But vintage shopping requires different skills than walking into a department store. You can’t browse by size, you can’t try on a different color, and the inventory changes constantly. Here’s how to do it well.
Where to Shop
Online Platforms
The RealReal: The most curated secondhand platform, focused on designer and luxury brands. Items are authenticated before listing, which provides more confidence than general marketplaces. Prices are higher than thrift stores but significantly below retail. Best for: designer investment pieces — blazers, bags, shoes, jewelry.
Vestiaire Collective: Similar to The RealReal with a more European focus and a peer-to-peer model. Sellers set their own prices, which means deals exist but require patience. The authentication process is robust. Best for: European designer brands and unique pieces.
eBay: The original secondhand marketplace and still one of the best. eBay’s search functionality is more powerful than any dedicated fashion platform — you can filter by material, brand, era, size, and condition. Best for: specific items you’re hunting (a particular brand, era, or style) and excellent deals from individual sellers.
Depop and Poshmark: More casual, peer-to-peer platforms with a younger demographic. Quality is more variable, and authentication is less robust, but prices are lower and the selection is vast. Best for: trend-driven pieces, contemporary brands, and casual wear.
Etsy: The best platform for true vintage (20+ years old). Etsy sellers often specialize in specific eras, and listings typically include detailed measurements and condition notes. Best for: vintage-specific shopping by era (1940s dresses, 1970s leather jackets, 1990s minimalism).
Physical Stores
Curated vintage stores: These do the work of selection for you, and the markup reflects the curation. The best vintage stores have a point of view — they select for a specific aesthetic rather than accepting everything. Prices are higher than thrift stores but lower than online luxury resale. Best for: discovering pieces you wouldn’t have found on your own and trying on before buying.
Thrift stores (Goodwill, Salvation Army, local charities): The least curated and cheapest option. Finding treasure requires time and persistence — expect to browse for an hour and come away with one or two items on a good day. Best for: the thrill of the hunt and genuinely low prices. Go on weekday mornings when restocked shelves haven’t been picked over yet.
Consignment stores: These sell items on behalf of their original owners and take a commission. Quality is typically higher than thrift stores because consignment shops reject damaged or low-quality items. Best for: contemporary designer and mid-range brands in good condition.
Estate sales and flea markets: The most unpredictable and potentially the most rewarding. Estate sales (listed on sites like EstateSales.net) sell the entire contents of a household, often including decades-old clothing in excellent condition. Flea markets reward early arrival and negotiation skills. Best for: true vintage and unique finds at negotiable prices.
How to Evaluate a Secondhand Garment
The single most important skill in vintage shopping is learning to evaluate a garment quickly and accurately:
Fabric content: Check the care label. Natural fibers (wool, cotton, silk, linen, cashmere) age better than synthetics and are worth more. A 100% cashmere sweater with minor pilling is a better find than a perfect-condition acrylic sweater. Synthetics from the 1970s and earlier often have interesting textures and patterns that compensate for the fabric quality.
Construction quality: Look at the seams — are they straight and finished, or are there loose threads? Check the buttons — are they securely attached? Examine the lining — is it intact? These details distinguish well-made garments that have years of life left from cheaply made ones that are already falling apart.
Condition issues to accept: Missing or loose buttons (a two-minute fix), minor stains that can be removed (test in an inconspicuous area first), hems that need to be taken up or let down (routine tailoring), and minor pilling on knits (a fabric shaver removes it in seconds). These issues deter other buyers but are trivially fixable.
Condition issues to avoid: Stains on silk (nearly impossible to remove without damaging the fabric), moth holes in wool (unless very small and in an inconspicuous area), stretched-out necklines or cuffs on knits (can’t be restored), broken zippers (replaceable but expensive), and any odor that indicates mold or mildew (can’t be reliably eliminated). Sizing alterations more than one or two sizes in either direction rarely look right.
The Measurement Secret
Vintage sizing bears almost no relationship to modern sizing. A 1960s size 12 might be equivalent to a modern size 6. The only reliable approach is to know your measurements and compare them to the garment’s measurements. Bring a small fabric tape measure when shopping in person.
The key measurements to know: Bust/chest (at the widest point), waist (at the narrowest point), hip (at the widest point), shoulder width (from shoulder joint to shoulder joint), and sleeve length (from shoulder joint to wrist). Write these down in your phone and reference them when shopping. Ask sellers for garment measurements when shopping online — most are happy to provide them.
How much ease you need: For a fitted garment, add 2.5-5cm (1-2 inches) to your body measurement. For a relaxed fit, add 5-10cm (2-4 inche
The Strategy
Go with a list. Vintage shopping is more effective when you’re hunting for specific items rather than browsing aimlessly. Keep a running list of pieces you want — a leather jacket, a silk scarf, a cashmere crewneck, a pair of wool trousers. This focus prevents impulse purchases of interesting pieces that don’t work with your existing wardrobe.
Check the rack for your fabric first. Rather than browsing by style, browse by fabric. Run your hand along the rack — when you feel wool, silk, cashmere, or linen, stop and examine. This technique is faster and more reliable than visual browsing, and it immediately filters for quality.
Buy the best version available, not the best version at the store. Just because a store’s selection is limited doesn’t mean you should buy a mediocre version of what you want. Be patient. The right piece will appear eventually. Settling for “close enough” leads to purchases you won’t wear.
Negotiate respectfully. At flea markets, estate sales, and some consignment stores, prices are negotiable. At curated vintage stores and online platforms, they generally aren’t. When negotiating, offer a specific price rather than asking “what’s your best price?” — and be prepared to walk away if the seller won’t meet it. The best negotiation technique is genuine willingness to not buy.
Vintage shopping rewards patience, persistence, and a willingness to dig. The payoff is a wardrobe with character, quality, and history — pieces that no one else has and that tell a story. That’s worth the effort.