The Rise of the Fashion Resale Industry
There was a time where thrift shopping or receiving second hand goods was largely frowned upon by many in society. Children all over the U.S. were teased during their middle school and high school years because their parents had purchased them school clothes from Goodwill or Salvation Army. Today, through celebrity endorsement of thrift shopping and resale success stories, the negative reputation of wearing hand-me-downs has shifted dramatically.
Mainstream media has helped this trend by bringing the thrift shopping subculture to the forefront with songs such as “Thrift Shop” by Macklemore and TV shows such as “Girlboss” produced by Netflix. Leading to many young people utilizing the accessible prices of thrift stores in order to fulfill their dreams of having a high-end closet for the fraction of retail prices while being praised by their peers for their fashion sense.
Having a chic and cheap wardrobe is not the only advantage that thrift-shoppers have begun to make use of, as many have seen this new trend as a business opportunity. I am one of the many who make supplemental income by reselling clothing online on apps such as EBay or Poshmark. My experience as a reseller has opened my eyes to the endless income opportunities that the clothing wasteland, otherwise known as “thrift stores” have to offer. During the six months in which I have been reselling clothing, I have gained a large amount of knowledge regarding the fashion industry. While sourcing for new inventory I keep an eye out for expensive brand names so that I never miss another opportunity to make money. Another benefit from reselling is that I have been able to maintain an abundant high-end wardrobe, which is something I was never privileged enough to do previously.
Alongside business ventures, reselling has introduced me to a community of fashion savvy individuals. One of these individuals is Jasmine C, a 20-year- old reseller from Los Angeles who says that the resale fashion industry has made an impact on her.
“The fashion resale industry has impacted my quality of life by unlocking this whole world of high end designer fashion that I never otherwise saw as attainable for financial reasons. Resale has also given me a truly hands-on education in consumerism and socioeconomics, from the global impact of the fast fashion industry in comparison to sustainable clothing and high-end staple wardrobe pieces that you wear for years.” Jasmine C said.
Going behind the scenes of the second-hand clothing industry offers a unique perspective on just how many articles of clothing we are throwing away each year. The reselling business can be considered a “green” industry because of its potential to minimize the amount of fashion waste that would otherwise end up in a landfill somewhere halfway around the world polluting our planet. While many choose to purchase from thrift stores because of their desire to be eco-friendly and cost efficient. Resellers are essentially the middle men who spend hours digging for the buried treasures that those potential buyers may overlook.
We invest the time that regular customers would not bother to invest and in turn our trained eyes are much more likely to find a piece of clothing that someone on the other side of the United States was searching for.
Overall, this business is just like any other. In order to be a successful reseller, you have to be self-motivated and in with the trends. Fashion moves fast and you will need to make judgement calls often when it comes to inventory. It is quite possible that something which was extremely popular last week, will not be popular the following week. In an event where a brand becomes too popular, the market becomes saturated with the same clothing and you end up fighting with other resellers for the attention of the buyers.
“… it is kind of a gamble when it comes to purchasing inventory to sell because you cannot guarantee that you’ll be able to sell it. I think part of the reason why I have been quite successful at reselling clothing is due to my love for fashion. It’s truly something I enjoy, and it gives me a very valid excuse to frequently go thrifting, which I would be doing regardless.” Jasmine C. said.
One may think that it is simple to become a successful reseller. What many people don’t see is the amount of time and effort that goes on behind the scenes. Amy Boiss is a 24-year-old who thrifts full time and spends nearly every day of the week sourcing new inventory. Boiss believes that the key to maintaining sales is to source and post at least 50–70 items daily.
Serious resellers view the Goodwill bins as a major source of inventory. When clothing gets discounted at Goodwill, it’s days on the sales floor are numbered. Once clothing is pulled from the sales floor, it finds its way into the last chance outlet where hundreds of customers will pick through massive blue bins daily hoping to find that one rare item that fell through the cracks. Items that are not purchased within a half-hour to one hour time frame will be either auctioned off in large commercial bundles which will ultimately be shipped to third world countries to be sold again or used to fill a landfill.
The fashion resale industry has presented young adults with the opportunity to become immersed in the clothing industry out of both passion for style and ambition for a better future. Thrift stores all around the world have given these resellers the tools to create an empire for themselves if they are willing to put in the work and look amazing while doing so.
