Bookworm Cottage Style

My husband and I are both too stubborn to download Facebook, and we share a small sedan that wouldn’t fit big stuff anyway. So like a good millennial, most of my second-hand shopping actually happens online. Here are my favorite sources:

Poshmark

I am a Poshmark evangelist. Since downloading the Poshmark app in 2016, I’ve sold 97 pieces of clothing and made about as many purchases. Rather than donating old clothes to Goodwill that may or may not see the light of day again, it feels really good to send my clothes to a home in which someone is genuinely excited to wear the items. It also doesn’t hurt to earn a little extra pocket money! The biggest asset of Poshmark is also its biggest flaw – that you buy directly from sellers rather than a 3rd party. Individual sellers have much wider variations in pricing (some people just want to clean out their closet while others use it as a source of income) meaning that with a keen eye and patience, you can get some real steals. Because the individual seller likely bought the item in the first place, they are more likely to list with the actual product name (“Everlane Cheeky Straight Jeans in Stone Blue Wash” rather than simply “Everlane jeans,” as they would be listed on online consignment stores like ThredUp). This makes hunting down specific pieces much much easier. The only real downside, in my opinion, is that you have to pay shipping for each individual item. However, if you’re getting a good enough deal on an expensive enough piece, it’s almost always worth it. My #1 biggest Poshmark score was my wedding dress – a $1,000+ BHLDN dress with the tags on that I snagged for under $400. I’ve also gotten lots of wonderful cashmere pieces at a fraction of the price. 

The Real Real

The Real Real is a great resource for splurgy brands and designer brands. Purchases come from the company itself, rather than individual sellers, which means that products are listed with simple descriptions rather than their actual product names. This makes shipping/returns easier but can make searching more difficult if you have a very specific piece that you’re trying to track down. The Real Real site does offer a saved search feature though, which I highly recommend taking advantage of if you’re looking for something specific. I think I’ve only purchased one item from this site (a Tory Burch wallet) but I love browsing.

Open Box & Refurbished

I don’t know if all of these options count as “second hand” or not, but I have had incredible success buying refurbished or open-box products. My certified reconditioned Vitamix and refurbished Kitchen Aid stand mixer came with warranties and have held up beautifully for years, despite costing much less than new versions. I’ve also purchased open box light fixtures from Pottery Barn (although one was missing a piece) and am currently scouting some open-box curtain rods from Wayfair and openbox sconces from Lamps Plus. Open box items tend to sell quickly and change from day to day, so if you see something you like, it’s best to scoop it right up! For baby gear, we were determined to find a more affordable way to secure an Uppa Baby, and ended up getting a (never used!) Vista from Albee Baby for a couple hundred off the sticker price. Stork Exchange and Capital Kidz were also open box/ refurbished/resale baby gear sites that we were scouting strollers on. 

I haven’t been much of a ThredUp shopper in the past but they may change when I start shopping for baby clothes. Buying an $8 baby outfit on Poshmark doesn’t feel like as good of a deal when you have to spend just as much on shipping. But I like that on ThredUp I could load up my cart with baby outfits and only pay a single shipping fee, or possibly even qualify for free shipping. There is also a baby clothes resale shop in my area that I’m excited to explore.

What are your tips for spending less on more?