My #1 Trick for Using thredUP

thredup tips

Any time I wear something from thredUP (which, let’s be honest, is about 95% of the time, if not more), inevitably, someone asks, “How do you find good things on there? I’m so overwhelmed by all the options!”

And I can hardly blame anyone for feeling overwhelmed by thredUP.

There’s usually somewhere in the range of 150,000 items on there. Even when you narrow by your size, you’re still looking at usually at least 10,000-40,000 things.

Talk about the paradox of choice.

Last year, I wrote a whole post about my best tricks for scoring on thredUP, and I still stand by all of those, but my number one best trick is this:

Find a brand you really like and just look at what thredUP has from them. 

Sometimes, I want to spend a good chunk of time browsing through and looking for new brands or waiting for something to catch my eye.

But on a more regular basis, I have a couple of brands that I look up every few days to see what’s new.

I already know that I love that brand and what their sizing is like, and that I’ll generally like what I get.

I have a handful of brands like that on thredUP (J.CrewGap, Ann Taylor, Loft), but my number one pick for the last little while has been Madewell.

One great thing about Madewell on thredUP is that they don’t have a TON of things.

When I was working on this post, there were 157 Madewell items in my size. I can look through that in about 3 minutes.

For reference, in my size in J.Crew? They have more than 2,000 items at the moment.

If the brand you love has a lot of items, like J.Crew or Loft, it will automatically sort them with the newest items first, so you can easily see what’s been added since the last time you checked.

I’d never owned something from Madewell before I discovered thredUP (in fact, I was only vaguely aware that Madewell even existed).

But after I bought this amazing pair of black jeans, I was hooked, and I’ve been slowly collecting pieces all year.

This green skirt is my newest Madewell acquisition and I’ve been wearing it non-stop this fall. It just looks good with everything, is easy to dress up or down, and has pockets.

What more could you want?

(Also, when I was writing this post and looked up Madewell to see what they had on thredUP at the moment, it goes without saying that four new Madewell items ended up in my cart).

Anyway, if you want to give thredUP a try but don’t feel inclined to sort through 118,403 items, try this trick and see if it helps.

 SKIRT (via thredUP; similar) • LACE TOP (via thredUP; similar• HEELS
BAGWATCHBRACELETSUNGLASSES

thredup tips

Photos by Christie Knight Photography

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10 Comments

  1. I’m only mildly into clothes shopping, but I clicked over to see the website and then shut it in annoyance because it won’t let me look at the site without giving my email address. I just want to look at it! I don’t know if I want to join! Why can’t I just look at it? I love a good deal, and maybe I would love ThredUp, but that just brings out the contrary in me. Am I the only one who finds this annoying?

  2. Do you have any trouble with incorrect descriptions? I ordered for the first time over the summer and have been caught in a cycle of returning and trying to use up store credit because the things I buy don’t end up matching what they have listed! Seriously, I’ve been trying to use up the same $50 over five orders and continually run into this problem! Jeans that are labeled “skinny” on the website show up and the inside tag clearly states “straight.” Sweaters that show up several inches shorter than the measurement listed on the website. Jackets that were listed as “excellent condition” show up so pilled and frayed I wouldn’t pay $1 for them. My closet is 98% thrifted and now that I live in a rural area with no good thrift stores, I was hoping to use ThredUp as my go-to but I’m really frustrated!

    1. Hi, I’m a reseller on ThredUp and let me tell you, they list things incorrectly all the time!! If I send 20 items in, at least 1 will be labeled incorrectly. Most often, they list shirts as dresses!! Son frustrating, especially because as the person who sent in the item, I have no control over it, and I know someone is going to be disappointed. Send them a complaint!

  3. Ok so your blog is one of my very favorites, but I have to tell you that my first experience with ThredUp has been a real challenge. First, it took them 10 business days to get me my package, and you can only return items from 14 days of the receipt. Then, when I tried to return, it would NOT allow me to choose the refund back to my card, even though it showed it as an option. It would just default to store credit. Every time I tried to call them I went straight to a voicemail. I kind of detest this company and think they need to get their professional act together. I spent a lot of money and I want it back.

  4. Have you ever used the autobuy feature for an item that someone is hoarding in their shopping cart? I am curious because there is a dress that I really want to buy but the person keeps refreshing it in their shopping cart and I don’t see this auto-buy feature. I only see were I can like it (which I have) and “get notified” (which I have selected).

    1. You can only do auto buy if you have already purchased from ThredUP and have a credit card saved. Hope that helps!

  5. I sent in a brand new pair of Aquatalia flats,, that retail for $258. They NEVER made it to posting. And, a never used Hobo International bag (retail $228). Again, never listed.
    Of course, I learned my lesson and upfront ask for my items to be returned if they do not sell and pay extra for expedited listing of my kit. I think it is worth it. In the meantime, though, I am angry that the above items probably went home with one of the Thredup employees because I was unaware of my options. Most of what I sent in my first three kits did sell andI made some money, which I promptly spent at where else???? Thredup. Guess that is the point.

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