Online shopping has become increasingly popular, especially if you’re looking for deals on older, pre-owned clothing. People like to go thrift shopping for many reasons, from wanting new cheap clothes and having the option of being able to try them on while at the store, as opposed to online shopping and just looking at an image of what it could look like. Looking at an image can cause people to be misled by pictures not showing possible damage on the clothing or imperfections and stains 

I prefer purchasing secondhand clothing online because buying used clothing is better for the environment. When I purchase second-hand items, I like to think that these items might otherwise end up thrown away. 

I use eBay the most out of the apps because there are auctions and fixed-price options, with a money-back guarantee and it is really convenient. eBay is 24/7 home shopping I can open it whenever I want and not have to worry about the store closing.

I usually search for brands like Southpole, Solo Semore, Monster Energy, and many more. I use eBay and Depop. The clothes I purchase are mostly jeans, but I also buy shirts. 

I go on eBay about 3 times a week and spend around 30 minutes to an hour browsing for jeans and shirts. I am very cheap and I only buy jeans that are under $40. I also like them having embroidery. But I also buy shirts for $20 and under the brands I look for the most are Affliction, Southpole, MMA Elite, and Xtreme Couture

Since I use eBay the most, I use eBay gift cards or I ask my parents’ permission to buy clothes using their credit cards for Facebook and Depop I use prepaid credit cards.

Purchasing clothing online can be more beneficial than buying in person because, stores have limited pieces of clothes that they sell, while online is very accessible and super easy to find there without needing to go and visit the store and having to look around and then manage to find out they do not have what you are looking for. While online, you’ll eventually find it pretty soon, given how easy it has been to search for clothing with filters and tags.

With advantages come disadvantages, and the biggest disadvantages definitely quality and accuracy. I had a semi-bad experience when I bought a shirt off of eBay. The description of the shirt had no size, it just had measurements. I had my mom help me measure, but when the shirt came it was tiny, so I gave it to my little cousin.

 It’s important to find out if the description of the piece of clothing is one hundred percent guaranteed from sizing and condition, to the material it is made out of. Make sure to ask questions before you purchase and see what kind of feedback or ratings the person has.

I use 3 apps – Depop, eBay, and Facebook Marketplace. I use these apps because I know how they work. Based on both the seller and buyer fees, and the shipping methods, I rank eBay first, Facebook Marketplace second, and  Depop third. I don’t like buying from Depop because, in my opinion, people overprice everything. I use Depop to find a piece of clothing and then I search it up on Facebook Marketplace or eBay and I’ll find it way cheaper.

People should know about these apps, including the shipping price and buyer fees. As a buyer, you are responsible for tax and shipping. 

You need to be at least 18 years old for eBay and Facebook Marketplace, so I have my parents buy for me And for Depop you need to be at least 13 years old. 

What happens if the sellers scam you on these apps? Most of these apps should have some sort of buyer protection. eBay has a dedicated seller protection team that works around the clock to enforce policies and track problems before they start. They also have a money-back guarantee giving a full refund if the item is not received or not as it was described and you can initiate a return within 30 days. 

Facebook Marketplace has this as well. If an item is not as described buyers can also refund within 30 days, but purchase protection is only available for purchases with a minimum price of 50 dollars. In-person meetings for selling and buying are the same, other than the fact you aren’t protected as well. You just have to be aware that the Facebook buyer and selling policies just tell you to ask for identification of the person to see if it’s actually the seller, to use Facebook’s payment method, and to inform Facebook of scams. From personal experience, reviewing the policies of these platforms really helped me ensure I know what I’m doing when looking for clothing to purchase safely.

I think I’ve bought at least 10 pairs of jeans and 7 T-shirts. Two of my favorite pieces of clothing are from eBay. The jeans I got are from the brand Imperious. I like the design on the front and back pockets. They are so cool! They were originally $30, but I offered $25 and it was accepted. The shirt was $20 dollars.

Online shopping is very efficient. If you want to save time shopping for specific brands of clothes like me, online shopping would be way better and less time consuming than going to Goodwill or any other thrift store and hoping to find the brand you’re looking for. There are other sites for clothing besides eBay and Depop- ThredUp, Poshmark, and Mercari, for instance. Your best bet is to check them out, researching and checking for prices  will allow you to find the best prices.