How To Beat The RealReal (From A Former Employee)

TRR Search Tutorial + Best Picks For Summer <$100

I moved to New York in August 2019 to finish my undergrad degree and pursue a career in the fashion industry (💪). I was (and remain) entirely committed to this endeavor, having emailed every retail store I thought was cool prior to my arrival with my very eager resume and personalized cover letters, presenting myself as available for a job, even if they weren’t hiring.

I lucked out with a role as a Retail Consignment Specialist at The RealReal, which I understand is now called something entirely different. Also, these were the days pre-uniform, when you could wear anything you wanted, which, in retrospect, gives me the chills to think about, considering I wore lingerie as clothing to work more than once (I was very into slip dresses at this time in my life). Essentially, my cohort and I were the inaugural team responsible for processing in-store consignment drop-offs.

Despite living in SoHo, they placed me at the Upper East Side location (they saw the vision before I did… only a few years later I landed as a resident of UES and never intend to leave). The decision was likely due to my charm with the Ladies Who Lunch and a stronger affinity for The Row and fine jewelry than the SoHo store’s streetwear-leaning vibe (it was 2019!!).

That said, the Upper East Side drop-offs could get kinda slow. Yes, some days we were back-to-back processing dropoffs from housekeepers, nannies, bored women who’d show up three times a week with one piece at a time just for something to do, and the occasional “I think I recognize this last name…” type, usually reluctant to share much personal information for our bookkeeping efforts. But some days, I had ample time to scroll.

These efforts and the extra time on my hands led me to spend a significant amount of time “familiarizing” myself with the current inventory on TRR’s website. In the process, I picked up some well-serving habits as a bargain shopper who values high-quality fabrics and design for under $100.