Hello out there, friends - I hope the times are treating you well! I wanted to take the opportunity today to talk about something that is very near and dear to our hearts: shifting shopping habits to local and secondhand.

There are many reasons to do so, including reducing our reliance on fast fashion, keeping clothes out of landfills, reducing pressure we put on delicate ecosystems, etc, so if this is something you have been considering or working towards, hopefully, you will find these tips helpful!

Here is how I have been making the change:

I have a confession: I LOVE a good sale: Zara’s annual summer sale, or JCrew’s holiday sale, they got me EVERY time. I would scroll endlessly on the Zara app or on JCrew’s website when they would have these really good sales. But as I’ve been shifting my shopping habits and voting with my dollar, instead of scrolling endlessly on a fast fashion site, find a few good secondhand e-tailers that you like, and just scroll endlessly through their inventory. I do this every Sunday when The Back Rack posts new stuff. Some others I like: Ludlow Shop, Dina’s Days, Personal Space Living (@personalspaceliving on instagram), The NXC Vintage, Playground, The Other Elizabeth Vintage, Cameo Appearance Vintage and so many more.

Not ready to make the jump to secondhand, find a few local businesses you like, and scroll on their sites. One of the best things about Covid is that a lot of businesses responded by either going online with merch for the first time, or enhancing their online presence. So it’s been a win-win (for me, at least; not so much my wallet). In NE Ohio, some of my favorites are Maplewood Boutique,  Jean+Lou, The Gardner of Bath and Abby and Jay Boutique, among a bunch of others, but I bet wherever you are, there are lots of great local shops with amazing online inventory.

I kicked us off with online local and secondhand shopping because TBH, since Covid hit, I’ve been a big scaredy cat about going out and shopping in public (I haven’t been thrifting in person in over 6 months, and it’s really eating at me). So if you aren’t a big scaredy cat, and are OK shopping in person, then why not try a consignment shop or curated vintage boutique? Northside Cellar in Akron has a mix of new and secondhand goods. They have an adorable shop and are usually either baking something yummy to share with their customers, or reviewing something new to add to their inventory. The Blue Boutique in Downtown Akron is a curated Goodwill Boutique. If you aren’t into the whole “treasure hunt” aspect of thrifting, Blue Boutique is a great alternative to the normal Goodwill store, plus it has that cute, boutique vibe AND is downtown (I’m sure the construction will be done soon).

Finally (for now), If you are looking for something SUPER specific, might I suggest a resale app? Poshmark, ThredUp, DePop and Mercari are all good options. Resellers list items and you can search however you’d like! Another option is eBay. I haven’t shopped on the site/app in a few years, but I remember not having to bid on the item I wanted. So that was a nice change of pace (I thought). I was looking for “A Bear Hug From™..” sweatshirts for holiday gifts and found EXACTLY what I wanted. And if you are looking for that thrift experience from the comfort of your own home, might I suggest searching “wholesale” or “clothing lots” within secondhand seller apps or on eBay. This means a seller will send you a random assortment of secondhand goods for you to sort through at your leisure (and in the comfort of your own home). I did this search recently on eBay, and while I haven’t moved forward with a purchase yet, the results were very enticing.

Sellers I like on DePop: @buttonbabe, @tinamora, @dustyrosevintage, @grungebear, @wellhelloshayy, @shopthesweetestchill, @shopseberg, @katharineelizabeth

Sellers I like on Poshmark: @shopdinasdays, @Froplusfashion, @glamandgrace, @nicolahearts, @yourclosetrx, @sarahhelenmarie

Are there tips you would share for making the shift to secondhand or local shopping? Share them in the comments!

_Abby