Hi all, for this first post I thought I would explore more about the history of thrift stores and give the information that I discovered. The history is a good starting point for this blog as we will jump further into aspects of thrift stores in the coming weeks. It is interesting to note the shift in public perception of thrift stores from their inception to the present day.

Then: Repurposing is a concept that is old as time. In olden times, people found many creative ways to repurpose an item once it had reached its intended end for them In the late 19th century, the Industrial Revolution allowed for the mass producing of clothes. This diluted the need to buy used items. The production was so much and clothing was cheap that it was just easy to keep buying new. People that bought from thrift stores in this era were seen as poor. Eventually in the 1920s, people began to realize that there was a real opportunity to make money in the industry. Industry giants like Goodwill and Salvation Army began to organize and open many stores. This was also when the word began a rebrand, going from charity shop to thrift store. The great depression and the world wars caused more people to seek out thrift stores to find deals as well as survive

Now: Thrift stores have seen a surge of popularity in recent years as the perception of items being from these stores has faded. People have found excitement with finding goods that still have use to them at a discounted rate. The term, thrifting, has emerged as many spend their money at these stores instead of paying full pay price for the same. Studies have suggested that a large number of people prefer to spend their money on companies that donate to charity. In the United States specifically, there are over 25,000 thrift stores. Most notably dominated by chains such as Goodwill and Value Village/Savers.

Me: I first starting to go to thrift stores after I turned 16 years old (2014). I had just gotten my driver’s license and a car. I wanted to find any excuse I could to get out of my house and use my new freedom. As years progressed, I found myself going to my favorite locations at least once a week. Once I moved into my own place, most of the items in my apartment had come from a thrift store. These items still have a life to them and I am just carrying on their use that was forgone by previous owners. The biggest appeal for thrift stores is the aspect of saving money on items that cost much at large retailers.

There is my brief inquiry into the history of thrift stores. The perception of them has altered and is now seeing more and more people frequent these shops. Thrift stores will not be disappearing any time soon as it is a trend that continues to rise.