How ThriftAI works
From a photo on the rack to a buy-or-pass answer in seconds. Here's what happens at each step.
1. Photograph the item and its tag
Open ThriftAI and take a picture of the item, then one of the price tag. You can add up to six photos (for example the brand label or a flaw), and you can also pick photos you've already taken from your library.
- Get the whole price tag in frame and keep it flat so the numbers are readable.
- Photograph the brand label or tag inside the collar. It makes identification much more accurate.
- If the app misreads the tag, just type the right price. Your number always wins.
2. ThriftAI identifies it
Vision AI looks at your photos and works out the brand, what the item is, its condition and any visible flaws. It also reads the tag price and writes a clear listing title and description. You see a confidence score so you know when to double-check.
3. It checks the market
ThriftAI searches for comparable listings on eBay, drops the odd outliers, and takes the typical price. Listings are asking prices, not final sale prices, so it applies a conservative 15% discount to estimate what the item will actually sell for.
Beta note: we're finishing our connection to eBay's market data. Until it's complete, some testers will see an appraisal without market prices. Everything else, including saving your finds, works.
4. You get your numbers
With a market value in hand, ThriftAI does the math for each platform:
- List price: what to list it for.
- Max buy price: the most you can pay and still hit the target return, after fees and shipping.
- Profit and return: what you'd keep, and as a percentage of what you paid.
The math includes eBay's final value fee (estimated at 13.25% plus $0.30 per order) and shipping (assumed at $6). Vinted doesn't charge sellers a fee. The verdict then compares your profit with a 100% return target, meaning you'd earn at least as much as you paid:
| Verdict | What it means |
|---|---|
| Buy | Profit meets or beats the target: you'd at least double your money. |
| Maybe | It's profitable, but below that target. |
| Pass | After fees and shipping, there's no profit. |
If you paid a different price than the tag, change it later and the numbers update instantly, with no new lookup.
5. Everything is saved and tracked
Every appraisal goes into your Saved list with its photos. Not ready to sell, or not sure it's worth the money? Come back later: ThriftAI re-checks the market for your saved items and shows how the price has moved, so you can see when a find becomes worth listing. You can mark items as listed, sold or archived, and delete any of them whenever you like.
6. List it when you're ready
- eBay: connect your eBay account once. ThriftAI creates a draft listing from your saved photos and details, and nothing goes live until you tap Publish.
- Vinted: Vinted doesn't offer a public listing API, so ThriftAI makes it quick instead. It saves your photos to your library, gives you a tap-to-copy title, description, brand and price, and opens Vinted's new-item page.
Try it on your next thrift run
We're letting testers in a small group at a time. Request access and we'll send your personal install link.
Request early accessEstimates only. ThriftAI doesn't guarantee what an item will sell for. More questions?