Have You Ever Shopped on Instagram?

I had never thought of Instagram as a platform to buy, sell, or trade clothing. I came across a few clothing boutiques/shops browsing with my personal IG account about five or six months ago and happened to buy a few vintage pieces I loved from a blogger and YouTuber I follow. Her name is Katie, and her blog is called Thrift Your Heart Out. She's a thrifter after my own heart. She ended up closing her shop, since she didn't have a lot of storage space in her new apartment. 

Once I realized that there was a whole community of buyers, sellers, and traders on IG, I decided for myself that this might be something fun that I'd like to do as a hobby.

Right before the start of summer, I opened my own IG shop called @Hollyssecondhobby. In my shop I sell new and gently used clothes, accessories, and shoes from my own closet and great deals that I have found shopping in retail stores and thrifting. Everything I sell is in excellent to very good new to gently used condition. I don't sell anything I wouldn't be proud to wear myself, and I have high standards!

Screenshot of my store's homepage

I love showcasing my items for sale as outfits in the pictures in my shop. I pair them with items that I have in my closet. Here are a few of the first items I posted in the shop:

Shorts were for sale

Knit vest was for sale

Skirt was for sale

One of my first sold items

My post office ladies know me, my profession, my husband, my husband's profession, that my husband was in a movie, my sister, and they love Bjorn's new look :) I <3 them!!

It has been a super fun 4 months! I have met the sweetest women and made some great friends. I have started my own little business, and I get to share my love for fashion with others! Over the course of this 4 month period, I have sold 97 items and traded 9. I have learned along the way about shipping items, negotiating, and I love interacting with my customers!

Instagram is a great place to find one-of-a-kind pieces for great prices! There are tons of vintage items available. If you love vintage, you know how painstaking it can be to scour racks looking for great pieces in great condition. Many of these ladies with IG shops already do the work for you! Many prices include shipping, so you can see how much you're paying up front. The community is so friendly; you can always ask questions about measurements, condition, and material of a product. 




Tips:

• Read the shop's store policy before you purchase! Not all of us have the same policies. For example, some stores include shipping in their prices, some don't. 

• Always pay with paypal and make sure you get an invoice from the seller. Some stores accept concealed cash, where a buyer will send their payment in an envelope to you through the mail. I admittedly have accepted concealed cash in two circumstances, but I do not do this on a regular basis. You never know, but concealed cash could get lost in the mail or stolen.

•  It is extremely easy to set up a PayPal account if you don't already have one. I usually ask the seller to send me an invoice and do not pay for anything "gifted" unless I know the seller. I like to get an invoice to have a record of what I'm paying for just in case something gets lost in the mail or I need to contact PayPal for any reason.

• Search hashtags. Many shops use the labels #shopmycloset #instashop #igshop #instaboutique. Or if you're looking for something in particular, you can search a brand or item as a hashtag.

• If you find a shop that you like, look at the accounts or shops that they follow. Chances are that they also buy items on IG too! I know I do! You may find something else that you like as well.

• Many of us shops post new items in chunks or multiple items at one time. We try to space them out so that they are not bombarding your feed at one time. If you would prefer not to follow many shops and have multiple posts once a week or once every few weeks show up in your feed, then make a list of your favorite shops and visit them when you are looking to purchase something new!

• Most items and prices are negotiable unless otherwise stated. Just remember that most shops spend money on cute packaging materials and don't forget to include shipping costs into your item when you negotiate. Shipping for items in my store can range from $1.50-$10 and up depending on the weight of an items and tracking is not always included (depending on how you ship). Tracking adds another $1.02, but most of us shop owners add it to protect your purchase. 

• If you ask a question or comment on a shop's post, please make sure you eventually comment back. Most of us do this as a side hobby and have full-time jobs. It's okay to change your mind! Just let us know! Sometimes we have other customers waiting to get the same item you inquired about, and we just need to know if you're still interested or not to move on to the next person in line.

I definitely suggest checking out items on IG! Just don't forget to ask questions to make sure you're purchasing the item you want because most shops have a no return or exchange policy.

To come: 

My Favorite Bought and Traded Pieces

My Favorite IG Shops

If you do try out IG shopping or have in the past, let me know! I'd love to hear if you have!

Love and happiness <3 Holly