Five Tips for Online Thrifting with thredUP

SWEATER- H&M via thredUP // PANTS- Zara via thred UP // SHOES // EARRINGS // BAG // SUNNIES
PC: Sarah Sweeney

When I first started my blog, I had recently rediscovered thrifting. For several years, shopping at thrift stores was my favorite retail therapy. I loved the thrill of the hunt and the unique items you could find for a great deal. Around the time that we really started Nickel & Suede, my available time shifted in a big way. I started working full time with Soren, and so my ability to sneak away to the thrift store between naps or after bedtime just kind of dried up. Shopping at any stores besides the occasional Target run really disappeared from my life. I now shop almost exclusively online - for myself, my kids, and Soren. And until a little while back, that meant no more thrifting. Enter thredUP. I've shared this company before, and I still love it for online thrifting. Their website has gotten even more user friendly since the last time I shared it, and it wasn't hard at all to find a cartful of items that I loved. 

So since I've shared tips for thrifting in-store here and here in the past, I thought I'd share some tips for thrifting online at thredUP, many of which are the same!

1. Go often. thredUP gets thousands of like-new arrivals every minute. So keep checking back! You never know when the exact pair of boots or the perfect black dress will show up. I love to browse new arrivals on other sites that I shop, but these new arrivals are certainly more affordable!

2. Start with a wishlist. Use the search box to look up exactly what you are looking for. Looking for a fur vest? Type that in! I have a little running wishlist for my wardrobe, and that list is a great place to start when I'm thrifting. Often you find what you weren't looking for, but in the outfit pictured today, I easily found a great striped sweater and olive skinnies (both of which were on my list!). I also found a brand-new knit leopard pencil skirt that I didn't know I was looking for but that was an exciting find!

3. Narrow your search by brand. thredUP makes it possible to afford brands and designers you might not normally be able to. They also make it easy to refresh your closet with brands you already love because the price point is so low. It's easy to get overwhelmed by the pages and pages of items, but if you narrow it to your favorite brands, like J. Crew, Zara, H&M, and GAP, your options go way down. And you can actually see the stuff that appeals to you! If only you could do this at an actual thrift store!

4. Go wide with your size filters. Brands can all fit so differently, so I'll usually set my size filters to be a range. I will put in size 0-4 for pants and XS-M for tops. Sometimes that gives me WAY too many options, but it usually helps me find more good stuff. 

5. Check all of the sections individually to narrow the combing. Take a look at dresses separately from pants. And then look at tops. And then look at skirts. If you take the clothing sections by type, you will also have more success seeing the best items from each section. It's all about narrowing the shopping options down so they're easily shoppable!

Bonus #6. Use coupons or sales to your advantage. And I can help you out there today. Use code OLM40 for 40% off your first-time order (WOW!), discount up to $50. Expires 12.1.16. 

Another way I often shop thredUP is for my kids. My boys go through clothes so quickly that we often need to replace jeans, shirts, shoes, swimsuits - you name it. I use the same tips that I listed above to browse for the boys, and we've found some really great items!

Have you shopped at thredUP yet? Have a great Friday and enjoy those Halloween festivities. I know we'll be busy with them all weekend!