Your Money & Business
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Diary of a Thrift Store Shopper
January 2026
Photo Credit: Magnolia Kuo (Pixabay)
By Jillian Crocetta
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Now that the holidays have passed, we can mourn the holiday cheer all while letting out an exhausted sigh of relief. These December holidays never fail to make me feel overindulgent. I’ve always had a mindless card swipe when it comes to buying gifts. And I always return home with bags stuffed to the brim. As I give, I get.
Stuff, on stuff, on more stuff. But when the exhaustion dissipates, about a week or so after New Year’s Day, I start feeling guilty. Maybe that guilt sets in after I see my credit card statement, or maybe it comes after my fleeting and halfhearted attempts to fit new gifts into my already-crowded apartment. Stuff, on stuff, on more stuff, all purchased in crowded department stores or shipped from surplus warehouses. Then, like clockwork, there is returning, regifting, donating, and spring cleaning to be done. Soon, the gifts will undergo another lifecycle, maybe this time ending up in another house, in a landfill, or in a secondhand store. True, this is not the only way thrift stores are restocked; but the fact is, this flow of donated goods is alive and well, making every day a lucky day for me and my fellow thrifters. |
Photo Credit: Alexandru Tudur (Unsplash)
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Thrifting Statistics
More from CapitalOne Shopping Research. |
Defining Thrifting
I find it important to make the distinction between thrift and vintage. These definitions are just my own, but I’d like to think I hold some merit as someone who habituates the secondhand scene myself (and in Brooklyn, of all places)! To an avid thrifter, “vintage” generally defines anything over twenty years old. But I find that most stores that call themselves “vintage” are incredibly curated and also incredibly expensive. Think couture, designer, yellowing tags, and quality material. Thrifting is almost the exact opposite. Think of donation centers, stained shirts, and high school band logos. Rack after rack of a non-curated mess. Items on the floor, collecting dust. I joke that I thrift for the thrill of the hunt, but there is quite a bit of truth to that. Thrifting is an act of thrill-seeking. It is a modern-day treasure hunt. You are searching for something, though you don’t know what you are searching for. And that feeling can be quite addicting as you parse through the racks, each “dud” seemingly bringing you one step closer to a real treasure. |
Consignment stores are somewhere in-between. They typically get their inventory, at least in part, from their own customer base, trading in clothes for store credit or cash. It is semi-curated, as designated buyers will sift through your clothes, only taking what they deem to be sellable. It is a bit arbitrary, but generally speaking, buyers will take either what is trending, what is “in season,” or unique pieces.
Although consignment stores can have some great deals, and vintage stores can have gorgeous pieces, thrift stores will arguably always have the most potential.
Although consignment stores can have some great deals, and vintage stores can have gorgeous pieces, thrift stores will arguably always have the most potential.
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Shop with Ethics
There are way too many clothes in this world. This is both my reason and justification for thrift shopping. But truthfully, mass production and overconsumption does not just rear its head around the holidays. This is the origin story of many influencers in the thrifting world, often explained by a single image of a landfill that they flash on the screen, piled high with clothes made of non-biodegradable synthetic fibers. It was never like that for me. It's just a passion that happened to be sustainable. It’s almost downright impossible to shop solely based on ethics. But there is no denying that fast fashion has continued to gain popularity in the last decade — especially in the women’s clothing market. Factories are pumping out trendy clothes with limitless inventory. The materials they use are cheap, so the clothes sell for low prices. Another issue: Fast production is a testament to the exploitative and inhumane nature of some manufacturing facilities.
I don’t mean to say I have golden ethics. Nor do I thrift everything I own. I don’t often research companies to assess whether I’d buy from them. I thrift mainly because it is fun. But all of this also feels systemic. Thrift shopping can’t curb all the damage that has already been done, but I do what I can, when I can. |
Photo Credit: Anna Voss (Unsplash)
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Shop For Quality
A lot of avid thrifters will tell you that one of the main reasons they thrift is to buy high quality clothes for very little money. That is the core of the intrigue, or what is ultimately the “thrill of the hunt.” To these thrifters, “high quality” doesn’t necessarily have to mean high-end designers, though I’ve seen the pure elation of thrifting influencers, recording themselves pushing a shopping cart out of a Goodwill with a Chanel purse or Burberry jacket.
A lot of avid thrifters will tell you that one of the main reasons they thrift is to buy high quality clothes for very little money. That is the core of the intrigue, or what is ultimately the “thrill of the hunt.” To these thrifters, “high quality” doesn’t necessarily have to mean high-end designers, though I’ve seen the pure elation of thrifting influencers, recording themselves pushing a shopping cart out of a Goodwill with a Chanel purse or Burberry jacket.
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"Thrifters keep a sharp eye out for clothes that are one hundred percent natural fibers. Wool, cotton and linen are biodegradable, which are higher quality than synthetic (not biodegradable) fibers like polyester, acrylic and spandex. This is largely because clothing made of synthetic fibers are cheaply made. " ~ J.C. |
The “high quality” I’m talking about refers to the material in which the product is made. Thrifters keep a sharp eye out for clothes that are one hundred percent natural fibers. Wool, cotton and linen are biodegradable, which are higher quality than synthetic (not biodegradable) fibers like polyester, acrylic and spandex. This is largely because clothing made of synthetic fibers are cheaply made. Though they may hold up for a while, they are more prone to pilling and are generally not as breathable as clothing made of natural fibers. I think most would agree that wearing natural fibers simply feels better.
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Shop For Style
Rid yourself of expectations and just have fun! A note to those skeptics out there: That “thrift smell” used clothes often have can be washed out.
There is no better way to explore your own style than thrifting. The clothes are eclectic and cheap. I find that I often try on things at thrift stores that I would likely never pick up in a traditional retail setting. But when price is no object, I start thinking creatively.
Thrifting can help you learn more about your personal style. It can be another means of self-discovery — and an environmentally conscious one, too!
Rid yourself of expectations and just have fun! A note to those skeptics out there: That “thrift smell” used clothes often have can be washed out.
There is no better way to explore your own style than thrifting. The clothes are eclectic and cheap. I find that I often try on things at thrift stores that I would likely never pick up in a traditional retail setting. But when price is no object, I start thinking creatively.
Thrifting can help you learn more about your personal style. It can be another means of self-discovery — and an environmentally conscious one, too!
Jillian Crocetta is a New York City-based human resources professional and freelance writer/editor who enjoys writing in the areas of identity, place, empowerment, and health & wellness. Jillian is pursuing an MFA in creative nonfiction at Queens College. In addition to the articles she has written for Sanctuary, her work has been published in Guesthouse and New Voices, among other publications.
