Apps for Shopping

5 Apps to Make You Rethink How You Shop

Browse.  Browse. Point. Click.  That’s usually what you think of when you think of online shopping.  That’s nice.   It’s pretty easy…except that after a while your eyes start to hurt because you keep seeing the same stuff over and over again.  The apps you are about to see prove that shopping can be a lot more engaging, interactive and fun when it’s done online.  Dare I say, even social?

You thought you were cool when you got the eBay app or maybe when you downloaded the Amazon app.  Just when you thought you had browsed all you could, here come five IOS apps that are ready to take on shopping and the fashion world.

  1. TagSale and Rumgr: are yard sale apps.  Need to sell something?  Wanna buy something?  Check out your neighborhood to see what’s available.  You browse through pictures of unique finds, and great prices, all in a “Instagram-like” type of way.

It’s easy!  Take a picture.  Add-on a price tag.  Post.  If you’re shopping, type in your zip code, type in your city and start discovering cool stuff, without spending all the gas you normally would by going to yard sales.  Don’t worry.  These apps have precautions built-in to protect your privacy.  It’s not like any random person can instantly see where you live or anything.

  1. Etsy:  If you’ve never heard of Etsy, you need to check it out.  Etsy has a warm fuzzy place in my heart because it’s all handmade by artists of all backgrounds.  The products are reasonably priced and you can literally type in any word and something of that word will be for sale.  I bought a lot of my Christmas presents with them this year.  There’s t-shirts, wall art, geekery, cups, clothes, jewelry…everything.  Also because everything is hand crafted, you can easily request for your orders to be engraved or somehow personalized.  Never give a default, lame gift card gift again.
  1. Nifty: “Oooooohhh!  Ahhhhh!”  How about you don’t spend any money?  Give stuff to your friends with this app.  Have old baby clothes you want to give away?  This app lets your friends call dibs on anything you took a picture of.  So now you know that all your things are going to a good home.  What a cool way to get new stuff without spending a dime!
  1. Birchbox:  I think this one is my favorite.  Have you ever heard of “subscription boxes”?  They have them now for beauty products, bicycling products (bikeloot.com), and clothes.  Birchbox is a subscription service and a shopping experience all in one.  Once a month you get a box filled with beauty goodies.  You know, beauty stuff.  You box comes loaded with perfumes, lotions, creams, body washes.  All sample size.  It’s like a new present every month.  Best of all it’s super cheap. ($10-$20).
  1. Threadless:  This app offers some super cool, original T’s.  Seriously, the greatest selection of graphic arts t-shirts you’ve ever seen.  Artists put up their art.  You put it on a shirt.  Vote for your favorite artists.  It’s their art on your shirts.  Now you can tell someone, “You are a walking piece of art.”  Not bad huh?

Yes, I know what you’re thinking.  I said five apps and you really got six.  Consider it a freebie.  I just hope that you help me in one of my life’s missions: to end the giving of lame and impersonal gifts and gift cards.  So now that you know about all these cool apps and services, go put them to use!  Be chic.  Be smart. Have fun!

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