Affiliate links included in this ThredUp Review. I only promote what I use and love!
Nobody give me the stink eye for saying it, but back-to-school season is right around the corner. I was at Walmart this morning and they already have their school supply section front and center in the store. You can run, but you can’t hide. It’s time to start thinking about the clothes your kiddos might need for the upcoming school year.
My little ones go to a Montessori school, and there is no specific dress code. But even for those of you whose kids are in uniform, you don’t get a free pass from clothes shopping…you still have to get plenty of khakis and button up shirts and all that good stuff. And of course, your little ones probably want to change into something more their own style when they get home!
ThredUp is a GREAT resource for parents of school-aged children, whatever your clothing needs might be! I recently did some shopping (ok, A LOT of shopping) on the site and I wanted to tell you exactly what the experience was like for me (the good AND the bad!). After all, buying used clothing that you have not been able to personally inspect before purchasing is a bit risky, right?
photo credit: susieredshoes via photopin cc
photo credit: K·FREE via photopin cc
photo credit: jen_rab via photopin cc
ThredUp: What They Sell
ThredUP sells clothing for women (including specialty sections like petite, juniors, maternity, and plus sizes). They also sell children’s clothing starting at size 12 months. They sell shoes for women and children, and they also sell handbags (including some NICE handbags if you love a quality bag but are on a budget) and some accessories like tights, scarves and gloves.
What They Don’t Sell
Nothing for men, I’m afraid. I was bummed about that, as I would have loved to made purchases for Tim while I was on my fierce shopping spree.
How (In)Expensive Is It?
I’ll tell you this: if you go to ThredUp expecting to pay garage sale or even thrift store prices, you will be disappointed. I found that most items started around $4.99 and went up. Could you find some of them cheaper at a thrift store or even a consignment sale? Perhaps. But remember, you are getting the convenience of having everything pre-screened with any notes on the condition (for example: new with tags, or slight pilling). And you can shop by brand, by size, by color, all from the comfort of your home any time you want. For me, that type of convenience is well worth it. I love going to the thrift store, but it’s always hit or miss, and I might find something fun, but it’s 2 sizes bigger than what I need. When I need to shop for something that my kids need to wear ASAP, thrift stores and garage sales can’t always provide what I need. Plus, shopping at them takes forever! I don’t think I’ve even been to a garage sale since Layah was born and I used to love them! So again, you are going to pay more, but the prices are still quite good for the quality, because ThredUP just won’t sell it if it isn’t in great shape. Here’s what will be Layah’s outfit for her first day of school!
My Finds
When I went on my shopping spree, I was chiefly looking for stuff for me, to be honest. Because both of my girls were born in the spring and summer months, my summer wardrobe is PITIFUL. I mean…it’s really sad. I had probably 3 or 4 tops that I was interested in wearing TOTAL, so I was on the hunt for casual but updated pieces. And I hit the jackpot, you guys! I spent $200 and I was sent 16 pieces of clothing, all in outstanding condition. I now have LOTS of fun choices for myself, and I scored a few fun finds for my kids, as well. While I was looking for casual stuff, they have no shortage of pieces that are appropriate for the office. Basically, they have something for everyone!
Tips and Tricks
I do have a few tips and tricks based on my experience shopping with ThredUp.
Tip #1: Plan to spend at least $79. Why? Because shipping is FREE once you spend that amount! 🙂 Honestly, what I do is go big, though, and spend $150 at one time. That’s because when you do that, you get free shipping, not only on that order, but on any order you place for the next 30 days (yes, even if you only order one thing)!
Tip #2: Pay CLOSE attention to the pieces you select. I was having so much fun shopping, that I got a little sloppy with paying attention to details, and I failed to notice that two of the tops I picked out had a bunch of sequins on them. I’m not anti-sequin, but I like just a touch, and both of these pieces looked like they were rolled and dipped in sequins. I wouldn’t have ordered them in the first place if I had paid a bit more attention.
Tip #3: You can send items back for a refund within 30 days of purchase, which I LOVE! But what I recommend is opting for store credit on any of your returns, for one VERY important reason: if you opt for store credit, you do not have to pay the return shipping costs (ThredUp gives you a pre-paid label to print from your computer). If you opt to get a refund, however, you have to pay for the cost of return. I did this once and once only, because I got some major sticker shock when I dropped off my package: $15 to send my returns from east Tennessee to San Francisco! Oy!!!
Tip #4: Look for brands you know fit you well. In my case, I purchased several Ann Taylor and LOFT items because I rarely have fit issues with this brand. I kept every single item from that brand, incidentally! There were also certain brands that I avoided (Express…their clothes fit like junior’s…a junior’s large WILL NOT fit me and will only make me feel bad!).
Bonus Tip! If you are new to ThredUP and shop through my referral link, you’ll get $10 off your first purchase (no minimum!). I get $10, too, so this is one heck of a win/win!
Want to Hear About Selling?
So the reviews I have read about selling on ThredUP have been mixed, at best. And as a result, I’ve been a bit hesitant to send in anything. But they offer you a 20% off coupon if you sell to them, and that’s pretty darn tempting. Are you interested in having me blog about what it’s like to sell to ThredUp? Leave a comment to let me know, because if you want to hear about it, then I’ll document the experience for you!
Kristina C says
ThredUP is a scam, only allowing half of your clothes to go through. To clarify, my last box of clothes I sent to them were all brand new, never worn, never washed, with no defects and I took pictures of the inside and outside to prove it before sending the clothes. Two of the items I sent were a vest/pants set, but they only accepted the pants. Their excuse for only accepting half of my items was that they had too many of that type of item. WTH! It was a set, and there is nothing in their rules that they may reject clothing because they have too much of an item.
They also shortened the sale window, and changed the rules for reclaiming the clothes that did not sell. A few years ago, this site was different but with all these changes, and made up new rules not written anywhere they are officially a scam now.
Susanna says
Great review! A question though..can I just use thredup for buying clothes? I usually use my clothes to the point that they are way past use for others..haha..but curious, if I can just use thredup to buy vs. sell on the site?
Anonymous says
you can just buy or just sell of both
Anonymous says
or both
Tiffany Merritt says
You can do both! I sent my first bag of clothing to sell in and it took them about 2 weeks to acknowledge receipt, and then I was told it would be another month before I heard back about what was accepted. I have to say, I was a little disappointed with that turnaround time. I’m hoping I won’t be disappointed with the payout, too!
Amanda Carroll says
I just wanted to say I love this post! I’d never heard of thredUP but I’m definitely about to go check it out via your referral link!! As a mom of a three year old who works in retail I know how expensive clothes can be and believe me when I say I look for the best deals I can find especially when it comes to things for myself. I would love to see how it goes with selling on their site. Thanks so much for the awesomely informative post!
Tiffany Merritt says
What a super sweet comment! It always makes my day to hear that my posts are helpful! I hope you have a wonderful experience shopping on ThredUP!
Tiffany