From the thrill of finding vintage pieces to having affordable access to designer heritage brands, online thrift shopping has become easier with the “mine” system.
Related: These Online Shops Are Where You Can Get Curated Vintage Pieces From
Over the past year, thrifting has gone from their grandma-type-of-shopping status to having a cult fashion following. Even during the pandemic, online thrift stores are popping up from feed to feed, offering one-of-a-kind items at affordable prices. While both physical and online thrifting target the same market, there’s a huge difference in the consumers’ buying behavior.
With physical stores a customer can try the clothes on, feel its fabric, and compare it side by side but if you’re just online, scrolling through numerous products with only a picture to tell them apart can get old very fast. A reason why the “Mine, Steal, Grab” buying process was born to make online thrifting efficient without losing the excitement. In this process shoppers only need to comment either “mine” to reserve an item, “steal” to take away the reservation of the first buyer, or “grab” to purchase it automatically with the highest price.
Here are 4 reasons why shoppers and sellers have been loving the system:
1. Each collection is specifically curated
With more than 25 million businesses actively using Instagram to market to their target audience, shopping online can be overwhelming. But with shops that practice the “mine” system, they curate specific collections.
Whether it be an all-denim or summer linen collection, they post a preview of their collection first and announce the date and time of release to attract specific consumers. For shoppers, this means you’ll be able to decide if you want to stay tuned in or not, and if you do decide that the collection is for you, you can already list down your picks.
2. It makes the item much more special
Not only does shopping vintage maintain individualism, but with the “mine” system, it brings back the thrill of fighting for that one-of-a-kind piece that you know no one else will be wearing. It’s similar to attending an auction where items can be gone in a matter of seconds, so if you get to score an item, it’s more rewarding.
3. Less time to sell, less time to shop
Everything is sorted out, clear photos are attached, the details from size to flaws are mentioned and a purchase can be made with just one commen—what more can you ask for? Because the stores only post once the item becomes available, it also protects sellers from bogus buyers. If the person who commented “grab” doesn’t push through, it automatically goes to the shopper who commented “steal” and so forth.
4. It promotes conscious shopping
When each item is only one stock, the risk of impulse buying can be real. But with the “mine” system where consumers must pre-prepare their picks for the release, it forces them to be conscious shoppers.
It’s cost-effective, favors quality over quantity, and since everybody has an equal chance, it avoids consumers hoarding items and sellers don’t end up with excessive stocks.
