The concept of thrifting started in the late 19th century after a flood of poor immigrant families arrived in America. They were helped by groups like the Salvation Army. To get funds for these families, volunteers went around collecting clothes or objects that could be refurbished or sold, creating the first large-scale thrift stores.
Thrifting is not new, but it has recently gained popularity with younger generations.
“Thrifting basics like jeans or plain hoodies/t-shirts is much better than going into a store to buy those things,” said senior Lydia Gualdoni. “Usually, the things I find at the thrift store are good quality and will last a long time. The problem with shopping in stores is that there’s so much fast fashion. Too many people waste money on buying stuff that is trendy and will only be cool for a month or two.”
According to BusinessDasher, “93% of Americans shop for secondhand items online … and 83% of Generation Z are either already shopping or are open to shopping for secondhand clothes.”
There are many reasons that thrifting has grown into what it is today. TikTok has played a role in popularizing thrifting, and, with apps like Depop or Mercari, people are able to sell their old things for money online.
“Depop is such a fun thrifting app because, if you find the right sellers, there is a wide variety of items at low prices,” said junior Lily Check.” The only thing that is unpleasant is the high shipping costs. For example, I bought a pair of sweatpants for only $5; however, the total cost was over $12 because of the $7.99 shipping that the seller requested.”
Other popular ways to thrift are in-person sites, like Goodwill, The Salvation Army, DAV, and CHKD. They range from small operations that only take clothes to large warehouses with bins full of clothes, shoes, and books.
While the increase in thrifting has exposed more people to a less expensive alternative to shopping at big chain stores, not everyone enjoys their thrifting experience.
“I don’t like thrifting due to the fact [that] the staff and customers could do anything they want to the products, and they would still sell them,” said junior Eric Rizzo. “Plus, there’s not enough things in different sizes, with one product in one size.”
This is a sentiment shared by many people who don’t thrift, saying that there’s not enough variety and that it is not as cheap as many make it out to be.
“If I am able to find something it’s either not my size or really expensive,” said junior Kiera Zeller.
The price of thrifted clothes has been on the increase since its growth in popularity. Thrifting is also getting more popular among people of a higher income bracket, meaning stores can charge more.
Resale stores like Ebay and Poshmark have been hiking up costs as well, where people go through cheap thrift stores, find good quality clothes, and re-sell them at high prices to make a profit.
The thought is worrying, but some argue that reselling is another part of the thrifting market and is fair game.
In the end, thrifting is a good way of finding cheaper clothes that donate to good causes but is also susceptible to the ups and downs of the market and the consumer.
