Designer prices are too expensive, I can’t afford a $700 pair of shoes. Therefore, I buy my pieces through resale. In this installment I’ll tell you about all of the good websites and little known shops to visit. 

Poshmark (Posh) is a great app/website to use for reselling and buying designer items. I have purchased three pairs of shoes through Posh, and all of my transactions have gone seamlessly. It’s very easy to have conversations through the app about listings. I love the “report” feature and I use it quite frequently. I report fake designer items and then they go through a team of volunteers and paid employees for further consideration. As a seller you’re able to send private discounts to the “likers” of your listings, you’re able to set the price point as well as the shipping discount. 

Mercari is another app/website I’ve purchased shoes off of. I prefer Poshmark better, but Mercari is also very useful. Mercari is very similar to Posh in the way the app works, and how easy it is to use. One thing Mercari has that Posh doesn’t is the “saved searches” tab. It filters through the thousands of newly listings, and will send you a notification when items match your search terms. 

I don’t know who needs to hear this, but thrift shops are NOT consignment shops. They are two VERY different things. Thrift shops (Goodwill, Salvation Army, etc…) will take any donation (but don’t get me wrong, I get most of my solid tops from thrift shops), whereas consignment shops hand pick through what is being put up for sale and decide if they want it in the store or not. I shop at two consignment stores in Fenton (yes, I know there are three, but that’s a story for another day). Reflections Resale and My Sister and Me are the two I frequent. Both stores have friendly staff and affordable prices. I don’t have any complaints and highly recommend them both. 

I have a cousin who lives in Chicago and I go stay with her two or three times a year. We go shopping at some of the best little resale shops in the city. McShane’s Exchange, Elliott Consignment and Mercy Beaucoup Resale Boutique are a few. I’m always impressed with the amount of designer shoes at both McShane’s and Elliott Consignment. Elliott’s prices are (in my humble opinion) high, but the quality of the items is always impeccable and the owner is very nice. 

 A little tip before we part: Act fast. When an item you have been searching for is listed or you see it in a consignment shop at your price point, buy it. Chances are if it’s on your wishlist, it’s on someone else’s too. Remember to check back for the next installment of Amber’s All About Fashion. Au revoir!