Many of us are sitting on cute clothes we never wear—or love thrifting but already have closets bursting at the seams.
Starting a thrifting business on Instagram is one of the easiest ways to turn those pieces into cash, while also keeping clothes out of landfills.
No storefront, no pressure.
Just like @kickin_thrifts and so many others, you can build a little side hustle (or full hustle 👀) straight from your phone.
Here’s exactly how to start your own thrift business—step by step (6 total):
1. Make a New Instagram Account
Choose a fun name that feels like you. It could be your name, your vibe, or just something thrift-y.
🛍 Our Example: @kickin_thrifts
No need to overthink it — you can always change it later.
2. Post What You Already Own
Start with pieces from your own closet—anything you haven’t worn in months or no longer love. You don’t need a huge inventory to begin.
If you want to go thrifting, set a small budget. What cool things can you find for $20?
Take a picture of the item, draft a caption, and post it on your thrift page.
📸 Tips for listing:
- Use natural lighting
- Try-on pics or flat lays work best
- Mention size, fit, brand (if you know it), and any flaws
- Set a starting bid (what’s the lowest you’d let it go for?)
- Set a time limit (most bidding windows last one to two days max)
- Add a BIN (Buy It Now) price for folks who don’t want to wait
- Say if shipping is included or separate.
Not sure how much to charge for shipping?
Click here
📌 Example caption:
“Waffle knit top 🤎 Bidding starts at $8 + shipping | BIN for $30 | Size M | Fits true to size | Worn once | Comment to claim!”
The key is to keep it simple, honest, and easy for people to claim. Most buyers want the info quickly—price, size, and how to claim.
3. Set Up Your Links (for Payments + Shipping)
Use something like Linktree to keep everything in one spot. Add:
- How people can pay you (Venmo, PayPal, etc.)
- Your Thryft Ship link for shipping (so people can send you their address)
Thryft Ship helps you get discounted USPS labels and automatically sends tracking emails. So clutch.
4. Get the Word Out
Tell people about your new page!
- Post on your main account
- Ask friends to share
- Follow other thrifting pages and comment on their posts
- Do “SFS” (shoutout for shoutout) with similar sellers
👯♀️ Thrifting Instagram is super community-driven — people support each other a lot!
5. You Got a Sale — Now What?
When someone claims an item:
- DM them to confirm the total and how to pay
- Once they pay, collect their shipping info
(Thryft Ship makes this part easy) - Print the label, pack the item, and drop it off at USPS
(or schedule a free pickup through USPS)
✂️ Don’t have packing supplies? No worries —
Use old Amazon boxes, grocery bags turned inside out, even cereal boxes. Do what you gotta do.
6. Set Your Shop Rules (Over Time)
Once you’ve got a rhythm, start adding policies:
- How much you charge for shipping
- If you accept returns
- How long someone can “hold” an item
- Where you’re willing to ship
But don’t stress about all that in the beginning. Just start posting.
Final Words
Don’t wait for the “perfect” time.
Your first few posts won’t be perfect—and that’s fine. Just be consistent, be kind, and have fun with it. It only takes one post to say you’ve started your thrift business on Instagram.
If you want more help, message us on Instagram @thryftship and we’ll send you all the links and resources to get started.
