Thrifting therapy, the solution to my problems. Why not get the exact same clothes at a quarter of the price? That’s why I visit Goodwill bins. The bins are the best. I love the bins. I get the thrill of shopping, yet I spend a max $50 to score a haul of 10+ items. That’s a win in any shopper’s eyes. At least, that’s what I thought.
Thrifting has only blown up the last 20 years. Through a combination of fast fashion, social media, and the thrill of the hunt, thrifting turned into a hobby. As the masses headed to the stores, good intentions left the room. Just like everything good in life, thrifting got corrupted.
In theory, utilizing something intended to manage overconsumption sounds like a good thing. In reality, the popularity of thrifting damages everything it stands for. Thrifting was intended to limit overconsumption. Instead of my old crusty clothes getting thrown in the dump, they are given a second chance. A second life, if you will. A legit company is willing to take them off my hands, clean them, and sell them to people who might need them. A true demonstration of one man’s trash is another’s treasure.
Unfortunately, this doesn’t work. Half the time, the big company doesn’t even sell the clothes. They hand-pick the best items and sell them for a higher price in outside markets to make more profit. Even the quality items that slip past them still get taken early by consumers rushing to the source.
The newfound trendiness of thrift stores has increased demand. When demand goes up, price goes up, and just like that, thrifting has been gentrified. This big fancy word really just means that when I take all the decent items from the store, the essential clothes become inaccessible for lower-income individuals.
Especially when the vast majority of these trend participants are in a higher tax bracket, the trend proves to be disadvantageous to those who need it. Thrifting fuels our unhealthy habits. The desire to have your own unique style can’t be the reason you spend hours on a treasure hunt. Separating yourself from the fast fashion epidemic might be hard, but you’re not special, so don’t act like it. You’re still doing exactly what everyone else is doing by buying into the thrifting trend.
Now that we’ve hiked up the prices by scrounging for “good finds,” the people who are lower income have lost an option. They once relied on thrift stores and now can’t use them as an affordable clothing option now have to hunt. The worst part is, I don’t need those clothes. And you don’t either. Besides the vintage pieces, I can easily find and afford to buy fast fashion. So if I don’t need to be thrifting, it’s a bit immoral to be doing so.
Best of all, half the time when a good item is found, that lucky shopper is just gonna turn around and resell. According to Forbes, around 56% of secondhand apparel shoppers are looking into online resale marketplaces. Whether it’s Depop or Curtsy, people make a profit on these goods. And this isn’t just bad for me. These “flippers” are fueling overconsumption and are taking resources from those in need.
Manipulating resources for the poor has got to stop. Capitalizing on other people’s essential items is a trend that will go bankrupt.