Just take a look at the Facebook page ‘ThriftStore and GoodwillFind.’ With an impressive following of 146,000, it celebrates this movement by showcasing the funniest, coolest, and downright weirdest items people have scored. From vintage clothing to eclectic home decor and even quirky kitchen appliances, these pictures prove that you never know what you’ll find when you shop secondhand. And that’s the beauty of it! More info: Facebook “If you go to a local Goodwill, you will see a lot of fast fashion there, sometimes with the tags still on,” Nicole Craig, a professor who teaches merchandising, trends, buying, and more at Arizona State University FIDM, told Business Insider. “But at the same time, we’re also seeing thrifting and resale exploding in the market.” The value of the global secondhand clothing market is expected to reach $350 billion by 2027, according to a 2023 report by ThredUp, an online marketplace for used clothing. In the past, Millennials tended to appreciate uniformity and with that, new goods. Think Abercrombie & Fitch in its original heyday around the 2000s. However, Gen Z is more focused on individuality and finding pieces that are different from what everyone else is wearing. When secondhand shoppers feel like they’re saving something from ending up in a landfill, buying used clothing is no longer viewed as inferior to buying new. Thrifting today is “not only not a stigma,” Craig said, “it’s a badge of honor.” “It’s not designed and constructed to last,” Elena Karpova, a professor at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro who researches sustainability in the apparel market, told about fast fashion to Business Insider. “And so after a couple of washes, usually either fabric or construction, like seams and stitches, fall apart, and people then discard it or donate it.” Prices at thrift stores have also been rising, partly because some people are reselling their “thrift hauls” at a premium on platforms like Poshmark and Depop. These sellers have been branded as “scammers” by some on social media and compared to landlords who drive up rents and force people out of affordable housing. One could even call it “the gentrification of thrift stores.” Follow Bored Panda on Google News! Follow us on Flipboard.com/@boredpanda! Please use high-res photos without watermarks Ooops! Your image is too large, maximum file size is 8 MB.
