Shop Things #ForSale On Instagram

A lot of people post stuff they're trying to sell to Instagram.

A new site launched on Thursday called Hashbag, which aggregates all the pictures posted to Instagram with the hastag #forsale onto its website. You can browse all the #forsale pictures with your own hashtag-based search (like #vintage #sweater #swag or #Gucci). If the retailer is a Hashbag member, they pay a small fee and you can purchase the item directly from the picture. If they haven't signed up, though, Hashbag directs you to their Instagram account where you can inquire directly, by leaving a comment on the photo.

This is either genius or sketchy: I haven't quite decided. It seems like a great way to find products from sellers without storefronts, and browsing by hashtag is great. There are, however, some pretty obvious flaws.

When I used the site, it wasn't clear to me how buyers are protected from scams or how returns could work. Plus, there aren't too many vendors who are actually members yet, so the buying process isn't always seamless. (The site's incredibly new, though. This could quickly change.) And if someone puts #forsale on a picture of their feet, it will show up on the site,so like a thrift store, you have to dig through a lot of garbage to find real gems. But it's possible, and I did find some dope things, like the pants pictured above.

It's cool to see another way way that social media could change retail, and even if you're not ready to but anything straight off the #rack, Hashb.ag might be the perfect platform for selling that dress hanging in your closet that you've realized you never actually wear.

Image: MorningSunshine/Instagram