I have been experimenting with ThredUP and admit that I have a slight addiction. I had checked out the site a year ago and was not impressed. But recently, I thought I would try it again…especially because I found myself needing to buy new pants. So here is my thrifting haul from the past two months.

That Tahari dress and Chico’s black & white jacket are my two favorite finds. Also that skort is simply amazing! So comfortable and I can style it up to wear to work because it looks like a skirt. Who knew? I am expanding my style repertoire here.

One of the nice things about the site is that you can return items if you decide you don’t really like it or the fit is not quite right. I had a lot of back and forth with packages. Some of the things I ordered said like new, but then had stains or holes when I received them. I think I exchange the same $60 like three times before I finally kept an order. See what is so nice about the returns is that as soon as the preprinted label gets scanned at the post office, your money is credited back to your account. So you can place another order before it even gets back to ThredUP. I had to return boots at Dick’s yesterday for my husband and I am still waiting for those funds to be recredited. You have to be careful though because final sale items like the shirts I ordered are items that you can’t return, so you need to make sure you really love it and that the size will be okay. I got lucky that everything fit, but I did change my mind of somethings in my cart that I was just not sure about.

It looks like I have a lot of clothes and money here, doesn’t it? Well, one of the ways I saved in addition to buying secondhand was to sign up for the site Honey which saved me extra money by automatically checking for discount codes before placing my order. I admit it feels really good to see emails like these:

…and know that you only actually spent like a total of $200 out of pocket. So checkout those discount sites. If you are new to ThredUP, you can also get $10 off by using my code to signup (full disclosure, I also get $10), then share your code with a friend and you both save money too.

I also sent in a clean out bag

…now this is where it gets a little controversial. If you search the Internet, you will find that people have plenty to say about ThredUP when it comes to selling. Honestly, they do not pay much. I sent in 24 items and four still had tags. Eleven were accepted. They bought ten items outright and gave me the credit. One item was listed as consignment which means that they weren’t sure how it would sell, I would also have control over the pricing of that item if it didn’t sell. I didn’t have to worry though because it sold within a week. So how much did I make from my bag? About $15. There was probably about $200 worth of items that still had tags. So lesson here is that you are not going to make money off of selling to ThredUP. If that is you plan, just take your items to a consignment shop. However, if you are just going to donate to one of those clothes bins (which actually just sell your clothes wholesale anyway), then why not try ThredUP and see what you get? I already have another bag ready to go. The tip is to check out their blog and see what they are in need of. I sent in 8 pairs of shorts that were in good condition that just didn’t fit me anymore. They accepted all 8 because that was listed as one of their current needs. If it is summer and you send sweaters, you are unlikely to get such a high acceptance rate.

Buying secondhand can be a great experience. I have had so many compliments on the items I have worn so far. I also feel like I have upgraded my wardrobe a bit better than my Target and Old Navy budget can afford. If you decide to give ThredUP a try, here are some tips to make your experience successful:

1. Items only stay in your cart for 24 hours. So if you love an item, buy it as soon as possible. Items sell quickly. I had a pair of shoes that I was debating about and missed out when my cart expired. I only missed it by five minutes, but they sold that quickly.
2. Make sure to check for discount codes before you checkout. If you are new to the site, there is also first time buyer codes as well as first time app user codes. They also had a special sale for Earth Day, so watch for special events like that too.
3. If you are not buying right away, make sure to favorite the items you are adding to your cart. I missed a cart expiring, but was able to quickly find my items because they were listed on my favorited items page. I currently have another group of items I like, but won’t be devastated if they sell to someone else. This way, when my second clean out bag is processed, I have a list of items waiting for that account credit.
4. Use the filters for searching. You can search for items by brand like Ann Taylor Loft or by item like dresses. You can also set a filter for your size. Remember though that brands differ in their sizes. I might be a large with one brand, but a extra large with another. I wish you could search by prints, but the closest the keywords work is for colors. So if you are looking for a blue blouse with dragonflies, no luck. However, if you are looking for any blue blouse, you can filter for it. The filter still needs a little work though. Now that I have discovered the magic of skorts, I have tried searching for them. No luck, but scrolling through the all items category there are several listed in my size…and they go quick!
5. Check out the descriptions. All items, except for purses and final sale items can be returned. So if you unsure, just remember that you can return items, but even the description might be inaccurate. I was buying like new items only at first and one sweater had a big hole and a blouse a paint stain on the sleeve. I sent them back for the credit to my account. Buying only like new was going to be my deciding factor, but then I had that experience. Once my clean out bag was processed, I also saw that one of the new with tags dresses was listed as showing wear and no mention of the tags. So now I am a little more open about my selections…as long as it is returnable.
6. Wash items carefully. Once you receive the item and are sure you are going to keep it, make sure to wash it. These are secondhand items after all. I urge you to be careful though. I turned a load of laundry splotchy pink because of a scarf I bought. Thankfully, I caught it before it went in the dryer. A second wash with a scoop of Oxyclean saved the day.
7. Do some sleuthing before buying. A lot of the retail prices are guesstimates based on the market. So if you are not familiar with the brand, check out the prices on their site first. For example, a lot of the Old Navy stuff can typically be purchased for similar prices brand new on clearance on the Old Navy site. Though I have purchased items if I really liked them and knew it was no longer being sold. ThredUP tries to carry only items in style within the past five years.
8. If you are planning on selling, make sure your items are clean and something you would buy yourself. i.e. don’t sent items with stains or holes. Check out the blog for what is selling. Pants right now are a no. My first item to sell actually was a pair of khakis, but there are so many dress pants on the site, that they are unlikely to take them. Also suits will be listed as separates.

Happy Thrifting!