Use ThredUp Like a Pro
ThredUp has become an important tool in my journey towards a more sustainable wardrobe. Since 2009 this online clothing resale platform has been helping customers focus on, “Shopping with intention, rejecting throwaway fashion culture, and standing for sustainability.”
I’ve been using ThredUp for several years to help find pieces that fill gaps in my wardrobe without buying new. Both the beauty and and the trouble of ThredUp is that there are more than 50,000 pieces of clothing available on the site. There are tons of options to choose from, but it can be easy to get overwhelmed while searching for that perfect piece. After several years and many searches, I’ve learned some important strategies to avoid getting bogged down in options and quickly hone in on exactly what I’m looking for.
Create a ThredUp login and save your sizes in your account
This makes sure all of your searches automatically default to your clothing and shoe sizes. You can turn off or modify these sizes for individual searches if you need to (E.g. I know a certain brand of dresses can run very small, so I override my size and size up)
To set up your sizes click on the person icon on the top right toolbar and click through: My Account > Settings > My Sizes (left side of screen)
Focus first on familiar brands
Instead of doing an open search on all brands, start with a brand you already know and like such as J.Crew or GAP. Type in the name of the brand in the search bar at the top of the page, wait for the name to appear in the drop down, and then click on the name to set the brand. If you just type the brand name in the search bar and hit return you will get a search based on search terms instead of brand.
Set your default to display items by “Newest First”
This will save you time by making sure you are seeing the latest and greatest items first.
For highest quality pieces, limit searches to “New with Tags” and “Like New”
I’ve found that my definition of “gently used” doesn’t always match Thredup’s definition. It’s no fun to find the perfect item, and then discover that it’s faded or stretched out when it gets to your house. Use filters to limit your searches to “New with Tags” and “Like New” to avoid unhappy surprises. Exceptions are for items where you want a distressed look like ripped jeans or jean jackets. For those I would include “Gently Used” in the filter.
Use filters wisely
It’s helpful to use filters to narrow down from overall “Category” to “Style” (e.g., Category = Tops, and Style = Blouses) and then narrow by color or pattern if you are looking for something very specific. More narrow filters like sleeve length, material or skirt length can be useful, but sometimes they edit out too many items, or the items have not been well categorized by Thredup and you get few or no results. You have to play around with filters a bit to get the balance right. The narrower filters seem to be getting more accurate as time goes by and the site matures.
Set a limit to the number of pages you will view for each search and stick to it
Some popular brands have thousands of items available. It isn’t worth your time to look through all 10,000 J. Crew blouses to make sure you’re buying the absolute best one. Look at the first 1-10 pages (based on your stamina for this kind of thing) and then make your choice. After page 10 my eyes are watering from scrolling, and most of what I’m seeing is picked over, or very out of date.
“Favorite” items so you can come back and purchase later, but if you REALLY want something, put it in your cart right away
You can favorite an item by clicking the heart icon next to it. You can come back later and access all of your favorites by clicking on the heart in the toolbar on the top right of your screen.
Use saved searches to keep tabs on pieces you are hunting for over time
Once you create a search with all the filters you need, select the “Save Search” button at the top left of search filters. This saves the search to your profile so you can return to over and over to see the latest items added without having to redo the search. This is especially helpful if you’re hunting for a specific item but don’t like any of the current options and want to be able to quickly check back and see what is added to the site over time.
Use rewards points to save on shipping and restocking fees
Once you start using the Thredup site more, you will earn reward points that can be used to remove restocking fees when you return an item or earn other rewards like free shipping. I rarely pay for either anymore.
Have you had success using Thredup? Any other tips to share?
