Thrifting on a Budget
Updated: Apr 2, 2024
Shopping for second-hand clothing has become increasingly popular with young adults for its affordability and trendiness, but shoppers are noticing that the prices have risen dramatically over the last couple of years.
Thrifting at large corporations like Value Village used to be affordable with heavily discounted items, since the corporation receives all of its merchandise by donation.
These two bags are similar in size and shape, yet the Juicy Couture bag is almost double the price.
Shopping second hand was supposed to be sustainable and affordable, but price checkers are valuing items based off of their brands, and thrifters are upset.
Thrifting was originally targeted towards low-income households, and people who could not afford full priced retail items, but it became a popular trend.
Second hand stores are making millions off of donated products.
Thrifting clothing has become an art, it is a process of looking through used and unwanted items, and turning them into quality outfits that can't be found in retail stores.
The social media platform Tik Tok has made thrifting a trend by posting massive ‘thrift try-on hauls’ of clothing from influencers who do not need to be shopping second hand.
This led to Value Village hiring trained price checkers to price individual items based on their brand and worth, instead of pricing clothing at an affordable, unbiased rate.
I asked Terae Walters, a 22 year old student at SFU about her experience with thrifting in 11 questions:
How long have you been thrifting?
“I have been thrifting for as long as I can remember, so I guess I can say my entire life.”
What are you primarily looking for when you are thrifting?
“I usually tend to seek out clothing items that I wouldn't be able to find anywhere else. I try to stay away from trends although it can be hard. I look for unique items and also things that would fit my style depending on the season of course.”
How did you start thrifting?
“I started thrifting because of my mom. She took me thrifting at a very young age. I grew up being used to thrifting and I kind of just carried that on into my adult life.”
How often do you go thrifting?
“I go thrifting quite often, it always depends whether I'm in school or how often I'm working, but whenever I have free time I tend to go as often as i can. It can range from one to two times a week or twice a month if I’m really busy, but I think for the average person I go extremely often.”
Which second hand stores do you shop at?
“My favorite second hand stores are Value Village of course. I rotate between all the Value Villages in the lower mainland. On top of that I go to Talize and I also go to the much smaller thrift stores in Langley where I live.”
When shopping for clothing, how often do you buy full priced items at retail stores?
“I rarely buy full priced items at retail stores, just because I know how much is available at thrift stores and how much more sustainable it is. The only time I will buy something brand new is if it's on sale or if it is something that I really want for a long time, then I'll buy it new.”
Have you noticed a major price increase at second hand stores in the last 3 years?
“I have definitely noticed a major price increase, it's quite frustrating because I believe that with the increasing popularity of thrifting, stores believe they can raise the prices because they know more people are coming. It’s a little bit frustrating because the prices of some items are not far off from their regular retail prices.”
From your experience, which second hand stores have increased their prices the most?
“Value Village is 100% the thrift store that has raised their prices the most. I’ve noticed it for years now, more recently in the past couple months.”
Do you thrift for fun or would you say that you rely on thrifting for its affordability?
“I thrift both for fun and its affordability. I do not pay rent so I have a bit more extra money than the average person my age would. I love thrifting and not only do I enjoy it because it’s fun, 9 out of 10 times I'm on my own and it gives me something to do. I love searching around, I love finding unique pieces and listening to my music and walking around. But it's definitely an affordability thing as well because retail items can be ridiculously priced sometimes, and thrifting makes it easier to find those cool pieces.”
How much better are thrift store prices compared to retail prices today when taking quality into account?
“Thrift store prices are always going to be better in my opinion. I have been able to find amazing pieces that are good quality and only lightly used, I have always found things with the retail tags still on them. When you're going to the thrift store what you choose is always up to you.”
Can you afford to only buy full priced retail items?
“I probably could afford to buy full price retail items, but I choose not to. Thrifting allows me to have a higher quantity of clothing than if I were to buy regular priced new items so although I think I could buy full priced items, in my opinion it's a bit of a waste. Thrifting is always my go-to.”
Why do you think thrift store prices are increasing so dramatically?
Now more than ever thrifting has become more accessible, more people know about it, and large corporations are taking advantage of that by increasing prices because they know that people are going to buy it anyways.
This Q&A has been edited and condensed for clarity.
Erika Paskie
erika.kpu@gmail.com
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