The 9 Best Places to Buy Used Goods Online
Living on a budget can be difficult at times, especially when there are pricy items your family needs. When your goal is to live a minimalistic life and live more frugally, buying second-hand or used goods just makes more sense.
When you live by a strict budget, you need to be sure your money is not spent on expensive items where you are really just paying for the brand. Used goods can work just as well and usually at just a fraction of the cost.
There are some exceptions you should consider when buying new versus used things.
You want to buy new undergarments, safety gear, food, of course, and a few others but for the most part, just about everything you need can be purchased used.
Clothing, appliances and tech, books, furniture, buying these things used can help you save an incredible amount of money.
Online shopping for second-hand goods might seem a little intimidating and scary at first.
You may not always get what is in the image. But if you know where to shop, there are a lot of quality places and shops online where you can spend some time perusing the options and making some incredible finds.
Just be sure you are safe when shopping online and be sure to meet sellers only in public places. Here are 9 of the best places to buy used goods online.
9 Best Places to Buy Used Goods Online
1. Poshmark
Poshmark is an online used fashion reseller where you can either sell or purchase gently used clothing. It’s a great shop to find clothing in style, but you aren’t able to return what you buy.
The buying experience is largely socially oriented, where you can like items and comment on items or follow other users’ closets when you like their style.
2. Mercari
This is an online marketplace where you can buy and sell just about anything as long as it doesn’t go against their terms of service. Mercari connects you with buyers and sellers across the United States with a convenient and easy process for shipping for sellers.
When you purchase anything from Mercari, you must verify the item is what you ordered and is in great condition before the funds are released to the seller. It can help put your mind at ease when buying used goods online.
3. Swappa
Swappa is an online marketplace directed at buying and selling used smartphones. Smartphones these days are like tiny handheld computers, and they are priced as such.
You can peruse cell phones that are in great condition, last year’s models, without the high price tag of a brand new cell phone, saving you hundreds of dollars. Realistically, cellphones don’t change too much year to year. Buying an older model can be easier on the pockets with all the great features you may need.
4. Facebook Marketplace
The Facebook marketplace has evolved to move beyond local buying and selling over the past few years. They have upgraded to allow for trade across the United States with the ability to ship as needed.
The only downside is needing to be attached to the social platform to be able to participate, but there are ways you can keep your information private.
5. ThredUp
ThredUp is an online consignment store that focuses on clothing. Users send in their used clothes, and ThredUp inspects every piece before they place it in their marketplace.
You can shop at ThredUp knowing you’re browsing quality and carefully curated clothing in great condition.
6. eBay
eBay is one of the pioneers of the used online marketplace. It’s an auction site that makes it easy to buy and sell anything you could think of. There are not many limits as to what you can find on eBay.
Sellers can offer a buy now price, which lets you bypass the auction process as long as you feel it’s a good deal. eBay also offers an online classified section to purchase things from a local marketplace.
7. OfferUp
OfferUp is a locally-focused craigslist-like platform that allows people to buy and sell items in your area. You can set the distance with how far you’d like to look for items, but it’s convenient when you want to stay close to home and see what’s available.
The interface is user-friendly and allows you to easily search for what you need. You can even set up alerts to let you know when another user in your area posted an item you’ve been looking for.
OfferUp has evolved to allow shipping to expand your search and find what you need at a great price.
8. Bonanza
Bonanza is a worldwide online marketplace that aims to compete with eBay. You can find items for sale all across the globe, but you have to be aware of any added shipping costs and timelines for when you’re items are to be expected.
When you purchase worldwide, things tend to be a little pricier and may take a little longer, and you’ll have to weigh out if the price is worth the shipping and the wait.
9. Gadget Salvation
Electronics are some of the most expensive purchases you will make in your life. Gadget Salvation has affordable prices for quality electronics when you need to update your laptops or electronics.
They inspect every item that goes on the marketplace to ensure you are getting quality products at the lowest prices.
There are a lot of valuable used good shops online that you can feel comfortable with when shopping in the online marketplace. You can feel confident in knowing you are getting a quality product at the best price when you know you are ordering through a reputable retailer.
There are many great reasons to buy used goods beyond helping keep your family within your budget. It can help with sustainability and useless waste. Check out any of these sites and feel good about your purchases.
Read More Frugal Living Tips:
How to Stop Over-Planning and Start Doing
20 Things That Waste Your Time
For more tips on living a minimalistic and simple life, check out my YouTube here or browse my website.