I must admit that I was a little reluctant to write this post. I’ve found a few good ways to score The RealReal bargains, and now I am tempted to keep them to myself 🙂 But for the benefit of our dear readers, I’m going to share a few tips I learned during recent product hunts. Shhhhhh…. don’t tell anyone else….we don’t need the shopping competition.
For those who aren’t familiar, The RealReal is a luxury resale shopping site. People like you and me essentially consign their stuff to The RealReal, which prices, sells, and ships the items to buyers. They send the seller a cut of the price. There is a focus on “luxury” brands, and the company won’t hesitate to turn away something they don’t want- either because it’s not “luxury” or it’s in bad condition.
They also authenticate all their items, so you have a better chance of getting the real thing than you might on ebay.
I recently shopped on the The RealReal for a few items- a birthday present for Kate, a Smythson agenda, and a Louis Vuitton agenda- and picked up a few tips for finding a The RealReal bargain.
Get smart and knowledgeable about what you are looking for
My tips are particularly useful if you have a very precise idea of what you want. This means doing a fair amount of research- both on shopping sites and with fellow shoppers who may have reviewed or covered your coveted item.
Places to do some research:
- The original brand website/distributor (e.g. Smythson)
- eBay
- Other reseller sites- both higher end and lower end (e.g. Fashionphile, Poshmark, Mercari)
- YouTubers and bloggers who cover the product
What you want to learn:
- General availability and pricing of the item
- What the brand “calls” the item (e.g. the Mara Duke’s organizer from Smythson) vs what someone less knowledgeable might call it (e.g. A5 leather agenda)- this will help with more detailed and less detailed searches- both will help you find a pricing anomaly
- Dimensions, color, materials- the specifics of what you want, will accept
- Whether another site (other than The RealReal) really has no idea what they have and is pricing something absurdly low
You will soon know more about the item and its current and resale pricing of than the person pricing it at The RealReal. This can cut both ways- it means that sometimes things will be underpriced, and sometimes they will be wildly overpriced. For example, The RealReal does a pretty lousy job pricing high end fountain pens. But I only know that because I am getting more familiar with the market.
In my recent case, The RealReal had my item listed twice- but at two different prices. I am guessing that the two items were priced by different people- one who knew the value (compared to what it was selling elsewhere) a lot better than the other person. The item name was also different; the more expensive item was listed with the official designation. The bargain was named something very generic. The average person searching might find one and not the other. By recognizing this discrepancy (because I knew the item’s details very well), I saved $200 on Kate’s birthday present. Just don’t tell her 🙂
It helps if you aren’t looking for a top selling item/brand
If you are looking for the latest Louis Vuitton handbag or an out-of-stock/hard to find item (as I recently was), your chances of scoring a The RealReal bargain diminish considerably. Ditto with something that they sell frequently- popular jewelry items like Tiffany earrings. They know what the item is (they already have 3-4 of the same thing in stock) and they know what it will sell for.
But if it’s a brand or item that is a bit more niche, you have a decent chance of stumbling on a pricing anomaly. Smythson and Louis Vuitton both sell leather goods- guess which one more people have heard of? And guess where there are more The RealReal bargains to be found?
Read the description VERY carefully
… and measure. Do not trust your sense of sizes. If you are anything like me, you sense of 4×6 vs. 5×7 is not great. Compare the dimensions to something you already have- a sweater, pair of pants, notebook. It will help you get a relative sense of the size- and stop you from making a purchasing mistake.
A careful reading of the condition of the item can sometimes reveal why the same item is priced differently at the same time. An item in “excellent” condition is going to (generally) be more expensive than one that is “good.”
Set up alerts, sign up for waitlists, monitor sales
Sometimes, speed or patience is what will help you win the day. Set up alerts for items you have been eyeing. When something you like is sold, add your name to the waitlist. Sometimes things get returned. And The RealReal frequently runs 10% off sales that can help you score a deal.
Finally, don’t hesitate when you’ve found a bargain
Bargains don’t last long at The RealReal (or on ebay for that matter.) If you snooze, you lose. Of course, don’t buy things willy nilly that you don’t need. But once you’ve found a bargain, hit the buy button. It likely won’t last long. Consider yourself a winner and move on.
Have you found any bargains on The RealReal or elsewhere? Any tips you’d like to share with the rest of us? 🙂 Tell us in the comments!
