No. 6

I had a random thought while driving around today. I love consignment shopping. My dad thinks it's too low brow. My mom doesn't seem to have much of a strong opinion on it. My brother definitely deems it unacceptable. But I've been consignment shopping for many years and to be honest, if you know how to do it right, you're going to have zero problems and walk away from transactions with a lot of saved money. Is it new and shiny when you bring it home (or have it delivered)? No. Although, I have definitely bought things with tags still on and no wear. I don't mind things that have been used, but you need to be really mindful of a few things in order to succeed:

1. Whatever you buy can come from literally anywhere and anyone. A smoker. A drug addict. A cat lady. Who knows... so shop smart. Make sure to have at least 2 or 3 conversations (usually online) with the vendor or seller. Get a feel for how they are with presenting themselves. Remember, you have the power! As a potential buyer, they should be the ones to sugar you up to buy whatever they are selling.

2. Never buy anything without seeing real photos of the item you are interested in. Stock images might be fine for furniture or office products, but for clothes and accessories, you have the right to know exactly what you're buying into. Ask as many questions as you can or want to get information about the condition of whatever you are buying. Don't take chances.

3. Consider an "All sales final" mentality when shopping used. Because it usually is the case.

4. Read reviews. People who review things after their own interactions with shops or sellers are usually choosing to do so because they either had a great experience, or a really horrible one. Be smart about the general opinion that many reviewers have already given to a certain seller, and try not to be too skeptical about them. Try to trust others when it comes to consignment shopping.

5. Don't forget to factor the cost of shipping! Sure, I've found some great shoes for $8 or an incredible hardcover cook book that's normally $50 for 3 bucks. But once you toss everything into your online shopping cart and move to checkout, you could get slammed with a crazy shipping fee. Do the math and be smart. After all shipping & handling costs are added in, is it still worth it? Or is it now better to just drive to the store to pick something up brand new, no shipping fee to worry about? Are you still willing to pay shipping fees because of the added benefit of having whatever you buy come straight to your door?

I hope these things help others because they are definitely rules I live by! I buy so much online. Everything from daily household cleaning goods, to my clothes and accessories, to my groceries! So I think I've been pretty knowledgable and cautious over the last few years with dealing with online consignment shopping. One thing I would love to boost is my total love of ThredUp.

ThredUp is an online clothing/accessories consignment shop that I have actually been following since it's beginning. Now, it has boomed into a massive online king of consignment. http://www.thredup.com/r/IOYSNM - Please use this link and both you & I get $10 to spend on ThredUp!

This dress? ThredUp! (Probably about $10?)