Value Village, Talize, Salvation Army, and Plato’s Closet are all amazing sources for unique second-hand finds. They enable us to practice sustainable purchasing all while still staying fashionable. Although most thrift finds are diamonds buried deep within the treasure mines that are the countless racks and shelves, it comes with no surprise that many of our thrifts can depend heavily on the donation supply. In other words, a good thrift find also comes with some good luck. Speaking of the packed racks and shelves, who knows how many things we’ve passed up on simply by walking past it on the rack?! On top of that, if you’re like me, a passionately indoor person, having to leave the house for hours to sometimes come up short on thrift finds can often get tiresome – what I’m really trying to get at here is that in person thrifting presents its own problems.
Behold, online thrifting. With the creation of apps like Depop, Poshmark, Vinted, and one of my personal favourites, ThredUp, second hand selling and purchasing has solidified its online presence and accessibility. Aside from all of these options, a new and rising alternative to thrifting is made possible through Instagram.
Instagram thrifting accounts equate to small businesses often run by like-minded thrifters whose goals align with taking part in slowing down fast fashion. The general blueprint of these small businesses follows as: obtaining inventory, whether it be personally sifting through all the clothes offered at an in-person thrift store or cleaning out their personal closets, pricing and modelling of the items, posting each item, and completing the transaction by personally shipping the clothes out through a preferred delivery system.
This relatively new method of thrifting presents a convenience and ease for buyers. Never having to leave the comfort of your home but still taking your part in second hand purchasing while working towards the ultimate goal of slowing down fast fashion. I prefer thrifting through Instagram because it makes the whole experience more intimate and friendly – small business owners who care about the quality of their interactions between their buyers. I’ve been on these Instagram thrift pages for a number of years now and I have only ever had good experiences with the account owners. Ultimately, I think these accounts foster and nurture a positive thrifting community between like minded buyers and I am so in love with it. Below, I list a number of reliable and friendly accounts that I enjoy frequenting, as well as a copy of a quick interview I had the joy of taking with one of the wonderful business owners, @sustainablethredz <3
INSTAGRAM THRIFTING ACCOUNTS TO LOOK OUT FOR:
@browsenshoppe
@findsbylee
@_hedoum
@ebthriftshop
@ohorangethrift
Q: In one quick sentence, how would you describe the online, specifically Instagram, thrifting community?
A: I would say that IT IS A LOT to take in especially if you’re new to the community, there are a lot of different “agendas'' and “aesthetics.” But I would say the one thing that unites everyone is that we all know how important the purpose of our thrifting community is to our environment, as well as the supportive group of not just the “seller” but also our valued customers that keep us continuously loving what we do.
Q: What is the best part about running your small business? The worst?
A: It’s very ironic but I would say the sourcing part is the best and worst part of it. Don’t get me wrong, I do love going to thrift stores, finding unique pieces can be very satisfying and fulfilling in a way, but sourcing can also be a big hit and miss, and it doesn’t look as easy as it is. The stress of going from store to store and sifting from rack to rack can sometimes be overwhelming for me. The aftermath is also extremely frustrating from sanitizing the items to organizing the inventory – it really is overwhelming and time consuming too.
Q: What is your preferred method of thrifting? Online (Depop? Instagram? Facebook?)? In person? Upcycling?
A: A: I actually do all of them, I like to maximize my chances.
Q: Why do you think this kind of business (Instagram thrifting) is essential in our efforts towards sustainability?
A: Well we all have this common knowledge that thrifting can have a positive impact into contributing for the betterment of our environment as well as living a more sustainable life, and I think that online thrifting business really helps most people who don’t have the privilege and time to go thrifting because ou business already offers a well curated collection whereas we already went through all of the racks for you and thrift these unique pieces. Our businesses have become this platform where we can make thrifting more accessible for everyone who wants to contribute to our mission to reduce the amount of clothing that goes into landfills.
Q: What are some dates (i.e new drops/sales) that we should be looking out for soon?
A: I have weekly curated drops on my website!
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