. Remember to check the seller’s reviews and policies before purchasing and making payments using Etsy Payments or Paypal.
Shipment
It’s the seller’s responsibility to handle shipping. They have to prepare, pack, and hand the orders to the shipping company. If an Etsy shop has good customer service, you should expect accurate delivery estimates and constant communication with you, the buyer.
Returns
On Etsy, the sellers are responsible for their policies regarding refunds, exchanges, and returns. Policies vary from shop to shop, so make sure to check that out before you purchase. If you’d like to return or exchange an item, you should contact the shop directly through the platform.
How to sell and make money on Etsy?
If you are an independent thrift store owner, fashion designer, or artist, you should consider selling on Etsy. There are a few rules to take into account before, for example:
- Clothes must be hand-made by you or vintage.
- You are not allowed to resell items unless they’re vintage.
- An item is vintage if it’s 20 or more years old.
You need to be careful with the above since the Etsy community will notice if something is not doesn’t comply with the requirements. Also, consider that Etsy is highly competitive, so if you want to make sells take the following points into account:
- Make sure your products are unique to stand out from the crowd.
- Use high-quality materials.
- Take excellent care of your product photography and descriptions.
- Learn about SEO to appear on customer searches.
- Most importantly, provide an excellent customer service experience.
Seller fees
If you don’t have an Etsy subscription:
- There’s a listing fee of $0.20 for each item that you list for sale.
- There’s a transaction fee of 5% of the price you display for each listing, plus the amount you charge for delivery and gift wrapping.
The fee for an Etsy Plus subscription is $10 per month; this gives you:
- 15 listing credits.
- $5 in Etsy Ads credits.
Download the app: iOS, Android
ThredUp
ThredUp is an online consignment and thrift store. It has a vast selection of items. They mainly focus on pre-loved name-brand clothing, and they claim you’ll be able to save up around 90%.
Unlike other platforms in this list, ThredUp is in charge of listing the articles they sell; therefore, most of them are in excellent condition given the selection process they have to pass. You can find luxury items for a fraction of the price. ThredUp accepts less than 40% of the clothing they receive.
Where is ThredUp available?
The United States and Canada.
What can you buy and sell on ThredUp?
You can buy and sell gently-used clothing, shoes, handbags, accessories, and jewelry.
Buying on ThredUp
Is it safe to buy on ThredUp?
ThredUp works like any eCommerce website; therefore, you are not dealing with independent sellers like in other platforms of this list. That can give you peace of mind that it’s safe to buy on ThredUp and that the pictures and descriptions of the items you’re buying will be as accurate as possible.
Shipment
There’s a standard flat rate of $5.99 for standard shipping to the USA.
Returns
ThredUp accepts returns, even if the item is not the right fit or for similar reasons. You’ll have 14 days to return.
Selling on ThredUp
How to sell and make money on ThredUp?
Selling on thredUp is very simple. All you need to do is send your clothes, and they will do all of the heavy liftings. They will take care of everything from taking the pictures, pricing, and listing your items on their website. When an item sells, you’ll get notified and get a percentage of the selling price.
The payout can go from 5% to 80%, depending on how expensive the item is.
There are a few caveats to this process. ThredUp is highly selective and only accepts around 40% of the articles they receive. You should consider that your items might not get accepted. In that case, it can either recycle them responsibly or have them ship them back to you for around $10.
If your items get accepted, they will be on consignment for 60-90 days, depending on how premium the brand is. If your pieces don’t sell after this time, you can choose to reclaim them back, or, otherwise, they will become the property of ThredUp.
As you can see, the payout is generally low, and the process of getting accepted, lengthy. However, ThredUp is an excellent choice if you’re looking to clean out your closet but are not expecting to make much money out of it. If that is the case, all you have to do is the following:
- Sign up to get a free clean-out kit.
- Fill up your kit.
- Send your kit.
- That’s it. ThredUp will take care of the rest.
Seller fees
There are no seller fees on ThredUp.
Download the app: iOS, Android
Vestiaire collective
Vestiaire Collective is one of the most exclusive and stylish online marketplaces. Founded in Paris, it keeps a Parisian essence for fashion. If your goal is to add second-hand luxury clothing or accessories to your wardrobe, then you should try Vestiaire Collective. You can find pre-loved luxury and premium branded pieces at unbeatable prices on this platform, at up to 70% discount from their retail price.
Vestiaire Collective heavily invests in making sure the items they sell on their platform are authentic; this is a crucial aspect to keep their clients’ peace of mind that they are acquiring original pieces.
Where is Vestiaire collective available?
According to their website, their international community is composed of over 7 million fashion savvy members located in over 50 countries across Europe, the United States, Asia, and Australia.
What can you buy and sell on Vestiaire collective?
Luxury or premium apparel, accessories, and selected lifestyle items, like pieces of art or decoration.
Buying on Vestiaire collective
How to buy on Vestiaire collective?
If you are thinking of buying something from Vestiaire Collective, this is how the process works:
- Find an item that you love within the hundreds of thousands of pieces that make up the catalog.
- The item will then be sent to Vestiaire Collective by the seller to be checked for quality and authenticity.
- Once the item has passed Quality Control, it will be shipped to you.
A nice feature on this platform is that you can make offers to the seller to get a lower price than listed. I recommend you always do that!
Is it safe to buy on Vestiaire collective?
Yes, the company puts a lot of effort into the authenticity of the items they sell; however, always be extra careful and check with the seller.
Shipment
Depending on your location, Vestiaire Collective will pay for shipping. For a complete list of countries, visit the “Shipping my Item” section of the site.
While browsing Vestiaire Collective, you’ll see three delivery methods available:
- Delivery with authentication. The item is sent to Vestiaire Collective for authentication before being sent to you; the process takes ten days on average.
- Direct Shipping. The item is sent to you directly by the seller; this works well for pieces that don’t need to be authenticated.
- Express Delivery. If you see a piece tagged for express delivery, it means it is already in stock at Vestiaires Collective and has been checked for authenticity. Estimated delivery time is personalized for every item.
Returns
The process of returns works differently depending on who you buy the item from, an Individual or a Professional seller.
- If you bought from an Individual Seller:
In general, it’s not possible to return items in this case. If the piece is not what you expected, you can relist it during the first 72 hours after receiving it, and you will receive all resale proceeds. If you relist it after 72 hours, but before 14 days, you would need to pay a small fee for relisting the item.
- If you bought from a Professional Seller:
In this case, you can relist the item during the first 72 hours after receiving it or get a full refund if you return it within 14 days of receiving the item.
Selling on Vestiaire Collective
How to sell and make money on Vestiaire collective?
If you want to sell something, the process is simple:
- Submit an item for sale using the simple online seller form for the curation team to review.
- Once your item has sold, you will receive a prepaid shipping label to send the item to Vestiaire collective HQ free of charge.
- Sold! Once your item passes Quality Control, you will receive payment directly into your bank account.
Seller fees
Here’s a quick guide to the commission in US Dollars.
Download the app: iOS, Android
Tradesy
Tradesy is a luxury resale marketplace for designer brands like Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Bottega Veneta, Dior, and much more; it was built by women, for women; it makes resale fast, simple and stylish.
The most exciting feature of Tradesy is that they guarantee the authenticity of the pieces listed on their platform and assure their clients to get their money back if they didn’t receive what they ordered. According to their website: “Simply put, our smart technology automatically detects and removes fakes listed on our site — all with 99.7% accuracy.”
Where is Tradesy available?
Tradesy is available only in the United States.
What can you buy and sell on Tradesy?
On Tradesy, you can buy or sell pre-owned bags, shoes, clothing, and more from top designers.
Buying on Tradesy
How to buy on Tradesy?
Items on Tradesy are pre-owned and have been listed for sale by an individual seller. When you find something you love, just add it to your shopping bag and pay securely by credit card or Affirm.
Is it safe to buy on Tradesy?
Yes, it’s safe to buy on Tradesy. The company promises that you’ll get the item you ordered, 100% authentic and as-described, or your money back.
Shipment
Although the seller ships directly to you, Tradesy handles all return requests.
Returns
Returns are straightforward on Tradesy. If you’re not comfortable with your purchase for any reason, you can request a return within four days of delivery and get a full refund in Tradesy Site Credit.
If you’re concerned about authenticity, Tradesy states the following on their website: “Buyers who believe the item received is inauthentic or was incorrectly described in its listing can also start a return within four days of delivery and file a Misrepresentation Claim.”
If the Tradesy team determines that the item was authentic and corresponds to the description, you receive Site Credit to purchase something they love. Otherwise, if the item was misrepresented, they refund you back to the original payment source.
Selling on Tradesy
How to sell and make money on Tradesy?
You can sell straight from your closet and post unlimited listings using the website or app.
When you create a listing, you’ll be asked to price each of your items, choose your preferred shipping method, and review your earnings breakdown with all fees deducted before you publish.
When the item sells, you’ll ship directly to the buyer, and your earnings will be available after delivery to use as cash on the site or to transfer into your bank account.
Seller fees
Tradesy’s commission is 19.8% on items $50 or more and a $7.50 flat rate on items under $50.
Download the app: iOS, Android
Final thoughts
I hope you enjoyed this list! As you can see, there are many options of online thrift stores that you can try today depending on your needs.
Have you ever wondered how to find clothes from a picture? In this article, we show you 5 easy ways to do it, make sure to check it out!
