Oh, there’s nothing like the thrill of the chase. That adrenaline rush that only comes from the pursuit of the elusive, the legendary or the priceless (to you). Captain Ahab had his white whale, the knights had the holy grail – and I had a jumper.
It was a memorable jumper; cropped, collared and covered in peace signs, which I’d spied on Anne-Marie Duff in season one of Bad Sisters. While everyone else was reeling at the show’s twisty denouement, I was playing detective. It took me a year and a half of patient and increasingly creative searching (was it olive? Khaki? Spirulina green?), my heart leaping at every notification, before I finally scored the killer knit in my size.
To some it might sound like a lot of effort. But for the seasoned secondhand shopper, it’s that high that keeps us treasure hunting; a hit of pure dopamine far more satisfying than the quick fix of an impulse buy. And where once our only option was sharpening our elbows and physically trawling the racks at vintage stores and charity shops, the new generation of secondhand shopping apps such as Vinted have made it infinitely easier to track down the object of our heart’s desire – whether that’s a sold-out cult item, a luxury label we couldn’t afford to buy new, or a piece of prime vintage that deserves a new lease of life.
“It’s all about the hunt,” says Sophie Benson, fashion journalist and author of Sustainable Wardrobe. “I waited years to find my turquoise cowboy boots on Vinted, and I appreciate them so much more than anything I’ve ever just grabbed off a shelf or a rail. And of course, if you’re willing to wait that long to find something, you know you truly want it. It’s the antithesis of an impulse buy.”
But how do we go about striking gold? One of the things I hear often from reluctant thrifters, while they admire my trophy dress or £15 leather knee-high boots, is that I’m “lucky” to have as much success as I do shopping secondhand. And while it’s true that fate and destiny play their part, I’d like to think savvy – and a little bit of patience – have a lot more to do with it. (Actually what I’d like to think is that my Vinted habit constitutes … sport?).
Because if good things come to those who wait, then they also come to those who do their homework.
“I often search for pieces based on what I see fashion creators wearing,” says Bianca Foley, founder and editor-in-chief of Sustainably Influenced. If a brand name isn’t tagged, she turns sleuth and searches with a description of the product. “My favourite recent finds have been a butter yellow satin gown that I’m saving for New Year’s Eve, a pair of leather slingbacks and a gorgeous grey dress that is very ‘corpcore chic’.”
Meanwhile, when it comes to vintage, a little swotting up on fashion history can pay dividends. Rather than just searching “checked dress” and wading through the resulting sea of gingham, it helps to be hyper-specific and pinpoint the era, the fabric (you can filter by material when you search), the cut or even the designer that you like, for more tailored results. When, while hunting for alternative maternity wear a couple of years ago, I became haunted by the memory of a 1970s seersucker Saybury house dress that I’d left behind in an LA flea market, Vinted came up with the goods faster than I could say, well, “70s seersucker Saybury house dress”.
Which is not to say you can’t go window shopping too. My friend Amy, a video game producer and something of a Vinted grand master, advises going on a regular “favouriting spree”, browsing brands and sellers that you’ve bought from in the past and bestowing a heart on anything you like – even if you don’t intend to buy it right now. “This has a few benefits,” she says. “In my experience, sellers will often make you a cheaper offer – and if something you like is reduced in price, you get a notification for it. It also means my Favourites folder is a huge repository of things I know I like. So if I need, for example, a new top or a party dress, I have a first place to look.
“But most importantly, I find favouriting trains the Vinted algorithm for you,” says Amy. “It starts to recognise brands, colours and even styles you like, and serves them in your Recommended for you section. Eventually you will end up with a whole selection of clothes you really like, every time you open the app.”
Personally, I find shopping off-season can be a winner because there’s less competition for those star pieces – so it pays to think about coats in the height of summer, or sunglasses when there’s snow on the ground. And it helps to remember that sellers are only human, too – because if you catch them at the right time, they might be open to offers on price, especially if their item has been listed for a while.
“To find good deals, I sort by ‘newest first’ and then scroll to the end and start backwards – I find that with older pieces you have a bit more bargaining power,” says Izzy Manuel, creator and co-host of slow fashion podcast Spill the Sustainabili-Tea. “And use keywords, such as ‘vintage’ or ‘real leather’ to track down heritage items.”
These tactics have scored her, among other gems, a pair of designer heels for £8, and an “it” bag worth thousands for £150. (For spendier purchases, consider using Vinted’s Item Verification Service to make sure they’re legit – this involves paying a bit extra to have the item checked for authenticity by Vinted’s experts before it lands with you).
But mostly, says Manuel, it’s all about patience. “Never ever rush, because when you rush you just end up with items that are ‘almost’ right.”
Vinted came up with the goods faster than I could say ‘70s seersucker Saybury house dress’
Lastly, there’s the question of self-knowledge. After all, true success isn’t measured by a garment’s original RRP, but by how much we love it and how well it serves our wardrobes. So, before you get click-happy, interrogate that purchase. Use the Ask seller button to request measurements, further photos or even descriptions of the way the fabric feels, to get a sense of how compatible you are. Then ask yourself: do I only want this because it’s a cult item, or will I love it long after the hype dies down?
Because the best thing about those long-awaited, pined-for pieces is that they come pre-loaded with emotional investment. There’s personal history already woven into their seams.
Oh, you like my green jumper? Settle in, there’s a story to tell.
From cult pieces to rare gems – want it? Find it on Vinted
Photography: Phill Taylor/The Guardian. Hair and makeup: Bethany Anderson. Prop stylist: Zan Morley
