Secondhand clothing is having a big glow-up, with a record number of people buying used apparel over new duds last year. Not to mention the flip side: Nearly one-third of shoppers are now reselling their own clothes in stores like Buffalo Exchange and online at places like ThredUp.
"People are increasingly embracing secondhand for its value, its uniqueness, and its positive impact," James Reinhart, co-founder of ThredUp, told The Cool Down. "When we started [the brand], secondhand was often stigmatized. Over the years, we've witnessed a remarkable shift in mindset."
A huge part of this shift has to do with the myriad benefits of shopping secondhand: great deals, vintage style, less waste, reduced impact on the planet, and one-of-a-kind styles.
And as for selling, need we say more than extra cash and a clean closet?
In a TCD exclusive, Reinhart walked us through how ThredUp's online service uses new technology like fit prediction and pricing suggestions to make shopping and selling secondhand virtually effortless.
💸 How much cash can users make selling their clothes with ThredUp?
Instead of having to go through the process of listing, photographing, and shipping each item you want to sell, ThredUp has simplified the process with its Clean Out bag, where you just order a bag, fill it up with whatever you want to sell, and then send it back. ThredUp takes over from there, and you earn cash or credit as each item is purchased.
"For sellers, the convenience of our Clean Out bag and the hassle-free process of earning money for their unwanted clothes is paramount," Reinhart said.
But if ThredUp is doing most of the legwork for you, how much can you expect to make?
"The financial return for a Clean Out bag varies significantly depending on the brands, condition, and current demand for the items sent in," Reinhart told us. "While there isn't a fixed average, our goal is to offer sellers a fair return for items that have resale value. Our pricing algorithms take into account numerous factors to ensure competitive pricing."
ThredUp also has a price estimator tool on its website, where you can test out what your items will probably go for. A Madewell dress, for example, might sell for around $50 in good condition — and you'd earn around 30% of that, about $15, just for bagging it up. But rarer and bigger-ticket items in the $100-$200 range could earn you a larger share, typically around 60% to 80% or $60 to $159.
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Giving me money back 💰 In both cases, it's probably more than you could expect to fetch from selling in-person like at a yard sale, as you're expanding your audience of potential buyers significantly beyond your neighborhood. And the company is providing extra value by enabling you to send in multiple items at once, instead of listing and shipping each item to different buyers yourself.
"We encourage sellers to manage their expectations based on the types of items they send in," Reinhart added. "High-demand brands and items in excellent condition will generally yield a higher return. We provide transparency throughout the process, allowing sellers to track their items and earnings."
💚 What's your favorite customer story about something they've purchased on ThredUp?
"One story that really sticks with me is about a young woman from Orange, California," Reinhart said. "She had her heart set on this absolutely stunning emerald green cocktail dress from a higher-end designer … the kind that typically goes for around $600, that she wanted to wear to her sister's rehearsal dinner," he explained.
"Unfortunately, the retail price just wasn't feasible for her at the time, so she turned to resale. She told us how she used our image search feature, uploading a picture she had of the dress she wanted, and was able to find a very similar, if not the exact same, dress on our site for just under $75."
In addition to the image search feature, ThredUp is also testing out a style chat guide — where you can describe a trend, event, style, even a celebrity fit — and get personalized shopping options.
🛍️ What do you wish more people knew about shopping secondhand versus buying new?
"I wish more people understood that shopping secondhand doesn't mean compromising on style or quality," said Reinhart. "In fact, it often unlocks access to unique, vintage, or even designer pieces that you wouldn't find in traditional retail."
Plus, "it's also a powerful way to reduce your environmental footprint," he said. "Every secondhand purchase displaces the need for a new garment to be produced, saving valuable resources and reducing waste."
In fact, ThredUp reports that it has kept 200 million garments out of landfills — an especially impressive stat considering that for the U.S. apparel industry at large, about 85% of all textiles end up in landfills every year.
🔮 What does the future of sustainable fashion look like?
"My vision for a truly sustainable fashion future is one where circularity is the norm, not the exception," Reinhart told us. "It's a world where clothes are designed for durability and reuse, where textile waste is minimized, and where consumers actively participate in extending the life cycle of as many items as they can."
And on the company side of this future vision, Reinhart said, "brands will embrace resale as an integral part of their business models, and technology will play a crucial role in making the entire system efficient and transparent."
ThredUp is already making this a reality with its business-oriented Resale-as-a-Service program, too, where it works with companies like Athleta, Madewell, and Gap to facilitate their own in-house resale programs.
"This allows them to engage with environmentally conscious consumers, extend the lifecycle of their products, gather valuable data, and even generate new revenue streams," he noted.
Ultimately, "we're building the infrastructure for circular fashion at scale," Reinhart said.
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