3 Very Summer-Specific Things I’m Currently Scouring Vinted For

I can’t remember how, when, or why I first started using the Vinted app, but after my first purchase, it was love at first sight. I have bought everything and anything from Vinted, from my favorite overpriced lace bra and early 2000s throw pillow shams from Zara Home to cotton t-shirts for my 2-year-old, 1970s raffia bags from the French countryside, and barely used Prada oval sunglasses.

Vinted feels like the best items at any flea market, outdoor market, or second-hand shop you’ve ever been to, combined into one shopping place. And if you are in Europe, you have access to some of the best of the best of the BEST Made in Italy, Made in France, and Made in Spain products from the heyday.

When you first log in to Vinted, your feed will feel flat, and you may think, “Where is all the magic these people claim there is?” Once you train your algorithm a bit, each time you enter the app, your newsfeed will present you with items you never thought could or would exist. But they do, thanks to the Vinted Gods, for a price that feels illegal (in a good way).

Some Vinted tips, as someone who scrolls daily

1. Search in Italian, French, or Spanish: This is my number one tip as someone who is a mother-tongue English speaker and automatically searches in English. If you’re lucky to be in the “European” Vinted network (which includes France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Germany, Austria, Belgium, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands), I’ve found that searching in different languages yields the best results.

For example, when I was searching for the perfect straw bag, I would search borsa di paglia vintage, borsa rafia vintage, or sac en raphia vintage.

2. Utilize the image search function: Unlike TheRealReal, Vestiaire, or even eBay, the image search function Vinted has recently added is a game changer. That perfect vintage golden shawl you saved 5 years ago on Pinterest? Take a screenshot and use image search. Those Zara mules you wish you bought during the summer sale three years ago? Image search on Vinted. Odds are 99% of the time that item or a similar item will be there.

3. Always browse the seller’s closet: Especially if you found a vintage knickknack or item you absolutely love, odds are the seller has an entire closet of other vintage items you can bundle and get a discount on.

4. Don’t be afraid to offer a lower price: I always used to be afraid to offer a lower price when I wanted to purchase an item. Turns out after selling myself, I’ve never sold an item for the original listing price. Everyone offers lower prices, and that’s the fun of the game.

5. There will be many brands you don’t recognize, those are often the best items: Instead of fixating on name brands per se (unless you’re after a 2012 Chanel bag), focus on fabrication instead.

Items I am obsessively searching for this summer

Since I am so obsessed with the platform and truly believe that if the world is our oyster, then Vinted is part of it, I thought I would share, season by season, some super-specific items I am coveting and have saved that are worth the barter!

P.S. If you’re in Europe this summer for an extended period of time and don’t have access to Vinted elsewhere (UK or USA), definitely take a browse.

Coral & Turquoise Jewelry

I love anything vintage coral beads, chunky turquoise necklaces, shell earrings, and 1980s Mediterranean jewelry, and since I live in Italy, it makes complete sense. Walk into almost any jewelry shop in Italy, especially along coastal cities like Naples whose surrounding regions were major coral trade and craft centers in the 1800s, and you’ll find coral charms, carved brooches, turquoise bead necklaces, and bracelets, both vintage and newly made. Coral has been part of the Italian jewelry-making scene for centuries, where red Mediterranean coral was harvested along the coastlines of the Peninsula .

I have collected so many special, micro-beaded coral necklaces from 4th-generation jewelry shop Salvio in Naples, but I still love love scrolling because there are SO many unique pieces.

Plastic Frame Clutch Purses

I’ve become completely obsessed with these little Italian plastic-framed purses from the ’60s and ’70s ever since I spotted one at a market a few months ago. In six years of flea markets and vintage shops, it was the first one I had ever seen in person. Since then, I’ve only found one more. Curious, the seller told me these types of bags were everywhere in Italy during the ’60s and ’70s, when molded plastic frames became a cheaper alternative to traditional metal hardware. Around the same time, glossy PVC-coated fabrics became incredibly popular too, especially for cosmetic bags that could be easily cleaned, and really took off.

On Vinted, I’ve found millions of styles. Some purses are made from buttery leather, others from raffia, satin, floral cotton coated in glossy PVC, or printed tapestry fabrics. Though, the common thread of these vintage bags is that they all share the same “kiss-lock” frame, usually in black or tortoiseshell.

Use them as summer clutches, coin purses, pill cases, or an on-the-go makeup bag.

Food-themed Figural Ceramics

I first came across an asparagus serving platter a few months ago and never received so many compliments on a piece I’ve found at a market. Since then, I’ve bought a lime-green ombré fish plate and a tomato soup dish. Above are some favorites I’ve found on Vinted that would be such a cute addition to someone’s home this summer (and fall, winter, spring). What better way to add pops of color and conversation to a table than with pieces like this? Especially during outdoor patio season, hosting dinners at home, and long aperitivo evenings with friends, family, and lovers.

I hope you enjoyed this type of theme!!

Xxx