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Shopping Secondhand: How To Find Items You’ll Love (+ $250 Giveaway!)

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When it comes to shopping secondhand, you can find some amazing deals and trendy items if you know how to shop! thredUP is my go-to resource for online consignment shopping and today’s post breaks down exactly how I find items I absolutely love. Be sure to check out the discount code and awesome giveaway at the bottom of this post for your chance to go on a $250 thredUP shopping spree! Thank you to thredUP for sponsoring this post!

How to Shop Secondhand with thredUP

If you’ve been reading this blog for longer than a hot second, you’ve likely picked up on the fact that I do a lot of my personal shopping and shopping for Chase on thredUP. I discovered the site back in 2014 and it has been a go-to resource for high-quality secondhand clothing for me ever since!

thredUP is the largest online store that buys and sells like-new secondhand clothing and accessories for women and kids. (You can find top name brand and designer clothing for up to 90% off retail!) I have purchased everything from workout apparel to designer bags to new-with-tags baby and toddler clothing from the site.

thredUP Box

Everything arrives at your doorstep wrapped in beautiful striped tissue paper and I’ve never once had an issue with the quality of an item I’ve ordered. And if sizing or fit is a concern, returns are a breeze and free (if you opt for store credit which I always do) or you simply pay the price of return shipping if you prefer a refund.

In today’s post, I wanted to break down some of my favorite secondhand shopping tips for you guys so you can hopefully find some awesome and affordable clothing and accessories on thredUP as well! Let’s get to it!!

How to Find Items You Will Love on thredUP

  • Get Specific

This is probably my number one piece of advice I have for finding something you will love on thredUP! I am all about searching for specific brands but I’ve stumbled upon some new-to-me brands I ended up loving on thredUP by searching for specific items. This is especially handy when I want to try out a new trend but I’m not looking to spend a ton of money on certain items.

By searching for specific items like a denim vest, black and white romper, pink crop top or floppy hat, I can find specific items I’m interested in purchasing without limiting myself to the brands or stores I frequent in my day-to-day life.

Example:

thredUP Romper LOFT

Last summer I fell in love with rompers and the minute the weather began warming up in Charlotte this spring, I searched for rompers on thredUP. I found this romper from Ann Taylor LOFT for only $20 by searching for wrap-style rompers (retail value: $70)!

  • Search For Your Favorite Brands

When it comes to shopping for clothes, most of us have brands we know and love. There are a handful of brands I shop for over and over again because I know I can usually find something that will both flatter my body type and match my personal style. I will often search thredUP specifically for these brands and since I am very familiar with my size in clothing from my favorite brands, it helps me find items that are often a hit! For example, I love the brand Yumi Kim and know the dresses from this brand are typically feminine and flattering to my body type.

Example:

yumi kim thredup dress

After searching for Yumi Kim dresses, I found this beautiful pink and navy dress last summer on the site for only $30 (retail value: $143). Chase’s outfit is also a thredUP find! (Carters Polo + Carters Pants for $5 + $7!)

  • Search By Style/Fit

Most of us know what fits flatter our body type, so searching thredUP for certain items by specific style is very helpful! I know fit and flare is a style that generally works well on my body type since I have wider hips and a booty but am a little slimmer through the waist, so I search for this fit when I look for dresses. When it comes to items like jeans or shorts, searching by style (skinny, high-waisted, cropped, etc.) can be very helpful and narrow your search to a more manageable amount of items to browse.

Example:

thredUPtshirt dress

I was in the market for a super-casual dress I could wear with my Converse sneakers and searched for a t-shirt dress with a fit-and-flare style on thredUP. I stumbled upon this Uniqlo dress with a cinched waist for $14.99 (retail value: $48) and it totally fit the bill!

  • Search for Old Favorites

Have you guys ever fallen in love with a certain brand’s jeans or a pair of sneakers only to find them discontinued or the style dramatically changed? thredUP has helped me locate past favorites and discontinued items more than a few times! I actually just found the mint green Baby GAP polo Chase wore on his first birthday in his current size on thredUP last month and ordered it immediately because I loved the way the shirt looked on him so much!

Jump Rope Workout

Example:

I’ve had great luck finding lululemon activewear that I swear is almost brand new (or actually brand new with tags!) on the site by searching for my sizes in this brand regularly. The above top is one of my favorite racerback style tanks that I’m fairly certain the brand discontinued because I haven’t been able to find it in store or online in months. I bought it on thredUP for $30 (retail value: $58)!

  • Check Back Often

When I was searching for a black backpack, I checked thredUP quite often since I figured a black backpack is an item that’s not too obscure and would likely pop up on the site semi-frequently. thredUP is updated ALL THE TIME (they add thousands of items per hour) so new items constantly appear on the site. When I have something specific in mind that I know is a relatively popular item, I peek around the site and search for a specific item and more often than not, I’ll luck out and something will appear within a couple of weeks.

Example:

Small Black Faux Leather Backpack

I searched thredUP for about a week for a small black backpack earlier this month and quickly snatched up this like-new one from Forever 21 for $17.99 (retail value: $35) the minute I saw it pop up on the site!

thredUP Giveaway + Discount Code 

And now I have some good news for you! thredUP is offering the first 100 people an additional 40% off their first order with the code JULIE40. (Discount code applies to new US customers only. Discount up to $50.)

If you’re looking to do some serious shopping on thredUP, I also have the chance for one reader to win a $250 shopping spree on the site! To enter the giveaway, simply browse thredUP and comment back here with a link to one item that stuck out at you. I will randomly select a winner next Friday.

Good luck!!

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I'd love to connect with you! I am always so grateful when you let me know you tried one of my recipes or workouts and tag me in your photos or updates. Thank you so much!!!

About Julie

My name is Julie and I am a full-time blogger, new mama, fitness enthusiast (certified personal trainer and group exercise instructor) and food fanatic (mostly healthy... but also not-so-healthy) living in North Carolina with my husband, dog and baby boy. Thank you for visiting Peanut Butter Fingers! I hope you enjoy little glimpses into my life and have fun trying the sweaty workouts I frequently share and making some of my favorite recipes along the way!

Comments

  1. Eliza Etter says

    I’m just recovering from a back injury that had me unable to workout for about two months. Yoga and BodyPump are my go to stress relievers and without them I was going crazy! I just got cleared to start yoga again and I want to get a new workout top as a reward/motivation to get back to it. This maroon top would be perfect and perfect for the beginning of summer!

    https://www.thredup.com/product/women-lululemon-athletica-active-tank/24041277?sizing_id=822

    Reply

  13. Allison says

    I have never actually ordered from ThredUp, but I have been tempted for months now. I’m scared I am going to be addicted if I start! However, browsing through it now, there are SO many cute summer clothes that still have tags attached that just have prices too good to pass up. I love this maxi dress by Kensie: https://www.thredup.com/product/24097443.

    Reply

  27. Erin says

    I cannot stay silent on this post…stay away from ThredUp. They are paying well-known bloggers for favorable reviews because they are trying to rebuild their reputation. My sister is a blogger, and her fellow fashion bloggers have shown me the payments from ThredUp in exchange for favorable reviews.

    I sent in several bags of barely worn items from Banana Republic, J. Crew, Madewell, Lands’ End, etc. etc. – brands they definitely accept, and a good chunk were new with tags. I received a whopping payout of 33 cents a piece for 5 pairs of jeans, $4.00 for everything else; they of course marked these items up over 1000% to make a profit, and donated pieces without contacting me first. This was after waiting 3 + months to hear about what had happened to my things!! I could go on and on. Sell your clothes yourselves or drop them off at a local thrift store for a tax write-off.

    Their “customer service” is a total joke. It makes me sick how much money I lost and I have been waiting for a resolution for a long time, to no avail. I started to piece everything together, hence my knowledge of payments to bloggers within my sister’s circle.

    Reply

  36. Sarah says

    Thrifting is my JAM!!!! I don’t even remember the last time I bought something brand new. I actually enjoy it so much that I’ve started a business where I go thirfting for gently used men’s, women’s & children’s clothes and resell it on Instagram + eBay. It’s a perfect stay-at-home mom job! –> https://www.instagram.com/shavercloset/

    Reply

  44. Erin H says

    I might have just ordered a cart full for a summer wedding and me going back to work after maternity leave. But I am wanting to keep an eye out for a nice wrap dress for a wedding or two as I am still nursing. Do you have any tips on dresses when nursing? It is so hard to do d nursing friendly dresses/formal wear? I have yet to figure ot out.

    But i also was interested in this coral bag, I don’t remember the last time I got a new bag: http://www.thredup.com/sl?u=1707909&i=21100717&p=101

    Reply

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I am not a registered dietitian. My blog is simply a documentation of my life. The views I express are mine alone, based on my own experiences, and should not be taken as medical advice. I DO NOT post everything I eat. Though I am a certified personal trainer, the workouts I post may not be right for you. Please speak with a medical professional before making any changes to your current routine.

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