Buying on The RealReal

To date I have spent $5,172.35 on The RealReal. It is by far my favorite preloved designer website & is a resource for the entire industry.

My very first purchase was on November 8th 2014. I purchased a pair of Rag & Bone Jeans, with tags, that I still wear, and the then uber trendy Jenni Kayne d’Orsay flats in snakeskin. I was instantly hooked.

Shopping The RealReal is not as simple as one may think, so lets get in to how to shop them effectively!

Step 1: Start Searching!

 

Let’s be totally honest here- The RealReal’s homepage and navigation is not the best. On their homepage they advertise different sales and curated categories, similar to a flash sale website like Gilt or Haute Look. The problem is there are SO many pages on here. Sure you can filter, but you’re only going to find specific products quickly in the curated categories.

The absolute BEST way to find the products you want is to search for what you are looking for. NOTE: you will need to search different terms because The RealReal uploads so many products that the names for the same product can be totally different. For example, let’s say you are looking for Stuart Weitzman Lowland Boots. When you search “Stuart Weitzman Lowland” only 40 results come up, BUT when you search “Stuart Weitzman Over the Knee Boots” 517 products come up- and in the very first row I see a pair of Lowlands that did not come up when I searched the actual name of the boot.

 

Step 2: Download the App & Set up Feeds

So now you know what you are looking for, and you found the best term to search for- are you going to search that term every day? NO WAY! You’re going to download the app and set up feeds which automatically search for you.

Step 3: Check Your Feeds

I would love to know the exact times The RealReal adds to new products to their site, but I typically check at 7am & 4pm PST. This is the time they send out emails and I have always had luck finding new products around these times of day.

The key to buying used designer items is you have to be willing to wait to find exactly what you are looking for. I have been tracking some terms for over a year & have yet to find exactly what I have been looking for. When you do find that perfect item, at that perfect price, the satisfaction is so much greater than purchasing an impulse buy!

 

The RealReal’s “First Look”

So you have your feeds set up and you’re checking them regularly. Now I bet you are wondering about The RealReal’s “First Look” thinking this may be a good way to get ahead of the curve and be notified of new products 24 hours before everyone else.

Personally I found The RealReal’s First Look to be a total bummer. I tested many times to see if I could see products 24 hours in advanced by signing out and using Chrome’s Incognito browser- not once could I see a difference in products on search. Yes the home page looked different but I am not sure search is updated for First Look users, and search is all you should care about on The RealReal.

My other gripe with the service is not once did I get a 24-hour advance wait list notification on my many waitlisted items. I am not sure if they fixed this issue or not.

Overall I do not recommend this service at all. If First Look Platinum had free shipping and free returns I would 100% sign up!

The RealReal Pros & Cons

Pros

• Reliable authentication– if you discover an item is not authentic they will allow for a return & a full refund
• Application Feeds– the #1 way to find items on The RealReal which is so easy & convenient
• AFFIRM!!– This is how I buy 90% of items on The RealReal. It is a very easy loan system that has super low interest
• Coupons– The RealReal almost always has a coupon code. While it is not valid on all items it is valid on many
• The ultimate resource for preloved designer items– The RealReal has one of the largest inventories of preloved designer products on the web. They keep “sold” products up for some time making it the ultimate resource for determining what price you should be paying for a used item

Cons

• Inconsistent naming conventions– The RealReal is not consistent with what they will call a product. This means you have to try many different search terms to ensure your search is capturing what you are looking for.
• Difficult Navigation/Home Page– I personally do not like shopping through their navigation, instead I recommend searching for what you are looking for
• Expensive Shipping/Returns– The RealReal does not offer free shipping or returns. This is obviously a huge bummer but you can justify paying shipping due to how much you can save by shopping here!
• First Look– This service has so much potential, but as it currently stands I do not see the value in signing up for First Look.

 

So there you have it! Comment below with any questions you may have about using The RealReal

Happy Hunting!