How to shop vintage online
My tips & tricks of secondhand shopping
Happy happy holidays!
Today I’ve chosen to do something a little different. Usually I offer you a smattering of vintage listings and styling suggestions but as the year comes to an end I figured I could offer you a smattering of something else: knowledge! Knowledge of how to wind your way through my favorite platforms where I find you all those vintage listings. What we have here is a breakdown of my top four favorite sites: Ebay, Etsy, Poshmark, and The Real Real. I’ll talk about what each site offers, how to search them, what to search on them, and how to get the most savings!
There’s plenty of vintage to go around and I think making shopping vintage more accessible to all is paramount to incorporating the circular economy into your lives more easily.
So, enjoy my tricks and tips and leave any of your own in the comments!
How I See It: A digital thrift store! Can be very overwhelming without a plan and there are deals aplenty. Not curated at all so need to look at pieces with a critical eye and not be afraid to ask questions.
How to Search: First, preface every search with “vintage.” It will automatically kick your inquiry into the vintage side of Ebay - searching “linen tunic” garners 320,000+ results whereas “vintage linen tunic” garners 6,000 results which is still a lot but much more reasonable.
What I’ve found to be the easiest way to tackle the behemoth of Ebay is to search using vintage labels. I’ll use “Liz Claiborne,” “Forenza,” “Garland,” or “Ann Taylor.” My suggestion would be to go into your closet and check your labels! If you like one item from that designer it’s worth searching for more.
But if you want to find a deal on something like wool pants, you’ll need to get more specific. Use a color, a print, or a cut like high-waisted/cropped/wide leg/flared. I often use “trouser” in lieu of “pants,” as well, as it pulls up different listings. You can also search using decades but I’m not allegiant to that method as sellers on Ebay can often misdate items.
I don’t just use Ebay for clothes, though! You can find so many cool, weird home goods for a steal. In this case I find that searching a piece like “fiberglass bowl” gives me pages of the exact style I’m looking for. Sometimes, though, I want a vibe more than specificity so I’ll search “psychedelic” or “folk art” and it always delivers. The reason you can find so many deals on Ebay is that a lot of sellers are cleaning out estates or they buy in bulk which means they want to sell a lot, quickly, and a low price will get them the fast turnover they want.
What to Search: I use Ebay for everyday clothes, accessories, and home goods. It’s these items I know I can score good deals on and it just takes a little patience to find. I don’t often use it for jewelry or furniture.
Let’s Make a Deal: So many deals to be had! But you must make an account so do it now, post-haste!
Unless you’re desperate for an item or terrified to lose out on your favorite piece, don’t buy an item as soon as you see it. Like it, and expect the seller to send a discount soon after. There are also many listings that have the option to “Make an Offer” which you should take advantage of! If the seller doesn’t like your offer, they can counter with a different offer, so don’t be afraid to start low (but not insultingly so).
In its advent, Ebay started solely with the auction option and for some listings that’s still the only way to purchase an item at a low price. If you’re not terribly worried about winning, you can set your highest bid and leave it for Ebay to keep bidding for you until it hits that price. No need to sit anxiously near the computer and go tête-a-tête with another buyer. Unless you want to!
How I See It: A more curated platform, with younger sellers and more branded shops. Won’t necessarily find as many deals but you will be sure to find thoughtful, well-cared-for pieces.
How to Search: Sellers don’t regularly use labels to tag pieces. Big designers or department stores like YSL, Dior, and Pucci or I. Magnin, Neiman Marcus, and Saks Fifth Avenue will always be tagged but smaller, more everyday labels like Express, A. Byer, or Clio aren’t as regularly tagged.
Instead, search using descriptive words or decades. Like “fair isle sweaters,” “90s vinyl skirt,” or “1960s tent dress.”
Don’t forget to toggle the filter to ‘vintage’ so you don’t have to wade through pages of handmade stuff.
What to Search: I’ve found searching for jewelry is much more effective on Etsy. You know I love brutalist and modernist baubles and I don’t have to sift through so much junk as I do on Ebay and Poshmark. I also use it more often when searching for a specific style like “minimalism” or pieces I want to be sure are pristine like silk blouses. I also would choose Etsy first to search for furniture before Ebay. That is, unless you use Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist, which are a whole other newsletter, and the best place to find local furniture deals!
Let’s Make a Deal: Etsy sellers don’t often send discounts nor do they accept offers. Etsy is more curated and often the sellers put much more work into their branding, so the prices are generally firm and fair. Respect that this is what Etsy is! For big deals and discounts, search elsewhere. But be sure to create an account so you can save all your liked items and create different lists of liked items to keep better track of things.
How I See It: A weird little corner of the vintage world that few are privy to. Only delve in if you’re discerning but the deals to be found are worth the work!
How to Search: Like Ebay, preface every search with “vintage” in order to start off on the right foot. You’ll still find a lot of new items sprinkled within the results but it will still help eradicate most of them.
In the top right corner, there is a dropdown that lets you filter how you want the results sorted. I start with “relevance” and then I’ll move to “just in” to make sure I’m seeing all I want to see.
Poshmark is most like Ebay, so almost all the rules of Ebay apply to Poshmark. Use designers to search, be specific in what you’re looking for, don’t be vague unless you have the time to sift. Always ask questions about sizing, flaws, and if it comes from a smoke-free home.
What to Search: I’ve looked at home goods a couple of times but what I saw was more overpriced than what I thought reasonable so I haven’t been back to that corner of the platform. I use Poshmark for clothes and shoes mainly. I’ve had great luck with vintage designer deals. Really great platform for finding sets!
Let’s Make a Deal: Like Ebay, make an account stat! Every time you like an item, almost immediately you’ll receive a discount from the seller. You can also make offers on pieces and I highly suggest that you do! I know Poshmark is a weird platform and not one you would think of for great vintage finds, but the willingness of sellers to cut deals and offer discounts means that whatever you find, you’ll be walking away from your purchase thinking, “score!!”.
How I See It: Designer heaven! Incredible designer pieces at incredibly low prices.
How to Search: The Real Real has one of the worst searches for specificity. You can’t search for “scallop hem” or “rainbow dress” or “silk pants” and receive any intelligible results. The way to search The Real Real is to know what designers you like and search those regularly. Not ideal, but it is what it is.
Also, as you well know one of my favorite designers is Giorgio Armani. The tricky thing about The Real Real is that there are different pages for Giorgio Armani, Emporio Armani, and Armani Collezioni. The best way to search all three of those pages at once is to only search “Armani.” You’ll see in the search bar which designers have this issue and can adjust accordingly.
What to Search: All clothes and shoes are available at crazy amazing prices!! Jewelry and home goods? Not so much. I don’t mess with those. I also avoid buying vintage on TRR. If you’re a collector rather than an everyday wearer, ignore the previous sentence because you can find some archival runway stuff occasionally which is exciting. But otherwise, the vintage is overpriced and best found elsewhere. Stick to their discounted designer! I’ve found some of my favorite pieces on TRR for a song. Recent purchases: A Sonia Rykiel blazer for $32, an incredible Cacharel dress for $40, and a stunning Co. coatdress for $95.
Let’s Make a Deal: Obviously TRR doesn’t send discounts nor accept offers on pieces, but they do regularly mark down their pieces and you always get 20% off your order using the code “REAL.” If you see something you love, I would suggest pouncing on it because pieces on TRR don’t last long. But if you want to wait for a markdown and are at peace with possibly losing out on it, then by all means wait because every piece eventually gets marked down. Sometimes within a day.
Other sites and platforms for vintage and secondhand:
Gem App - Works as a vintage search engine across all platforms and even independent vintage seller’s websites (RGV is on it)! Great to use if you want to make sure you’re hitting every possible marketplace when searching for something.
Vestiaire Collective - For secondhand and vintage designer.
Grailed - For secondhand and vintage designer.
Depop - For megadeals on everyday vintage.
Hope this helps you hone your online secondhand shopping skills and helps keep you occupied on those long stretches on the couch over the next two weeks. And I hope your holidays are off to a great start! Take it easy and thank you so much, always and truly, for being here! xx Maggie
When I couldn't thrift or a while due to lockdown I got really really into Poshmark. I now prefer it over thrifting as I can search for what I want from my own comfort of my own. I now use it was my personal consignment store, and love that I can get really great deals if I search enough and hold out long enough. I also like that you can save searches on Poshmark.
Love hearing how others look at these sites - thank you!