5 Places to Buy Lightly Used Raw Denim, and Other Stuff

Styleforum Marketplace

In the interest of full disclosure, I’m partial to Styleforum’s marketplace. It’s been my first stop when I’ve been looking for jeans and shirts below retail prices and I’ve made some good purchases there. You can sort the marketplace by category, but the search functions at Styleforum are notoriously sub-par. Still, the selection and prices make it worth the time.

At the time of writing there was denim from Dior, APC, Iron Heart, 3Sixteen, Imperial and RRL available. Transactions are conducted user to user through the forum (you’ll have to register) and while there’s no absolute guarantee you’re not going to get ripped off, I’ve never had a problem shopping there.

Superfuture Supermarket

The Superfuture marketplace takes some digging. You’ll have to register and search since there aren’t any category search options; but, there are bargains to be had here too. On the day I searched, I found: Ande Walls, Iron Hearts and Flat Heads.

Again, since this is a forum, transactions are conducted user to user. Sufu does a pretty good job of self-moderating its community and outing scammers, though, so look for a decent post count and a seller who actually looks like they’re a part of the community before buying.

Etsy and Ebay

We all know what eBay is, we’ve all used it. Pay attention to country of origin, especially if you’re buying a frequently bootlegged brand, and seller rating, and you should be fine.

Etsy’s search is a nightmare. There is a random assortment of raw denim available – but where Etsy shines is selling other stuff that denim nerds are into.

Here are some shops that might be of interest:

• Farmtown Denim: Melissa Farmer makes bracelets, toiletry kits and totes, all out of selvedge denim.
• County Line General: This shop out of Atlanta, GA is my favorite vintage shop on Etsy. All of their stuff is legitimately vintage and their collection is clearly curated by someone who loves this stuff.
• Hartford Denim Co.: Hartford Denim has a bag, a tote and an apron on Etsy.
• Big Brother Vintage: Woolrich, chore coats and parkas. What else do you need?
• Homestead Supply Co.: Homestead’s natural 1.5″ belt with a brass buckle looks comparable to more expensive alternatives.
• Unwashed Denim: Unwashed Denim sells raw leather card holders, denim key fobs and a raw denim dog leash that will probably be on my dog at some point.
• Jared Desimio, maker: Jared Desimio repurposes vintage feed sacks and military canvas into bags. He also makes belts out of reclaimed weightlifting belt and sells a made-to-order watch cap.