THE BEST SECOND-HAND STORES TO FIND HIDDEN CLOTHING TREASURES

Using what you already have in your wardrobe is the best thing you can do to protect our planet. The next best thing? Buy second-hand clothes in physical shops or even easier, in online second-hand shops! In today’s article we are going to show you the best second-hand shops to find your best outfits while taking care of our beloved planet 😉!

The best second-hand online stores

SWAP

Swap is the place for “top-quality, designer finds, $15 or less”, which is pretty prominent among online thrift shops. While that price doesn’t apply to the full range of second-hand clothing and footwear for women, men, plus sizes, kids, and babies, the affordability does!

It’s not hard to find jumpers and shoes that cost less than a soy latte!  

With over 2 million unique items and thousands of new items every day – including those that don’t fall into the high fashion category that other online thrift shops prioritize – there’s something for everyone!  Swap has offices in the United States and Europe and is currently accepting quality items for resale at its North Carolina warehouse. 

Although an increase in interest means they currently accept items by invitation only, Swap can be expected to remain one of the best places to buy second-hand online and eventually to sell. 

ThredUP 

ThredUP is an online consignment shop for women’s and children’s used clothing. It’s one of the largest online second-hand clothing shops, with over 52.6 million sellers and millions of items from 35,000 brands, “from Gap to Gucci”.

As one of the most affordable options, it’s perfect if you’re looking for a cheap second-hand online shop. But budgeting isn’t the only thing you have to do. This great thrift shop offers small and large filters and a maternity section!

Don’t want to buy but want to clean out your wardrobe? ThredUP’s sales process starts with a cleaning kit, a giant polka-dotted bag that can be filled with clothes from their list of accepted brands and shipped for free.

Once received, the garments are professionally photographed on mannequins, which helps interested buyers understand how well a garment will fit them. Once sold, the money can be saved and used as shop credit, or used for other sustainable shops through their UPcycle program.

Anything not accepted will be returned or responsibly recycled. If you’re not interested in making money, you can also request a donation kit. The same process works, but instead of giving you a percentage of the proceeds from the sale, they donate $5 to a charity of your choice!

FLYP

Flyp, based in San Francisco, is on a mission to help people achieve “Less Clutter. More power”. 

It started as the brainchild of resale entrepreneur James Kawas, who realized that more people would be encouraged to give their old clothes a second life if the selling process was a little easier. 

And so, the platform matches people (with clothes to sell) with independent professional resellers.

Here’s how it works:

• Take a photo of each garment you want to sell.
• Professional sellers apply to sell your clothes and you choose your preferred seller based on their price estimates.
• Flyp gives you a shipping label to send your items to a professional seller.
• The professional seller posts your items on various second-hand platforms and, once sold, will send you the proceeds (minus their commission).

They accept clothing, shoes, and bags in good condition (i.e. no rips, smells, or stains) from all kinds of well-known fashion and designer brands. They don’t accept non-branded or fast fashion brands such as Forever 21 and H&M.

BEYOND RETRO

UK-based Beyond Retro stops the catwalk with disco-worthy attire and dazzling vintage garments. This online thrift shop for men and women is a boho fashionista’s dream: everything from the 60s to the 90s! 😉

Thousands of items are added every week and every year 90 million items end up in new homes. Aiming to increase that figure even further, they also have a Reworked Vintage range of recycled clothing. 

Although they don’t currently have a resale option for old clothes, they do offer a discount to students.

EBAY

We’ve all heard of eBay… isn’t it?  The Californian multinational has undeniably changed the name of the e-commerce game, largely by being one of the biggest influences in promoting the second-hand economy.

In fact, it’s the company that made the rest of this list possible and remains one of the most popular second-hand shops on the Internet.

You’ll have access to all kinds of unique clothing and accessories from many cultures and eras. Nowhere else will you find a wider selection!

Let’s not forget that it is THE cheapest online thrift store. Because it’s mostly peer-to-peer, there’s less quality control, but eBay’s policies protect buyers from fraudulent or dishonest sellers.

WILDTHING VINTAGE

If you just typed “thrift store online Canada” in your search bar, look no further! This Canadian Etsy shop offers the best vintage pieces from the 50s and 90s.

Wildthing Vintage offers vintage clothing, shoes, jewelry, and accessories with a “wild touch” that is sure to make your wardrobe roar.

So are you a mindful shopper? Then don’t miss out on our post about the best sustainable fashion brands

The best second-hand stores

Avalon Vintage

This shop, situated near Highland Park in LA, is owned by music veterans Rodney Klein and Carmen Hawk, so there are plenty of rock-style items.

They also sell vintage vinyl records and other hard-to-find items. On the shelves: Tons of rocker T-shirts, cowboy boots, and 1940s-style polka-dot dresses, as well as odd-shaped vintage handbags you won’t see anywhere else. 

It’s a great place to look for a long dress for an event or to get your hands on a long, pink, old-school nightgown. Add a slip and you’re done.

It’s a wrap!

This shop, situated in Burbank, CA, doesn’t sell second-hand clothes but rather rarely used items, many of them imported straight from discarded studio wardrobes. Want to wear Tom Cruise’s shirt from Mission Impossible? Or maybe Julianna Margulies’ blouse? If you’re going to find them – and a host of other barely-worn garments from film and TV sets – somewhere, chances are it’s here. 

On the racks, you’ll find tons of coats and tracksuits, Banana Republic, Hugo Boss, and Armani. Most items have affordable prices with 75% off. A practically new jacket from The Row was recently discovered for around $100!

Timeless treasures

A non-profit organization located in Westside is run mainly by volunteers. The shop has a bit of everything, but people come mostly to browse the Gold Room, where designer items are kept. 

The thrift shop is known for its $6 jeans and monthly sales, where prices drop by up to 50%. The Gold Room carries Fendi, Prada, Gucci, and many other designers. Recently, a pair of $400 Moussy jeans sold for $20!