There’s no question that combating the climate emergency requires large-scale, systemic change. But individual action towards more sustainable living is important too. One of the most meaningful changes you can make on a personal level is buying less of everything — especially new things. “Buying used is better than buying new because very simply, it requires much less extraction of resources, much less fuel to ship things all over the world and it keeps things out of the landfill,” says Sandra Goldmark, professor and director of sustainability at Barnard College, senior assistant dean at the Columbia Climate School, and author of “Fixation: How to Have Stuff Without Breaking the Planet.” “Unless I absolutely can’t avoid it, I don’t buy new.”
The good news: These days, you can get just about anything secondhand, from home decor to luggage, smart phones and even appliances. Even better, you can find it all online. “Online shopping for used items has gotten exponentially easier in the past two or three years, to where it’s really just a little bit of effort,” says Goldmark, counting among her own online secondhand finds a coffee press, furniture and even a battery-powered chainsaw. “It’s almost as convenient as shopping for new goods.”
If you’re new to secondhand shopping, going the online route offers some helpful advantages beyond convenience, like the ability to search for and narrow results to very specific items and brands — even things that are pre-owned but unused (aka “new with tags” or NWT, as they’re often listed), notes Emily Stochl, director of education and community engagement at Remake, a global advocacy organization fighting for fair pay and climate justice in the clothing industry. Plus, “if you already enjoy online shopping and that’s something that’s familiar to you, secondhand shopping [online] can be a fun way to browse,” Stochl, who’s also the host and creator of “Pre-Loved Podcast,” adds.
That’s not to say there aren’t challenges, like the inability to try on clothes or the varying amount of detail in listing photos and descriptions. But with a few expert tips, you can overcome those challenges for a successful online secondhand shopping experience.
How to shop secondhand online
Make sure you see photos of the actual item you’re buying
If you’re shopping on peer-to-peer sites (think Poshmark and Mercari), there’s no consistency in terms of listing photos. To help ensure you know what you’re getting, Stochl says to pay special attention to the detail photos, where you can see any wear and tear. Many sellers include professional pictures pulled from retailer sites to show items in all their glory, but that shouldn’t be all that’s available to you. “Don’t hesitate to ask for additional photos,” Stochl says.
And while we’re on the topic of photos, Stochl reminds us that product photos may be the best that product is ever going to look. So no matter how you’re shopping online, be sure to take a step back and really reflect on, “How does this piece fit in my wardrobe [or home]? Is this something that I really need? Would I have loved this [if I bought it new]?”
Start with what you know
If you’re new to secondhand shopping online, Stochl recommends focusing first on items and brands you’re familiar with. “A lot of brand-new items are available online [secondhand]; maybe a person bought it and they didn’t like the fit or they missed the return deadline, and now they’re putting it up for sale,” she says. “The first thing I tell people who are brand-new to this is to just look up whatever you were going to buy new on [a secondhand] site, and I think you’ll be surprised by how often you find them there.”
In fact, both Stochl and Goldmark still tend to prioritize familiar brands, even as secondhand shopping veterans. Stochl keeps a list of brands she’s liked, including vintage items (for example, Liz Claiborne trousers), to search for in the past. Goldmark uses this strategy to keep herself from impulse buying. “Even when I’m shopping used, I make sure I make the right decision by limiting the number of brands I have to think about.”
Pay attention to measurements and specifications
If you’re buying clothes secondhand online, look beyond the listed size to ensure you’re getting something that fits. Stochl recommends measuring a similar garment you already own (lie it flat on the ground) and comparing those numbers to the relevant measurements on the listing. “It’s an easier comparison [than measuring your body] because the seller is likely also measuring their garment flat out on the ground,” Stochl says. If the seller or website didn’t provide that information up front, don’t hesitate to ask; you can even ask for even more details, Stochl notes, like the width of an armpit hole, for example.
For non-clothing items, be equally thorough with other specifications, like a smartphone’s memory, an air fryer’s capacity or a plant pot’s height and diameter. Scale can significantly skew an item in photos, so evaluate the actual objective details to ensure you’re getting what you want.
Keep a “thrift list”
“If you are like someone who is easily swayed by impulse shopping online,” Stochl says, it’s important to be mindful before you even start browsing. “I always recommend people to have a ‘thrift list’ on their phone of what it is that they’re looking for,” she says. “This can be really helpful in terms of not being too impulsive [and] only looking for things you’re intentionally planning to [acquire].”
Read reviews and do your research
Stochl also researches items on various platforms, comparing things like price, quality and condition, before actually committing to a purchase. Not only does that help with mindful shopping, but it also helps you ensure you’re getting the best deal you can get.
Goldmark also recommends reading reviews, just as you might when shopping for new items. If you’re shopping from companies with consolidated warehouses (like ThredUp, for example), you can read reviews of the sites themselves; if you’re shopping peer-to-peer, check out a seller’s history and ratings.
Don’t expect perfection
It’s unlikely that everything you buy secondhand online will be exactly what you want — but, as Goldmark points out, “it’s just like shopping new. Once in a while, you probably won’t be satisfied.” If your concern is scams, the aforementioned strategies can largely help you avoid them. And ultimately, “there’s always some kind of scam in any marketplace,” Goldmark says. “Even in the marketplace for new goods, there are some scams [and] bad actors. So I’d rather be in the marketplace for used goods and try to avoid the scams.”
That said, as both Goldmark and Stochl point out, most secondhand shopping platforms (peer-to-peer or otherwise) offer customer support and protection in the event you’re misled, receive a defective product, or have other issues. Some, like ThredUp, even offer returns. And, Stochl says, “you always have the option to resell [an item] yourself” if you just don’t like it or changed your mind.
Beware of greenwashing
Yes, greenwashing exists even in the secondhand shopping space. Right now, advocates like Stochl are raising the red flags about brand-owned resale programs from fast fashion giants like H&M and Lululemon. It’s not that there isn’t room in the marketplace for them to join — as Goldmark points out, globally, we’re still severely lacking in circularity — but it’s that many of these companies, at least in the fashion space, aren’t actually making positive changes. “We need to see reuse as a replacement, not just an add-on,” Goldmark says. “I don’t want to see businesses that are like, ‘Look, we’ve grown our sales of new goods by a gazillion percent in the last quarter, and we’ve added revenue from reuse.’ No, what we want to see is reuse and repair and refurbishment models replacing sales of new goods.”
As Stochl points out, not a single brand in 2022 Remake’s Fashion Accountability Report demonstrated that its resale initiatives meant a slow-down in new production. “They are latching on to the booming popularity market as the newest way to greenwash customers,” she says. “At the end of the day, it’s important for people to remember that these fashion brands could choose to pay their garment workers a living wage and decrease overproduction, which would impact both the social and environmental harms of the fashion industry. But they’re not choosing to do that; they’re choosing to add a resale initiative. And we should be aware of what the reason is.”
Best places to shop secondhand online
That said, there’s no lack of alternate platforms where you can secondhand shop online for pretty much everything on your list. In fact, Stochl provides an exhaustive list of options from around the world on her website. Ahead is a sampling of options, including some of our experts’ favorites.