On social media, thrift shopping and antique shopping have become extremely popular. Thrift shopping can be a good way for people with low income or who want to shop sustainably to get clothes, household appliances, or fun items like toys or movies. There are thrift and antique stores all around America, which are becoming increasingly popular with resellers and people on social media; but does this negatively impact people who shop at thrift stores for their everyday essentials?
Thrift shopping has always been popular among people who are low in income or are aware of sustainable shopping, but with the rise of social media, many people have begun to advertise their “thrift finds”, making others on social media want to join in on the trend of thrift shopping. With this surge of people thrift shopping, there also come resellers with them, searching for good pieces of clothing, jewelry, shoes, or even home goods to buy and sell for a higher price online. These resellers are buying out many thrift stores, making it so that these companies have to raise their prices to stay in business and creating a worse environment for the shoppers who come for the affordable pieces.
Along with high prices, there also comes the issue of fast fashion in thrift stores. People will buy products from online fast fashion companies such as Shein or Temu and donate them to thrift or charity stores. The huge growth of fast fashion has people buying as much as they can because it is so cheap, giving them a surplus of clothes that they eventually donate. Fast fashion clothing is usually low quality, and combined with higher prices at thrift stores, it could feel like you are getting scammed or misled, buying something of bad quality for such a high price.
Even though there can be many downsides to the growing popularity of thrift shopping, it can also benefit companies by giving them more business and popularity. Many thrift store companies may not be as popular as stores like Goodwill or Plato’s Closet. With social media advertising thrift stores, people begin to research more thrift stores, giving the smaller shops more income to keep them open and help them continue to provide for the public.
I tend to go thrift shopping a lot and love to find cute, staple items for my wardrobe. Finding good quality items like sweaters, jeans, or t-shirts can be amazing, but sometimes you may come across an item from a fast fashion brand that may look appealing from far away, but when you see it closer, it can be cheap or poorly made. Thrift shopping is one of my favorite things to do because the clothes are being repurposed rather than ending up in landfills or the back of a dresser or closet, never to be worn again.
We have many thrift stores near us in Mt. Pleasant such as Goodwill, Salvation Army, and the ICDC thrift shop. These thrift stores give quality clothes and home goods but, along with many thrift stores around the US, they also have rising prices and some fast fashion. If you decide to purchase from a thrift, charity, or antique store, be mindful of what you are purchasing and donating, ensuring everything is good quality and worth your money. Do not buy just to buy, but purchase things with others in mind, thinking about what they may need, and don’t just buy to resell. Happy thrifting, and be mindful.