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5 Online Vintage Consignment Stores & How to Shop Them

The growing choice of online vintage consignment stores makes me happy. One of my favorite childhood memories involves rummaging through the racks of the local Junior League thrift store with my seamstress grandma. A Saturday morning ritual, I never left the shop empty-handed. There was always a vintage patent leather clutch or rhinestone brooches or Hermes-like silk scarf, with price tags well under $5.

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Fast forward 20 years. Now vintage fashion doesn’t always equal bargain prices. Deals that could be found in local thrift stores are now going for $100-plus at online and offline vintage stores. In fact, many vintage and consignment shop owners stock their stores with items they found at their local Salvation Army and Goodwill at much lower prices. 

Two people try on vintage clothing in a consignment shop.

However, all is not lost. There’s been a emergence of online vintage stores that have great items without the high mark-ups.

Read on for six essential hacks for shopping online vintage consignment stores, plus five online shops that sell vintage consignment garments.

Online vintage consignment shopping tips

1. Window shop

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Before you make a purchase, browse multiple stores to get a feel for the types of clothes and accessories offered, which store has the best prices and selection, and which stores feel the most credible. Doing this before you have the credit card out helps you make wiser choices when it’s time to buy.

2. Do your homework

Know the difference between a piece that’s actually vintage vs. one that’s modern but retro-inspired. True vintage pieces come at a premium, which you may or may not want. Retro fashion pieces are less expensive but not authentically old.

What you don’t want to do is pay a vintage price tag for a knock-off. So a little extra research is warranted. You always need to be smart when shopping online. Vintage shops are no exception.

3. Catch the sales

Yes, even online vintage shops have sales (woohoo!). Try signing up for those e-mails to stay informed. This only helps, of course, if you actually read the emails.

You can also watch the ads. If you’re checking in on your fav vintage etailers, their ads will probably follow you around the web.

If you don’t see ads, then check in to those shops around the holidays. They’re as likely as a physical store to run sales for the big shopping seasons.

4. Remember that times have changed

Like gas prices, hairstyles, and scientific opinions on chocolate, garments have changed. Sizes of clothing made before the 80s usually run much smaller than the comparable size today. To account for this, know your measurements, not just your size.

You may need to add two sizes to your current size to find your equivalent vintage size. Because of the size discrepancy, it’s smart to ensure you can exchange or return your purchase.

5. Shop it like a regular store

Yes, that Pucci print jumpsuit is exactly like one worn by Edie Sedgwick in the 60s. However, if you wouldn’t purchase it off the rack of a regular store, don’t purchase it now.

6. Take care of your vintage pieces

Yes! You found the perfect vintage ensemble. Congratulations, but there’s still more you need to know. What you bought isn’t brand new and straight from the factory. It’s been through a lot, so treat it with care.

Skip the washing machine and clean vintage garments by hand or at the dry cleaners. Definitely don’t put them in the dryer. They’re already worn down enough.

Also keep watch on buttons and notions — tack down anything that looks loose. If you lose a button on that Givenchy jacket, you may not be able to replace it.

Favorite online vintage stores

Etsy

My love of Etsy has no bounds. The online marketplace has redefined (and in many cases, defined) the online vintage marketplace. Head to the site and search for “vintage” to find a list of recently added vintage items.

Shop Goodwill

Everyone’s favorite thrift store now has an online auction site at Shop Goodwill. The nicely designed site is not quite eBay, but you can find items at a cheaper price than its for-profit competitor.

ebay.com

Before spending any money with an eBay store, check sellers ratings and view buyer comments. Always purchase items from eBay using a credit card that’s backed by buyer protection. That way if the item is fake (which happens), you might get your money back from the card.

Poshmark

Poshmark is a fashion marketplace for all kinds of pieces, including vintage. To shop Poshmark, you can download the app or log in on the website.

The prices are set by sellers, so it pays to cross-check those prices before you buy.

Thredup

Thredup is a consignment store that carries modern and vintage pieces. You do have to know what you’re looking for though — there’s no category of clothes labeled vintage.

I like to shop Thredup by browsing the premium and designer categories. Prices are usually discounted 20% to 50% off retail. You can also find older items that still have their tags, but expect to pay a premium for those.

Or, try swapping

Clothing swaps aren’t super popular, but you might get lucky. See our post on where to swap clothes now.

Know a great vintage site that should be on this list? Let us know! See our contact page.

Hairstyles VIP

Wednesday 25th of November 2020

Very efficiently written information. It will be valuable to anybody who usess it, as well as me. Keep doing what you are doing - can'r wait to read more posts.

shopping

Wednesday 19th of April 2017

Very good blog you have here but I was wanting to know if you knew of any discussion boards that cover the same topics talked about in this article? I'd really like to be a part of group where I can get suggestions from other experienced people that share the same interest.

If you have any recommendations, please let me know. Bless you!

Elle

Thursday 16th of June 2016

I looooove Etsy! Maybe a bit too much! Some of my fav shops are Sultry Vintage, Cheshire Vintage and Zest Vintage. Those girls have some interesting finds!! & if you wait for a sale, super affordable (and beats taking up so much time digging through the racks myself only to find pieces that don't fit)

Mandy

Wednesday 30th of September 2015

I've had great success buying vintage clothing from Cry Violet. They have vintage dresses, accessories and many other items. Lots of the finer stuff too.

Lisa

Thursday 9th of July 2015

Great list! I'm a recent convert for all things vintage and thrifty in nature- have you heard of clotholondon.co.uk? It's a really cool way to clear out your wardrobe and then get discounts off their insane clothes. So addicted!