I’ve never really been into buying second-hand clothing and apparel until recently. I don’t know why, but sorting through unorganized racks of clothes stresses me out a bit. But, my colleague Vivienne Tseng-Rush kept on showing up to work in beautiful pieces that she found on Xianyu, a second-hand app that sells virtually everything. If you’re not familiar with the app, click here for a step-by-step guide on how to use it.

So, needless to say, after seeing her in her Xianyu finds, I was increasingly tempted to explore the second-hand world for myself.

And let me tell you, that world was blown wide open while scrolling through Douyin, when I came across an ad for a new app called 红布林 hongbulin. Much like Xianyu, it specializes in second-hand items, however, hongbulin has cornered the luxury goods market. Not only that, everything on the site is authenticated by professionals so you know you’re purchasing the real deal and not a knockoff. They’ve also taken the time to photograph every little defect on an item so you know exactly what you’re getting.

The interface functions like any other online shopping app and it’s easy enough to use, even if you don’t read Chinese like me. Moreover, each category has a picture and brand names can be searched in English.

Over the past few weeks, I’ve found myself scrolling through hongbulin at night and adding finds to my shopping cart. A Louis Vuitton Alma Bag that was originally RMB 19,890 for RMB 3,628, and an RMB 100,320 Hermes Birkin selling for RMB 57,588 were just two of the many, many bags I was tempted by.

For my first purchase, I settled on a white Louis Vuitton Totally bag that originally goes for RMB 11,870, and was selling at RMB 3,408. It arrived within the week, complete with an authentication verification tag attached, and the quality was exactly how they showed it online. Yay!

If you’re curious and eager to find some hidden treasures from the comfort of your home, hongbulin is a rabbit hole that’s just waiting for you to fall down into.

Happy holidays and enjoy your shopping!

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Images: Mina Yan

Secondhand clothes? You might be balking at the idea right now, and maybe feeling a little itchy from imaginary cooties, but how does the idea of paying USD 20 for authentic Lululemon leggings sound? Because to me, it sounds pretty good, and totally worth the small, vaguely possible, risks of secondhand shopping.

Firstly, an introduction is in order. You know Taobao, but do you know about its sister app, dedicated to secondhand shopping, called 闲鱼 Xianyu? The name itself is curious enough, as it translates to Bored Fish, but it catches on quick. I suppose if I’m a bored fish, then I’m glad that Beijing is a huge shopping pond with truly diverse offerings. As of today, I have made 174 purchases on Xianyu, from my kid’s Balenciaga shoes (one-sixth the retail price, worn once indoors, and in practically new condition) to the Linksys router that provides WiFi in my house (mint condition with box) and my dog’s Westpaw chew toys (brand new from a closing-down pet store). When my neighbor’s US Xbox power adapter went kaput here, I went on Xianyu and bought one for RMB 50 (as opposed to RMB 150 on Taobao), which they received within three days.

If the shopping experience sounds as seamless as it does on Taobao, it truly is. But I hear your questions, so let’s start with the one I get most often – How do you know it’s authentic? The short answer is I don’t, not really. But I know what I’m willing to pay for. I have discovered that generally, people don’t really want to lie and cheat you, not for a few bucks anyway. Most sellers will say the item is authentic, or that they don’t know, or avoid the issue altogether. In the case of the latter, they usually declare that the item is from the same factory as the “real” goods, and may concede that it was rejected for manufacturer’s defects, akin to the goods that end up at outlet malls. In such cases, if they weren’t already provided, I may ask for photographs of the defects and then decide if I’m willing to accept them for the price.

The Don’ts

On Xianyu, I’m looking for secondhand goods, not cheap knockoffs. No worries if you are, however, because there are plenty available, though I would rather go to The Pearl where I can try on the goods myself if cheap is what I’m going for. If you are after truly authentic secondhand goods, then you’ll want to avoid the sellers who list the same item in multiple colors, or with multiple listings of the same item, which is highly unlikely to be secondhand and much more likely to be knockoffs.

The Dos

I’ve shopped on secondhand apps since my child was born (he’s 6 now), and the secret to my success is knowing exactly what I’m looking for. I search for a specific brand in a size that I already know I fit, for example, “Patagonia female winter jacket M” will definitely whittle my search to only tens of items rather than hundreds of Patagonia goods. The more details the better: materials such as “goose-down” or a specific model, “Fall collection 2020,” or even a specific color will all help narrow your search to better target your shopping.

Personally, part of the reason I shop secondhand is also to mitigate the environmental impact of retail shopping. Thus, it only makes sense that I also try to avoid the heavy carbon footprint of shipping, which I accomplish by setting my search parameters on Xianyu to within Beijing. Follow the steps in the photo below to do the same!

Pro Tip: To minimize costs, I like to check for free shipping, which is generally the case for most items, even when they’re shipped from beyond Beijing. Here’s how to check if shipping is free for your item. 

When you’ve found an item you like, save it by clicking the star button on the bottom, which puts it into your list for later. Plus, check the seller’s other listings for more items you may also like, as you could ask for combined shipping or a discount for more items! You can do this by clicking on the seller’s profile photo. After you’ve discovered a seller you really like, you could also follow them by clicking the large yellow button with the plus sign on their main page.

Yes, there is the caveat that Xianyu operates entirely in Chinese with no easy option for translation. But truthfully, once I find what I’m looking for, I click the red Buy Now button, pay with Alipay, and voila, a package arrives at my doorstep within days. Sometimes, I’ve had to give the item away because it didn’t fit the way I wanted it to, but my success rate is way higher than the disappointments. Also, the successes have been so satisfying because of the money I saved, and more importantly, the resources I didn’t use or the human capital I didn’t incur from buying new.

I’m happy to help you navigate Xianyu to make your secondhand shopping journey a little easier! Just scan the QR code below to be added to the Xianyu Xperts group.

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Images: Unsplash, Vivienne Tseng-Rush