Why thrift items are becoming expensive?

 

Thrifting is a popular trend that's making its way back into mainstream life. The popularity of thrifting has increased over the past few years, and many people are interested in the practice because it's a cheap way to shop. Thrift stores have been around for decades, but in recent years it's become more popular and accessible than ever before. As thrifting has become more popular, we can all agree that, these days, it is becoming challenging to find unique stuff and that there are not a lot of good finds to thrift at thrift stores. I believe it's not just me who feels that the cost of secondhand items has skyrocketed, and it's almost the same price as the stuff found at the retail shop. Not going to lie, but buying items at H&M, Forever21, and Zara seems less expensive, than paying almost the same amount, for the same kind of clothes at the thrift shop. But, what caused the prices to go so high? 

It's a lot more complicated than we think. To begin with, while the majority of people nowadays consider thrifting to be a fun hobby, this was not always the case. People used to buy secondhand clothes because they couldn't afford to buy new ones; however, since thrifting has become so popular, we can see that the middle and upper classes have made thrifting inaccessible to the lower classes. We should be aware that thrifting for necessity is very different from thrifting for fun because when you buy for fun, you end up buying unnecessary items, but do you really need them? Will you be wearing it?Although it is encouraging to see people concerned about the environment and moving toward sustainable fashion, however the large number of middle and upper-class people opting for thrift shopping is thought to be, one of the causes of thrift store price increases.

People used to find some unique, high-quality pieces when thrifting was not popular. However, ever since social media entered the picture, many people believe that they are unable to find good stuff in stores and are also concerned about price increases, primarily because the concept of thrifting now is to buy anything and everything vintage and of high quality. As a result, all they find at thrift stores are dirty, stained, junk fast fashion clothes, because, in addition to buying all the vintage items, people are also selling and donating all of their unused and damaged fast fashion clothes, which are also priced high, making people wonder if thrifting is even worth it.

Running thrift stores has primarily become a profit-making business and is no longer used for charitable purposes as it once was, owing in part to the proliferation of online websites and stores. The online stores buy good stuff in bulk from local thrift stores and resell it at a much higher price online, making the lives of those in need more difficult. Because they are buying in bulk, all of the store owners are directly contacting the exporters and bringing the good stuff before anyone else, which has decreased the quality of finding good stuff at local thrift shops, and even if we do find one or two, it is extremely overpriced because the same stuff is being sold at different prices. I remember recently, I'd asked an online thrift store the price of an overcoat, and I was shocked when she told me the cost of it.

Many would agree with me that these days visiting Sarojini market and other thrift shops feels like visiting a regular retail store because of the repeated items in every other shop, and when you ask for the price and try to bargain it, the owner straightaway tells you, "we know you guys are selling this same piece at a much higher price online, which is why we have also increased the prices" which gives us a reality check on how money-minded our society has become and how it is hurting the lower-class people. It feels like the golden era of thrifting has ended because there is nothing to thrift apart from a damaged fast-fashion clothing item. Gone are the days when you would find some great finds at the thrift shop.

However, we cannot blame online stores solely because influencers have also played a significant role in the rise in thrift item prices. You may wonder why. It's really that simple! Influencers are primarily responsible for all of those come thrift me videos. They are thrifting to create more content, such as try-on hauls and thrift flips, and you will most likely never see them wearing those clothes again, aside from some pictures for their social media content. So, how does this affect prices? These kinds of videos encourage excessive consumption, and since we live in a society where people constantly want to buy more and more, it often leads to a lot of waste.

It's important to note that, while thrifting has grown in popularity over the last decade, it's not a trend that will last forever. People will become more selective about what they buy when they become aware of the value of their possessions and less concerned with new purchases. This means that thrifting will only continue as long as people want to do it!

I hope this article has inspired you to reconsider thrifting. I understand that this is a growing trend, but we must be mindful of how it affects those who cannot afford to shop at these stores. Why not try alternatives that are more environmentally friendly and less expensive?

Thank you for reading