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!
KEEP READING: All My Designer Clothes Are From Xianyu, China’s Leading Secondhand Shopping App
Images: Mina Yan
