Thrifting Has Lost Its Stigma But Raised Its Price
Written by Abigail Crneckiy, Contributing Writer
Thrifting used to just be something that people did to save money. Nonprofit organizations like the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul and the Salvation Army have thrift stores as just one of their outreach missions to “help individuals journey out of poverty” (ssvpusa.org). Thrifting at various resale stores has always been a viable option for those who wanted or needed a cheaper option. In recent years, thrifting as a practice has shifted. While it remains a viable option for many, it has also become a profitable business.
In the past, thrifting has been highly stigmatized and seen as something for people who couldn’t afford new clothes. Thrifted clothing was seen as dirty because it was pre-worn, and if you were wearing a shirt that was from a garage sale or a hand-me-down, you probably didn’t advertise it for fear of appearing poor. Sustainable and affordable options were not trendy.
But now, many young people have been drawn to thrifting for its sustainability and affordability. Attitudes towards shopping secondhand shifted during the 2008 recession as saving money was necessary for more people and “it became chic to get a good deal,” said Oliver Chen, a retail analyst at Cowen & Co (Zumbach). The scrutiny of fast fashion has also contributed to the popularity of thrifting since fast fashion brands often lack transparency on business practices and three out of five fast fashion items end up in a landfill (Darmo). The ethics and practicality behind shopping second-hand are obvious, and the popularity of thrifting is also due to the pride of finding one-of-a-kind pieces and doing it as a hobby with your friends.
In other words, it appears that shopping second-hand has all but lost its negative reputation. In a casual Instagram poll conducted by Kimberley Santos, affiliated with Reuse Shop at Berkeley University, 93% of respondents said that they buy secondhand clothing and 59% said that half or more of their wardrobe is secondhand. Thrifting apps, like Depop and Poshmark, have 21 million and 60 million users respectively (About Depop, Poshmark 2020 Report), while thrifting accounts on Instagram hit high levels of engagement.
The normalization and promotion of shopping second-hand have opened up an avenue for it to become profitable. Many thrifting accounts and app users resell clothing because they are able to make money doing what they enjoy. Bella McFadden, known on Depop as iGirl, started selling personalized style boxes within her 90’s and Y2K aesthetic because she missed doing styling work (Yar). Now, she has more than 668k followers on the app and has sold over 60k items (Internetgirl, Depop.com).
With the desire to also have a thriving thrifting business, or make quick cash, others exploit the system by selling items at a high mark-up price. Sellers will advertise items as vintage, rare or one of a kind when the piece is none of those things. Buzzwords like these will be used to hike up the prices to exorbitant levels. Notably, the “Brandy Melville Cult” will sell clothing items that are still available on the Brandy Melville website for upwards of 750% more money on Depop by advertising them as rare (Merrilees). Brand name or not, nothing will keep a jacket found at Goodwill for five dollars from being resold for 50. This same practice is used in selective resale or vintage stores. They will buy clothing items and then resell them in-store at a much higher price.
This up sale isn’t inherently bad. Young people can start their own small business less making money from home. By buying and selling online, safely shopping or acquiring clothing from friends and their own closets, sellers (who are often female college students) can work for themselves as they do what they enjoy. Higher-end resale stores can also appeal to a different demographic of buyers. With the popularity of secondhand shopping, some thrifters aren’t only in it for the low prices, and resale luxury items are a way for them to live a more sustainable lifestyle while buying their desired brands. Resale high-end items are also, usually, sold cheaper than new, making quality items more accessible for those in a lower income bracket.
The problem with more expensive resale is the risk it may pose to the affordability of thrifting. If selective resale stores gain more prominence, they may raise their prices. If Depop users and Instagram accounts gain popularity, they may do the same. If thrifting continues on the trendy track, it may become inaccessible to those who utilize the option out of necessity. Second-hand shopping is now acceptable and encouraged, but it may be moving too far in the opposite direction, alienating those it was originally intended to benefit.
About Page, Depop.com, March 1, 2021. https://www.depop.com/about/
J. Darmo, “20 Hard Facts and Statistics About Fast Fashion”, GoodOnYou.com, July, 27, 2020. https://goodonyou.eco/fast-fashion-facts/
Internetgirl Account Page, Depop.com, March 1, 2021. https://www.depop.com/internetgirl/
K. Merrilees, Inside the “Depop Cult”, Medium.com, June 23, 2020.
https://kristinmerrilees.medium.com/inside-the-depop-cult-57c4075ec82f
“Poshmark’s 2020 Social Commerce Report”, https://www.report.poshmark.com/
K. Santos, “Has the Stigma Surrounding Secondhand Shopping been Eliminated?” Reuse.Berkeley.edu, October 13, 2020. https://reuse.berkeley.edu/2020/10/stigma-surrounding-secondhand-shopping-eliminated/#:~:text=Buying%20secondhand%20has%20become%20popular,dirty%20because%20they%20were%20used.
“Who We Are”, The Society of Saint Vincent de Paul. https://ssvpusa.org/
S. Yar, “Shopping Can Make You Famous”, The New York Times, July 9, 2019. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/09/style/internet-girl-depop.html
L. Zumbach, “Secondhand shopping, once stigmatized, is going mainstream. ‘It’s better for the environment, my wallet and morals.’” The Chicago Tribune, August 30, 2019. https://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-biz-secondhand-shopping-mainstream-20190830-vu7vezq4azdhdlhx5wsukorrgm-story.html