Reader Request: My 35 best secondhand shopping tips

and the comments are open for any follow up questions you have.

*note - the first 11 here are open to all; the rest are a perk for paying subscribers. It means a lot to me that you support my work! And it allows me to do things like answering questions like these for you.

the joy of secondhand at Veblen in Miami

Love a subscriber Q! You asked “how to shop for used clothes” — I have some intel on IG here and here. I also feel VERY qualified to answer. My mom has been taking me used clothing shopping since I was about 7. (I’m 54. Still bad at math. But that’s a lot of years.) And I just went today! I went to Veblen, and I was thinking about this story as I browsed with my friend Wendy.

ALSO, I will be live at 3 today on Substack to show you my scores from Veblen.

Hope to see you there!

It seemed that winnowing down to “the best tips” would be like giving you the top of the muffin. So here we go, all the sugar crystals, all the crunch:

IN GENERAL

• “I’d wear this a lot” is a warning inspired by a

  Leandra Medine Cohen
  post where she talked about something she’d wear tons but didn’t buy!) There are lots of things you’d wear a lot. Saying this can be a sign that you already have it covered or don’t truly feel emotion about it, especially at less than retail.

• Don’t skip the jewelry! In person, it’s small and you may gloss over it. Online, it means a separate search. But it’s something great to buy used. You can find such special pieces, never have to think about alterations, etc., and vintage jewelry can be a wonderful gift, too, no size required!

• Look at the wear on shoes. I love buying used shoes because they’re already broken in! But wear on shoes can affect how supportive they are, especially with sneakers. Put shoes on a flat surface or scroll the carousel images to compare the wear on the soles.

• Don’t shop hungry. It makes for bad decisions. Or giving up. In person, start with lunch or pack a snack. And also, don’t shop bored, sad or anxious. (I call it the BASH test.) Secondhand can be more confusing, feel more urgent (only one of an item), and be nonreturnable. Having your wits about you is key.

IF YOU WANT A VERY SPECIFIC THING, ONLINE

my mom has been looking for this tee, which she bought me originally!

• Google the item using a variety of descriptions (Junya Watanabe sequin tee, Junya Watanabe graphic tee, Junya Watanabe navy sequin top) until you find it for sale or find an image (get creative with the searches!)

• Try and find the item name/style number and add that to a search (but also run searches without it).

• Once you get an image of the thing, use google images to find the same item, a tip I picked up from

  Kelly Williams
  . Her how-to here.

• If your item is an Hermes bag, please read my post all about that!

• The Japanese sellers on eBay are wonderful - it is a very established practice there with lots of merchandise and it’s reputational — fakes are dishonorable and not culturally acceptable.

• Ask a seller you like to look out for it for you. Do this on IG or on auction sites.

• on eBay, use Auction Sniper to secure what you want at the best price — it’s free; you just put in the price you’re willing to pay and the eBay link and they bid for you.