Thrift Stores Are In Now (Even With Teens)!

What’s In? Thrift or Second Hand Stores, That’s What!

Thrift Stores Are In

I have frequented thrift stores for years. I have bought all sorts of stuff, and even clothes for myself and my kids. I also loved the treasure hunt of sorting through somebody else’s discards.

But I never really liked to talk about it too much. If anybody ever complemented my kid’s rain coat or my new blouse, I certainly changed the subject before the conversation got around to where I had purchased the item! In my circles, it was awesome to donate to second hand stores, like The Salvation Army, but not so hot to talk about buying things there.

Boy, has that changed in the last few years. Plato’s Closet, the name brand used clothing store for teens and young adults, has made it cool to wear used! My own brand conscious teen daughter has no problem picking up a gently used name brand top or pair of jeans for $16 instead of buying it new in the mall for $60. I would like to credit this to my good example, but I’m pretty sure it has more to do with the fact that her friends think it is ok.

Even Time Magazine reported on this trend, and noted that some “upscale” thrift stores are very picky about what they will buy these days.

How Do Upscale Thrift Stores Work?

They retail the clothes for about a third of what they sold for new. So you may find a gently used pair of fashion jeans for less than $20 instead of $60. And hey, those jeans are more comfortable for having been broken in anyway. They purchase the clothes for 30 – 50% of what they plan to sell for. So a seller can bring in the used jeans, and maybe hope to get $8 to $10 for them.

The sellers get some cash, and the buyers can refresh their wardrobes for a fraction of the price they could if they bought new. Beyond that, the movement is actuall a green one. Clothes get recycled instead of being tossed out.

They certainly make it easier for people with modest budgets to fake it until they make it too!

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