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Beth Sandland

Tips For Shopping Secondhand and Nailing a Bargain

09/11/2020 · FASHION, LIFESTYLE, STYLE

Tips for shopping secondhand: how to find a bargain on eBay

Shopping secondhand is one of the best ways to replenish your wardrobe more sustainably, as well as saving money along the way! There’s a lot of stigma surrounding secondhand shopping and it’s totally unnecessary. There are so many brilliant bargains to be had and a circular approach is so much better for the planet too. Secondhand does not need to mean tatty and smelly; plenty of items have barely ever been worn by the original owner. Here are my top tips for shopping secondhand and nabbing yourself a bargain!

7 Tips for Shopping Secondhand


1. Shop on eBay for poorly listed items

Some sellers just don’t take the time to photograph or describe their listing well! This will automatically put you off clicking on it. However this is one of my favourite tips for shopping secondhand! These poorly listed items are where some of the best secondhand bargains are to be had. Less shoppers will be interested so you’re far more likely to nab a deal…so place that cheeky bid! Listings that use stock imagery are also usually less popular.

My best eBay finds include a pristine cashmere jumper for £7, a Per Una utility jacket for £5 and a French Connection dress for £1.20!


2. Search by misspelled listings

Talking of poorly formulated eBay listings, some sellers don’t even check that they’ve spent the brand name correctly in the title! There are plenty of websites that take advantage of this such as Fat Fingers, Bargain Checker and Typo Hound. A quick search of ‘Whistles’ and ‘Reiss’ brought up plenty of listings with zero bids where these brand names had been spelt wrong! This is a great tip for shopping secondhand because less competition equals greater bargains…


3. Use Facebook Market Place for furniture and local items

Facebook Market Place is a lot smarter than it used to be. It now has a search function and it learns the kind of items you look for and click on, so will show you more of them! Most sellers just want items gone and the ease of someone who can collect locally means that you can normally make a sensible offer.

This is a particularly good tip for shopping secondhand if you’re up for an up-cycle challenge. I bought these IKEA bedside tables for £40 for the pair; they retail at £80 each new. I then gave upcycled them in rattan! You can find a full tutorial here. My beautiful pink bicycle was also an upcycle project and I’ve since seen several of the same or similar models for less than £100 on market place. Read the post here.


4. Use specific apps for designer goods

There are specific apps and sites to use if you’re after tips for shopping for secondhand designer goods. The prices are higher to reflect the RRP of the goods, but often these sites will authenticate them so you can guarantee they’re genuine and that the condition is as listed.

Vestiaire Collection is my favourite site for this and you can sign up for email alerts too if you’re after a particular piece. A quick search tells me that if you’re after a Gucci ‘GG’ belt, you can find one secondhand for £139.61, compared to £295 new.


4. Make a ‘wish list’, then be patient

One way to slow down the consumption of fast fashion is to get rid of the ‘I want it now’ mentality. Easier said than done! I’m as guilty as the next person for impatience, in a world of Prime and next day delivery of practically anything. I have a note on my phone of items on my secondhand ‘wish list’; I also save things when I see them on people on Instagram. You can set up email alerts, keep an eye out in charity shops and do a regular search on eBay, Depop etc for the piece you’re after. Remember: you don’t actually need it NOW.

Tips for Shopping Secondhand

5. Shop in charity shops in affluent areas

I know this one is a bit icky (actively seeking out well-off areas) but it is one of my most tried and tested tips for shopping secondhand. There’s a natural correlation between the wealth of an area and the likelihood that its residents will part with higher end items to charity shops. If you’re London based, my favourites are on the King’s Road in Chelsea. It’s really commonplace to find designer labels on the rails and it also means that lots of high street brands that would usually be deemed more expensive (French Connection, Reiss, Whistles etc) are the ‘cheap’ items in the shop.

I think my best find was a brand new French Connection coat. I bought it for £30 and it had retailed at £225 the previous winter! I still wear it 4 years on.


6. Shop out of season

People clear their wardrobes out at all times of year and are actually more likely to get rid of something out of season. A spring declutter might bring up a host of unwanted winter clothes, for example! Or a pre-Christmas clear out a collection of summer dresses. Whilst it might feel odd purchasing something at the wrong time of year, it is one of the best tips for shopping secondhand.

That coat I mentioned previously was bought in August during a heatwave! Two months later I was really glad to have it, and the shop probably would’ve priced it higher then too…


7. Hire occasion wear

Technically not a tip for shopping secondhand, but rather for sustainability in general. How many times have you been to an event and worn something once? Or wanted a new outfit for Christmas, that will end up in the back of your closest come the new year? HURR is great for designer pieces, whilst Hirestreet offers rentable dresses for all occasions. If you’ve got a wedding to attend, a £206 dress is yours for £32 for 4 days.

Tips for shopping secondhand: clothes rental how to be sustainable sustainable fashion hire clothes
This Christmas party dress was hired from Hirestreet

Thankfully, societal attitudes towards shopping secondhand are changing. We need to normalise saying “…thanks! I got it on eBay!” The amount of waste, pollution and poor working conditions being churned out of fast (and designer!) fashion labels is unacceptable. Shopping secondhand helps to alleviate the issue by keeping what has already been produced – even if that was by a fast fashion brand in the first place – in circulation. It’s also a much more accessible means to sustainability for many then shopping with small, handmade businesses (as lovely as they are!)

What are your best secondhand bargains?

Posted In: FASHION, LIFESTYLE, STYLE

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Comments

  1. Rebekah says

    09/11/2020 at 15:02

    Love this Beth! I shop second hand where I possibly can and have picked up some amazing bargains along the way. Chanel earrings for $25 and last seasons burgundy Ted Baker cape for £30 are among my best finds 🥰

    Reply
  2. Gina Palffy says

    09/11/2020 at 16:04

    Everybody needs to recalibrate their views on using what we’ve already got, using what’s been used. I’m finding so much more authenticity in my home by buying furniture at car boots or FB marketplace and up cycling them to fit my own style. Charity shops are definitely for the win!

    Reply
  3. Sarah says

    09/11/2020 at 18:46

    Hey Beth 😊
    Such a good post. I recently went shopping in my local charity shops & found so many jumpers for A/W! 🙌
    Also shopped on Thrift+ today & got a few bargains! 😊😍
    I am definitely coming around to living a more sustainable life in general & shopping second hand is part of that ☀💛
    It’s so great to see ‘influencers’ like yourself championing this.
    Thanks for this post & all the content you produce on shopping second hand etc. Loved the rattan diy you did!! 😍😍 xoxo

    Reply
  4. Hannah | A Cup of Wonderland says

    09/12/2020 at 08:15

    Really loved this post, I hate shopping for clothes in all honesty but recently have been trying more second hand and I’ve found some gems! Honestly, can’t imagine going back to always buying new before so will definitely be continuing second hand and will be trying some of these tips. Thank you!

    Reply
  5. Jenna says

    09/12/2020 at 12:20

    Great tips! I usually just shop secondhand at my local thrift stores, but Facebook Marketplace is also a great place to find things! I should definitely check out the poorly listed items on Ebay – I have heard that tip before so it must be worthwhile 🙂
    Jenna ♥
    Stay in touch? Life of an Earth Muffin

    Reply
  6. Lucy says

    09/12/2020 at 19:05

    I loved this post Beth! I’m starting to buy stuff second hand now as it’s so much more sustainable! x

    Lucy | http://www.lucymary.co.uk

    Reply
  7. Danielle says

    09/13/2020 at 13:49

    I am a lover of everything second hand, there really is some amazing items out there!

    Danielle
    https://www.thereluctantblogger.co.uk/

    Reply
  8. LifeRightNowx says

    09/20/2020 at 08:10

    Thank you for this Beth! Always wanting to try and shop secondhand more and will definitely try some of these!🙌🏻

    LifeRightNowx | http://www.liferightnowx.co.uk

    Reply

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I am a multi-award winning blogger, photographer and writer from London. I’ve travelled to over 38 countries, lived out of a backpack for a year and love to scuba dive! This site is a destination for all things travel, lifestyle and my successful online book club.

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Monty the monstera is going to start eating dentists soon. My top tips for a super healthy swiss cheese plant -
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What’s the crack this week?...
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📖 Reading: The Positive Birth Book by @milli.hill. It puts across all options in a clear, non-judgey, humorous way and has made me think of things I’d never heard of. It’s also the first time I’ve understood what a birth plan might physically look/read like.
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🧘🏼‍♀️ Hypnobirthing: I’ve started to feel more nervous about the birth (not the actual act or the pain, rather fears I won’t share as don’t want to project) but we’re starting hypnobirthing online next week which I’m looking forward to!
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I loved being a pregnant bride. Often a baby is a I loved being a pregnant bride. Often a baby is a reason to delay or speed up a wedding (lots assumed that was the case for us, but it wasn’t!) and is generally seen as perhaps spoiling things a little. It’s totally fine if you do feel that way, but for us it made it extra magical. It felt totally right to have our little bub between us as we exchanged vows and I was happy to embrace the bump in my dress. I still chose exactly the look and fit I wanted and wore the sparkly heels and in a way, I found trying dresses on much lower pressure as I wasn’t worrying about my figure. Perhaps the biggest difference was staying sober and the fact that we had a tiny wedding with a fancy lunch rather than a party probably made this a lot easier. I raised a toast with our four guests but beyond that, I didn’t have any inclination to drink anyway. Bonus - a great nights sleep and no hangover! 🥂👰🏻
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Box fresh kicks ready to explore [from the bedroom Box fresh kicks ready to explore [from the bedroom to the kitchen, to the loo...aaand repeat]...at least they’ll stay clean 🥴☕️
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AD: Pregnancy has given me a lot of time to reflec AD: Pregnancy has given me a lot of time to reflect on my relationship with alcohol over the last year. 🍸 I flitted between giving it up when pregnant or for fertility purposes, then using it as an emotional crutch in loss which made me more anxious and restless. This time - now 6 months pregnant - I haven’t had a drink since August and have been really pleasantly surprised by how little I’ve missed it, even over the festive season. I’m not into vilifying booze; I enjoy a couple of drinks and even the feeling of lowered inhibitions and being tipsy. But I know that even post-pregnancy and the other-side of the hazy newborn/breastfeeding days, I’ll try and maintain a far more positive relationship with alcohol which for me, looks like indulging lightly and occasionally.
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Having access to brilliant alcohol-free alternatives makes this significantly easier. My favourite gin distillers, Salcombe Gin, are behind the @NewLondonLight; a 0% spirit that doesn’t compromise on taste. So whether you’re pregnant, doing Dry January or simply attempting to live lighter, you can still enjoy a Sunday evening tipple. How do you feel about the alcohol free movement?
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Top 5 Books I read in 2020 ☕️ ~
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Where the Crawdads Sing, Delia Owens: totally captivating, unusual and enchanting. I literally devoured this one!
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Queenie, Candice Carty-Williams: as well as being laugh out loud funny, Queenie is also an education. A must read on what it’s like to be a young black woman growing up in London. Also tackles mental health really well!
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The Flatshare, Beth O’Leary: I recommend this to anyone who just really needs a hug from a genuinely enjoyable book. It’s warm and lovely but offers depth well beyond your usual chick lit too.
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Homegoing, Yaa Gyasi: this novel is such a triumph! Spanning over 300 years from pre-colonial Ghana to present day USA, each chapter follows a new character in the lineage of two sisters. One sold to slavery, the other married to an English coloniser. It’s sweepingly powerful and incredibly well written. I could’ve read an entire book on each character!
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A Man Called Ove, Fredrik Backman: Ove was the very first book I read in 2020 and it stuck with me throughout the year. At its most basic, it’s the story of a cantankerous old man. Delve a little deeper and it’s funny, heartbreaking and incredibly heartwarming. I just love Ove!
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Hit the ‘save’ button to come back to this list when you’re in need of a good read! What were your books of the year? 📚
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PS. If more reading, less scrolling is one of your 2021 goals too then don’t forget you can come and join us at @bethsbookclub_ 😎
2 0 2 1: the year of you 🕊🤍
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Happy new year saucepots! We had an ultra rock n’ roll night (read our books in bed then watched the midnight fireworks - that was a nice surprise! - on a phone before falling promptly to sleep...) and today is all about a long walk, a longer bath, books and tea. And obviously starting a new diary because isn’t fresh stationary the best thing about a new year?!
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Are you setting New Years’ resolutions? I prefer a bit of reflection and mindset shifting. This year it’s all about setting firm positive boundaries, protecting my energy and saying no to things/people that don’t serve that. I like the new year, not for the ‘new me’ noise but rather as a chance to let go and embrace a fresh beginning again. ⚡️☕️
As far as NYE outfits go, I’m not mad about this As far as NYE outfits go, I’m not mad about this one...🐻🥂 I hope you’re all well and excited to bid farewell to 2020. I know the clock striking midnight doesn’t fundamentally change anything but I’m hopeful that we can look forward with more optimism. I always find the turn of the year really emotionally complex. I’m not even going to attempt to unpack this last one other than to rejoice that even amongst the lowest of lows there have been highs. My beloved Nan won’t see the new year, which is hard to contemplate. I also married my best friend. This time last year I was miserable on the sofa, a day after surgery for our first miscarriage and wishing I could press pause on life. Tonight I’m still on the sofa, but full and at peace rather than empty and grieving, looking forward. For us, 2021 will see the birth of our little cub so it’s one that I’m welcoming with open arms. So much can change in a year and I hope you can seek comfort in that. However you’re feeling tonight, I’ll raise my alco-free bubbles to you because you did it: you made it through one of the toughest years in history. Brighter days are coming ☀️💓
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