Shopping resale and vintage clothing has become more and more popular [1] with each passing year. Not only does it give you nearly unfettered access to one-of-a-kind jewels, past designer collections no longer in stores, and the closets of some of the chicest women you've never met, but it's also a more sustainable way to shop.

It is, quite literally, the embodiment of the saying "one person's trash is another's treasure." In a newly released survey conducted by resale company Vestiaire Collective [2], 73 percent of respondents said that they "go to the platform looking for desirable pieces they can't find elsewhere and their friends won't have," while a whopping 97 percent said that they "shop pre-owned as they are looking for value for money and good deals."

What's more, the merchandise selection is killer. Finding that special something becomes almost like a game — especially as you sell from your own closet to finance your style-loving habits. Hence why The RealReal has taken on the slogan "I shop, therefore I consign." Ahead, find the best places to buy (and sell!) vintage pieces and exactly how to go about the process.

Additional reporting by Laura Lajiness and Kara Kia

Vestiaire Collective

Vestiaire Collective [3] offers a wide selection of both vintage and current-market resale. The company is unique in that the seller is responsible for creating their own listing (and keeps their item until it's sold), but the item and pricing have to be accepted by Vestiaire before the listing goes live. Additionally, for buyers' peace of mind, sold items are first shipped to the company for authentication before they are passed along to the winning bidder.

Re-SEE

Based in Paris, Re-SEE [4] is heavily curated and presented in a more editorial way than many of their competitors. The company collects sellers' merchandise to authenticate, shoot on their own models, and clean if needed. As such, buyers have the opportunity to see each piece of clothing as it would fit. What's more, if the piece is from an actual runway collection, Re-SEE often includes an image of the originally styled look from the designer's show.

Depop

Depop [5] empowers users to buy, sell, and discover unique clothing and accessories from around the world. It's a global marketplace that's accessible through the Depop app — think Ebay or Etsy, but cooler. Buyers can search for anything from vintage pieces to contemporary fashion, and one-of-a-kind finds. Sellers can set up a shop, manage their own stock, and make bank while clearing our their wardrobe.

By Rotation

By Rotation [6] is a peer-to-peer fashion rental app made to reduce, reuse, and recycle your wardrobe — think the AirBnB of fashion rental. Lenders can set up a profile, photograph their own pieces, and have full flexibility on pricing, rental periods, and discounts. Once the transaction between lender and renter is complete, lenders are paid within 5-7 business days — making an average of 10% of the retail price. By Rotation also offers a rental management service, if you don't have the time to handle your stock directly.

The RealReal

The RealReal [7] is one of the most well-known and highly trafficked resale sites today — and for good reason. The items are priced to sell, and the company offers concierge services for sellers to make the process of closet clean-out as painless as possible. As a seller, you can submit individual items for review, or — if you're looking to rid yourself of a higher volume of pieces — have a stylist come to your home to help you sort through every inch of your closet. As for buyers, the company offers some of the most competitive prices for the largest design houses in the world.