5 Online Thrifting Apps You Should Try
Perhaps you’re searching for sustainable clothing at a discounted price. Maybe you prefer supporting small businesses over corporations. Perhaps you just want to see what thrifting is all about. Whatever your reason for online thrift shopping, we hope these five thrifting apps will help in your search for secondhand clothing.
1. Depop
If you’ve heard of any thrifting app it’s probably Depop. With over 30 million users worldwide, from influences to your local community thrifters, Depop offers countless options–secondhand name brands, custom designs made by small businesses owners, vintage steals… the list goes on.
Depop also distinguishes itself by being more like social media than other thrifting apps. With a page titled “style edit” you can browse potential purchases curated for you, based on your previous likes. The platform also has a messaging feature where you can ask sellers about the exact fit of pieces or discounted prices.
If you’re hoping to sell your own clothes, one drawback of Depop’s large community is the competitive nature of gaining exposure for your clothing items. However, the app only has a 10 percent seller fee which is modest compared to other thrifting apps.
Depop was the first thrifting app I ever used, and some of my favorite items in my closet came from the platform–a faux leather jacket, black sunglasses and floral sundress, for example.
2. ThredUp
If you’re thrifting with a particular brand in mind (Aerie, Anthropologie, Lululemon, North Face), thredUp is the app for you. While the platform doesn’t have clothing traditionally marketed for men, it does have a wide selection of name-brand women and children’s apparel. Unlike other apps on this list, thredUp is also exclusively for clothing.
If you plan on making a larger purchase, you can also take advantage of the platform’s “outlet” feature. By increasing the number of items you purchase from the outlet section, you can receive discounts–buying five items will give you 10% off your purchase, for example.
One of my favorite features of thredUp is “thrEDIT,” the app’s style and shopping blog. Some common post topics include sustainability education, tips for a “conscious closest,” the best brands offered on the app and how to sew thrifted clothes. From reading these posts, I learned how to use thredUp more successfully by sorting pages with specific filter words.
3. Vinted
Another popular thrifting app is Vinted, a platform available in countries throughout North America and Europe. Unlike other thrifting apps, Vinted allows sellers to take up to 20 photos of the item they are selling; buyers can thereby see clothes from several angles and identify any flaws in the garments. Another bonus of using Vinted as a seller is the app’s zero-dollar selling fee policy.
Compared to Depop, Vinted has fewer small businesses and focuses more on big brands–it’s the place for those seeking Addidas or Pandora deals. I personally enjoy its sizable, reasonably-priced Levi’s collection. I’ve also found that its search tool is one of the most user-friendly of all thrifting apps.
If you’re local GameStop went out of business and you’re in search of old Nintendo games, Vinted also has a well-organized Entertainment section that includes discounted games, consoles and accessories.
4. Mercari
A thrifting app that ships to all 50 US states and Washington D.C., Mercari offers thousands of clothing, home and gaming items. Its “Unique Finds” tab also displays past gems that have been sold–film and Polaroid cameras, autographed baseballs, artwork and coin collections have all been purchased through Mercari.
One of the defining features of Mercari is its “Shop Local” section. Similar to food delivery services, verified drivers pick up items from a seller’s home and drop it off outside a buyer’s door. The seller can also schedule the time they prefer the item to be picked up, avoiding inconvenient runs to the post office, and addresses do not need to be shared between sellers and buyers.
5. Retro & Me (Etsy)
While many turn to Etsy for custom t-shirts and birthday presents, the app also hosts a variety of thrift stores. Kristin Redifer’s Retro & Me has a collection of vintage sunglasses, purses, t-shirts and dresses that mostly come from the 80s and 90s. Based in Virginia, Redifer runs both the online platform and an in-person store in downtown Staunton.
The “Charms + Supplies” tab carries vibrant patterned fabrics from the 60s and 70s, animal patches perfect to stitch onto backpacks and mini decor charms. Her sunglasses collection currently holds over 2,200 pairs of cat-eyed to rounded frames in dozens of lens colors. Perhaps the best aspect of the store is its heavily curated and organized clothing selections–you won’t need to wait long to find a piece you love.
Retro & Me typically ships within two to five business days–or slightly longer for international orders. Redifer has made over forty-five thousand sales and has an average rating of five stars.
Bonus: Plus BKLYN
Look no further for quality plus size clothing. According to Plus BKLYN’s website, the company sells bold and vintage clothes for individuals size 12+ that “don’t suck.” While this is not technically an app but rather a NYC boutique with an online shopping website, I couldn’t resist including it on the list. With options to buy, sell or trade clothes, Plus BKLYN emphasizes sustainability as a core brand value. Its website is divided into three sections: “Vintage,” “Modern Thrift” and “Reworked Vintage.” Currently, Plus BKLYN even has a collection of 90s vintage crewnecks that have been individually crafted by stitching two garments together.
While Plus BKLYN is a smaller company than the other thrifting apps on this list (and therefore has fewer items to choose from) the website holds treasures such as a bright red blazer, a midi skirt and dozens of vintage blouses. You can also sell your own clothes at the store’s Brooklyn shop for cash (25 percent of the resale value of the items) or store credit.
