3 Smart Strategies to Shopping Secondhand on Apps

I am still at the part of my journey where buying sustainably made alternatives is not always an option for me. It’s mainly for the reason you probably guessed MONEY.

It’s no wonder that money is one of the biggest barriers to people living sustainably. Another significant barrier is people’s approach or mindset shift to paying more for things they used to pay much less for. Although the barriers are becoming less and less as I navigate this lifestyle, it still pains me a little bit to pay $60 for a t-shirt no matter how sustainable it is.

Join the masses in a good way with “88% of consumers adopted a new thrifty hobby during Covid that they plan to continue.” A big saver for me and game changer was buying secondhand. I truly embraced this lifestyle when I got married and moved across the country and we had to make our money really stretch until I got a job. Buying the things we needed secondhand at stores was helpful but the secondhand apps made it that much more accessible and flexible.

According to ThredUp Report, in 2019, resale grew 25X faster than the broader retail sector. Resale: 49%, Retail: 2%. Secondhand shopping via apps allowed me to personalize my experience for what I was looking for. If you’re not sure what apps are out there I highlight a few like OfferUp, Poshmark, to name a few here. Below are some of the main tricks I use to navigate secondhand shopping on apps.

Put your notifications on: Allow the app to notify you when a seller has messaged you back or prices have dropped on an item. This will allow you to respond quickly on the item and not lose it someone else that responded quicker. A few hours can make a difference- trust me. 

Check app regularly: There are new items going up all hours of the day, you never know if that one item you were looking for pops up on Sunday at 7pm.  

Always negotiate price: This is the biggest one. Prices are always negotiable and unless the seller explicitly states it is not. I would not recommend offering what you think it appropriate and still leaves the seller with something. I tend to ask for anything less than half of what the asking price is. For instance, if they say $100 don’t recommend offering $50. You will be surprised what people are willing to accept. You never know how badly people need to get rid of their items- used that to your advantage. 

These tricks will help you get the most out of these apps and help you find items or clothing you have been looking for in your price range. If you are about the tech life and want more apps to help make your transition to a lifestyle against the status quo, I would highly recommend check out my blog on 12 Apps to Jump Start Your Low Waste Living. There is information about apps that help track your carbon footprint to how to get free food to avoid food waste. I know, I am right there with you- they got me at free food!

If you have any questions about using apps to shop secondhand, ask away. Once you start you may never go back to regular shopping again!