By: Taylor Trotta...
As a member of the working class, I’ve relied on thrift stores to supply my closet with sustenance for most of my life. From everyday essentials to special occasional gems, secondhand has always been more than just a budget-friendly option, it’s been a lifeline.
Lately, though, a growing debate has surfaced online: are resellers hurting the thrifting ecosystem? Some argue that vintage resellers are driving up prices and taking affordable options away from low-income shoppers. While the concern is understandable, the full story is far more nuanced. Let’s break it down and look at what’s really happening behind the racks:
Every year, millions of tons of clothing are donated, and thrift stores can only put a fraction of it on the floor. In fact, many stores rotate stock weekly, sometimes daily, just to keep up. Even then, much of the unsold inventory ends up in bulk bales, exported overseas, or sadly, tossed into landfills.
Resellers, rather than contributing to scarcity, often help reduce waste by finding value in what others pass over. They dig deep, purchase in niche categories, and give forgotten items a second life. Stopping resellers from shopping at thrift stores wouldn’t widen or protect access—it would just push more clothing toward the trash.
Style is incredibly subjective. The quirky vintage dress someone buys to flip might have been passed over dozens of times by other shoppers. Plus, thrift stores carry a wide range of styles, sizes, and quality levels—so even when shelves are “picked over,” what’s left might be exactly what someone else is looking for.
And let’s be real: the average shopper isn’t elbowing their way through crowds every time they walk in. Most stores have lulls, off-peak times, and more stock in the back waiting to be shelved. Resellers and everyday shoppers can (and do) peacefully coexist.
It’s true that thrift store prices have gone up in some places, and that can be frustrating. But this trend mirrors what’s happening across the retail world. Inflation, supply chain shifts, higher rent, and labor costs all play a role in how prices are set—even in the secondhand space.
Another important factor to consider? The growing presence of fast fashion on thrift racks. These items, often donated after only a few wears, are a clear indicator of our culture of overconsumption. When low-quality, mass-produced clothing floods donation bins, it lowers the overall quality of inventory and shifts the value landscape for secondhand stores.
Many nonprofit thrift stores use their sales to fund shelters, food programs, job training, and more. So, while a $10 jacket might seem steep compared to the $5 it was last year, it’s often part of a broader effort to keep these services running. Blaming resellers for these shifts ignores the economic forces, and deeper consumption habits that most stores are just trying to keep up with.
At the end of the day, resellers aren’t the enemy, they are a symptom of our evolving fashion ecosystem. They promote reuse, reduce waste, and help normalize secondhand fashion, which ultimately benefits the planet. The real challenges lie in corporate overproduction, environmental harm, and systemic inequity. If we want to create a truly inclusive and sustainable fashion future, we need to think bigger than who’s buying what at Goodwill.
Sources:
Consumers' Perceptions of Fast Fashion and Secondhand Shopping (Thesis), Sibel Truong (2022) https://scholarsarchive.jwu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1063&context=student_scholarship
Are Resellers Impacting Thrift Store Operations? (2025) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IutrU2rNfHY
Clotheshorse Podcast - Episode 228: Thrifty Business with Sara and Shan of Bargain Thrift Center
(steam on Apple, Spotify, and YouTube) https://clotheshorsepodcast.com/episode-228-thrifty-business-with-sara-and-shan-of-bargain-thrift-center/
0 comments
