I love buying used clothes! Often you get items like new for a fraction of the cost and sometimes for less than a dollar! I have a put together a great list of where to buy used clothes that I use when needing to add something to our wardrobe.

Thrift Stores:

After my daughter was born I stocked up on clothes for her first year at the thrift stores. Babies wear each size for such a short period of time, you normally have a lot of options. When you get into the preschool and elementary aged sizes you tend to find less selection as they tend to put a lot more wear on their clothes. Check each item for rips and stains. Thrift stores don’t have a screening process so you will want to do so carefully. Call and ask about sales. Most of our local thrift stores have a different deal each day of the week – fill a sack for $5, half off children’s clothes, half off yellow tagged items etc. Know what you want to buy and go the day you can get the best deal.

Garage Sales:

These are another great way to build up wardrobes. It requires a little more research and time as you have to look over the classifieds each week to see where you want to go and then drive numerous places but when you hit a house getting rid of clothes the size you wear or your kids are going into, you won’t beat the prices! Don’t forget to look for shoes and jackets as well as regular clothing. If you are buying a large amount, be sure to ask for a little discount. Last year we picked this winter coat and a pair of Converse for my daughter for a $1 each:

Consignment Shops:

You know you can find end of season clearance deals at retail clothing stores, but don’t forget to check out local consignment shops. I love shopping our town’s consignment shop. Everything is organized by size and color and each piece has already been looked over for stains and tears. Sure, the regular prices on a shirt are more than a thrift store with most between $4 and $15, but if you wait until the end of season you can get a bargain. Ask your store when they swap the clothes out. At our store the kids clothes switches over the beginning of August so families can do their back to school shopping. So you’ll want to look for deep discounted children’s items in July. The women’s clothes are switched over later, so I went in the middle of August and the summer shirts, dresses, shorts, and some pants were marked down – most 70%. I bought 6 shirts and 2 dresses: Guess what the total was? $19! You can’t beat that. Even if I just wear the shirts for a year or two. It was worth it. It’s also a great way to try out a style or color you normally don’t wear. If you love it, you know what to look for more and if you hate it, no biggie. Just pass it on.

Consignment Sales:

This is another option a lot of people love. To be honest, it’s my least favorite way to buy used clothes. I find the prices to be more than thrift stores and garage sales and the items aren’t looked over and carefully selected like they are at the consignment store so you have to carefully look at every item for stains and rips. If if checked out the other options, though, and you still need clothes, you might want to check for a sale in your area. Some one puts one on in our city twice a year. For the best selection you can bring your own clothes and help set up so you can shop early. Or if you are wanting a great deal, wait until the last afternoon and some consignors will allow their items to be marked down 50%.

Online Stores

Did you know there are online stores you can buy used clothes from? Pretty cool, huh? Shopping the in convienence of your home, while and kids are napping or playing sounds about perfect. Here are three places you’ll want to check out:

ebay

I’ve been looking on ebay so soft soled shoes for my toddler. Great way to get shoes and other clothing for a fraction of the cost and still have it be in good condition. You can also find a good selection of maternity clothes on ebay.

Like Twice

If you are looking for gently used women’s clothing, Like Twice has free shipping over $49 and $4.95 on smaller orders. If you purchase something and you don’t like it, you can use a prepaid return label if you want store credit or if you want the refund in cash a $4.95 shipping fee will be deducted from your returns. If you have women’s clothing, check and see if it would be worth selling to Like Twice.

If you sign up through my referral link  –  liketwice.com/eciEm – as a new customer, you’ll get $10 off your first order! If you like them on Facebook you’ll get a 15% off code as well.

Thred Up

Another store that has women, kids, shoes and handbags is Thred Up. They also have free shipping over $50 (or you can pay $19.99 and have free shipping for the entire year on any size order). Returns can be made within 30 days with tags still on but you do have to pay return shipping until you purchased using their app. You can also send your items to them so see if they will purchase them. If you sign up using my referral link, you can get $10 off your first purchase.

What’s your favorite place to buy used clothes from? Do you have any tips to share?

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