You step into a store crowded with clothes, the air is stuffy and there’s a fuzzy old dog laying on the floor. Little knick-knacks shine in your eyes from a 1 dollar counter area.
Thrift stores. If you’ve ever been to a thrift store, then you’d know most of the time you can find clothes for cheaper prices than your average shop. Some people go to thrift stores for the fact of more clothes for less money, some go because they can’t afford brand based items.
Due to tariffs and the economy, prices for clothes have been rising. Though thrift stores have managed to stay cheap. They depend on people donating clothes, which means they don’t need to spend money on any products, especially expensive imported ones.
Let’s talk about the rise of thrifting, recently more people in the United States have been choosing it as an option. Mainly the younger generations, like gen z and millennials, it’s become a trend.
While thrifting you can find many different things. Furniture, everyday clothes, shoes, books, household items, cooking appliances, and even formal wear and prom dresses. Having access to a thrift store near you with formal wear can be a gift, you can buy cheaper homecoming and prom dresses without spending hundreds on a dress you won’t wear more than once.
Every thrifted piece of clothing has a story. When you buy used things you could possibly be wearing something that’s part of another person’s memories. Which is a unique thing to be able to do.
While at these types of stores it’s also good to be able to map out what to buy and what to not buy. Furniture wise you want to make sure possible paint on the item isn’t chipped, and any wood on the item is in good condition.
If you’re shopping for clothes the best idea is to check for stains, rips or tears, and see if things are in good condition to even wear.
A lot of people will buy furniture in bad condition, or appliances falling apart to make it a project and refinish the items.
It might be surprising to some people when they realize how many people around them are wearing thrifted or reused clothing. It’s better for the environment and consumerism.
Mass Value thrift store in Leominster, Massachusetts has been in business for three years. All items in the store are only 5 dollars on Fridays and Saturdays, 3 dollars on Sundays, and 2 dollars on Mondays through Thursdays.
Staff member Zoey Dyment has been working at Mass Value for around a year and three months. She said, “On an average weekday we get around 50-100 customers.” On Saturday and Sunday it’s especially busy, “On an average weekend we’ll usually have 300-400 customers.”
Since prices are so cheap, Dyment told us, “When customers come down here the most amount of money I’d say they’d spend is about ten dollars.” She explained her favorite part of working in the store, “Probably getting access to all the clothes, and not spending as much money online shopping.”
“My least favorite part of working at the store would have to be hanging clothes, I don’t really like doing laundry,” she added. Which is understandable. Working at a thrift store would most likely give you a lot of responsibilities.
