In the beginning, we only had eBay — and don’t get us wrong, our love affair with the OG online reseller is still going strong. In the past five years or so, however, numerous new online consignment shops have popped up to fill the curated fashion resale void. Our beloved eBay remains vast and booming with possibilities but it requires sifting, varying degrees of size guesswork (our trick is to go big and keep a trusty tailor on call) and a keen eye. “I think that eBay is obviously a sensationally successful marketplace in business, but less and less specialised as a result of that,” Danny Rimer said in a 2013 interview with The Business of Fashion. (At the time, Rimer, a general partner at Index Ventures, had recently joined the board of directors of 1stdibs.) He continued, “Smaller, more specific subsegments don’t get the type of following or focus that they need. All these elements could be on eBay, but the buyer is actually looking for a better environment. They want the selection to be done for them.”
Cut to 2016 and there’s a wealth of optimal environments out there for buying and selling used clothing. The pragmatic millennial minds that put the same level of thought into purchasing a handbag as they do into leasing a car have turned to the resale market to fuel and feed their appetite for luxury and vintage (hello, 70s, 80s and 90s fashion trend revivals) at relatively budget-friendly price points. Sites with authenticated products, detailed size guides, professionally-styled photos and standardized (sometimes even pre-paid!) shipping methods not only work hard to find vintage and used clothing to suit trends and sensitivities, they make the buying process as friction-free as a trip to Zara.
Which sites are these you ask? Whether you’re an interested shopper or looking to unload your wares, click through the slideshow above for our favorite online consignment shops and resellers of the moment.
[ Next: Crucial Tips for Shopping Vintage from Blogger Emily Schuman of Cupcakes and Cashmere ]
Best Online Resellers
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The RealReal
At The RealReal, you can snatch up anything from a vintage Birkin to an original Warhol, all authenticated, all pre-owned, all gone within three days tops (for the most part). Consignors earn 60 to 70 percent of the sale price, so if you’ve been meaning to unload that passé Campbell’s soup print and have something against Christie’s, The RealReal is your guy. (But seriously, the site’s incredibly well curated and carries everything from home goods to watches to reasonably priced designer apparel plus there’s usually a promotional discount afoot. Pro tip: The style guides are useful when narrowing down your array of options.)
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Our Pick
Christian Dior So Real Sunglasses, $495 at The RealReal
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Poshmark
Somewhere between Pinterest and eBay is Poshmark, “the largest community marketplace for fashion where any woman can buy, sell and share her personal style.” For sellers, it’s extremely easy to create your own profile and unload designer and non-designer items. For buyers, a more relaxed shopping environment equals lower prices than you’d find at swankier re-commerce sites that have to feed their middlemen.
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Our Pick
Chanel Headband, $30 at Poshmark
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Tradesy
Tradesy’s meticulously categorized layout makes it easy to sift through its wealth of options. Its wedding department — especially the selection of affordable bridesmaid dresses — comes in particularly handy around this time of year. Once you’ve waved the bride and groom off, give someone else the gift of a thrifty designer frock by listing your item, taking its photo (which Tradesy will then enhance), suggesting a price (the app can propose one for you) and shipping it off with a Tradesy-provided box and label. Tradesy and The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up — all that you need to finally shake your cluttered wardrobe woes.
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Our Pick
Isabel Marant Étoile Myron Navy Blue Jacket, $179 at Tradesy
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The Break Vintage
Brooklyn-based, internationally-sourced newbie The Break Vintage features one-of-a-kind pieces you’ll want to show off immediately. The site’s manifesto reads: “We believe personal style is the chicken to the industry's egg. The Break aims to bridge the runway and reality, with our finger on the pulse of fashion, high-fiving the weirdoes that make it their own.” Note to shoppers: These affordable, on-trend finds sell out quickly, so if you’re agonizing over an item, we recommend taking the leap. (Hey, if it doesn’t work out, you can always return.)
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Our Pick
Vintage Cal Sport Track Jacket, $34.99 at The Break Vintage
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Eva Gentry Consignment
While you have to make a trip to Atlantic Avenue to shop tastemaker Eva Dayton’s full selection of secondhand fashion, one of the most triumphant feelings on Earth is when the shop posts a treasure in your size on its Instagram page and you nab said item (by calling the store and describing it) before any of Dayton's other avid followers. The store's obliging sales associates will also happily DM distant shoppers further pictures and item stats upon request.
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Our Pick
3.1 Phillip Lim Shorts, $98 at Eva Gentry Consignment (718-522-3522)
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ASOS Marketplace
As comprehensive as its host site, this well-groomed collective of independent resale boutiques from all over the world makes secondhand shopping indistinguishable from shopping at ASOS. (Seriously, on multiple occasions we’ve found ourselves cyber-wandering the ASOS Marketplace for well over a quarter of an hour before realizing our happy mistake.)
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Our Pick
FILA Vintage T-Shirt, $25.25 at ASOS Marketplace
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Mercy Vintage
Oakland-based Mercy Vintage is beholden to no fashion rules. “Let's get one thing clear! We love clothes and we love style, but we do not subscribe to one particular look and we do not follow what is fashionable. We cannot choose one decade, one designer or one anything because we like to mix it all together and we believe this is what creates great style. It's not fast fashion, it's not driven by editors, it is that indescribable feeling when you mix things up and rock it!” proclaim owners Karen Anderson Fort and Rachel Cubra. They’ll even come over and personally help you clean out your closet if there’s enough vintage and/or high-end designer clothing to be had.
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Our Pick
1970s Courrèges Striped Sweater, $108 at Mercy Vintage
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ThredUP
From the get-go, thredUP takes half the effort of vintage shopping off your shoulders by asking which sizes you’re shopping for and streamlining your feed accordingly. While its collection errs on the inclusive side (read: For the fashion-forward, there is sifting involved), its shoe collection in particular is well worth wading through. (Plus, if you're selling, thredUP is one of the few resellers that buys items under $70 outright from sellers — over that mark everything is consignment.)
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Our Pick
Jean-Michel Cazabat Heels, $85.99 at thredUP
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Vestiaire Collective
A favorite of Kim Kardashian, Vestiaire Collective is the kingpin of luxury resale. The Paris-based luxury re-commerce site posts about 4,000 new products daily, all of Net-a-Porter-worthy caliber. Needless to say, its exclusive finds still qualify as investment pieces, but our frugal, post-recession sensibilities take comfort in the knowledge that they’re still (kind of) steals. (Plus, you're allowed to pay in monthly installments.)
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Our Pick
Gucci Silk Necklace, $166.05 at Vestiaire Collective
