Being Thrifty with Your Thrifting

Walking into a thrift store feels like taking a trip in a time machine. Antique ceramics and vintage t-shirts are yours for the buying. Apparel may be older, bringing shoppers back to a time of graphic tees, single stitched seams and brightly dyed fabric.

Texas A&M college student Carson Hood, who shops at thrift stores all around Texas, remembers her first time stepping foot into a thrift store. “It’s like a treasure hunt,” Hood said. “It’s fun to know your piece is one of a kind and no one else has it.” Thrifting is truly an adventure in and of itself. 

Thrifting is also a fantastic way to combat the ills of fast fashion, a practice that preys upon consumers’ desires to constantly wear the latest trend. By promoting the reuse of already loved clothing, thrifting enables shoppers to find clothes with an environmental benefit. When people shop at stores such as Goodwill, Buffalo Exchange, Salvation Army and others, they reduce the need for mass production and mass movement of new clothing to department stores. 

Due to influencers on sites such as Instagram and TikTok, society’s views on thrifting has shifted dramatically from disdain to admiration. With accounts that show off thrifting’s potential popping up all over the internet, young people are flocking to thrift stores to buy in bulk, only to resell thrift clothes for a higher price. It has become a booming business, but at what cost? 

The good that thrift shopping does for the world comes with unfortunate caveats. For decades, thrift shops were places where older clothing accumulated to be purchased by those who were looking for affordable and durable outfits. Thrifting’s recent increase in popularity caused a rise in prices and a more limited supply of merchandise, especially when shoppers buy in bulk to resell later on.

As someone who has been shopping for more than five years at thrift stores, Hood said the rise in prices is to be expected. Hood admits that even she found the allure of thrift shopping right before its peak. 

Although there may not be a clear answer where the line lies between environmentalism and consuming an important resource for those in greater need, recognizing the dilemma is the first step in ensuring the protection of stores many families and individuals rely on. 

The next time you enter a thrift store, remember the impact your shopping trip holds. Shop kindly and purposefully, and stay thrifty.

Photos By Connor Downs