The Dirty History behind Thrifted Clothing

[@NicoleRudolph]

I can’t wait for you to try Lumē! Use NICOLERUDOLPH to redeem an extra $5.00 off your Starter Pack with free U.S. shipping at bit.ly/LUME-NICOLERUDOLPH! Let me know your favorite scent in the comments below.

[@banannakis6723]

I have a question about Lume, how strong are the fragrances? My sensitive skin and I have never been fans of heavy scent, it's not as bad if it's on the lighter side of smell. But it can bring out the itch, sneezing, and migraines if it's a heavy smell that stays heavy.

[@therewillbecatswithgwenhwyfar]

@@banannakis6723 they're fairly fragrant. Especially if you choose the floral ones. The coconut one doesn't seem to be as strong but did you have unscented and they also have tiny sticks that you could get to test out if it's gonna bother you.

[@sallyoakes7709]

Liked the video content except for the Lume bit. Never tried it; never gonna try it. Your knees and forearms don't stink and others, no one knows. Unnecessary. waste of money. waste of resources

[@banannakis6723]

@@sallyoakes7709 They can, especially if you are a large person who has some extra weight on them.

[@therewillbecatswithgwenhwyfar]

@@sallyoakes7709 why is everyone so up at arms about Lume when lots of creators get brand deals? Have you been this upset about any of the other sponsors that Nicole has had?

[@jjez61]

Sadly, the trend towards "thrifting" and reselling things online has started pushing the "thrift" out of thrift shops. When donated clothing is selling for more than its original price, it is no longer thrifty. When CEOs of charitable organizations make millions of dollars in salary, it is no longer about serving the less fortunate. I'm with Nicole. Avoid the chain shops. Go local. Find one that supports a good cause.

[@TheFeralFarmgirl]

Goodwill bins are great though. That is usually the last stop before donations are thrown out. I like them, because I truly feel like I am rescuing fabric and goods as well as getting a bargain.

[@MicheleOverton]

I only recently learned of this reselling trend and I actively condemn it. A low class cruel was to make a living. I knew people were sometimes finding amazing things and then finding their true value on Antiques Roadshow but this current trend is appalling, greedy and classless. 🌼

[@jjez61]

@MicheleOverton There are people who that's all they do. All day, every day. I mean, I can't really fault them for making a living by doing it, but they have driven up the prices for things that really aren't worth what is being charged.

[@amymullen296]

@@TheFeralFarmgirl Particularly good for costumers and crafters. I've spent 20 years sourcing luxurious textiles from the bins to turn into theatre and burlesque costumes at (comparatively) insanely low prices.

[@MicheleOverton]

@@jjez61 and they take away the chance for someone to get a great find they can afford, who couldn't other wise. Perhaps a rare chance for them to feel special. I Love my local Goodwill. I've amassed a great wardrobe, I have so much fun with it, and I'm not for one second going to purchase stuff from online sellers who are profiting by engaging in this. It's almost immoral. The kind person who donated hates this practice as well no doubt.💖

[@sarchalto]

Thrift stores now have used items marked as high as new for the very same thing. Real fun is their forgetting to remove the Dollar Tree $1.25 sticker before pricing it at $4.99...I see both All The Time.

[@phaedrapage4217]

YES! Like, absolutely, I'd love to pay you 4x the original price because my heart, and my wallet, are just that big! I also don't like that fact that anything that's a name brand gets priced higher than what the base rate is for that category of clothes, like $14.88 instead of $5.88 for a pair of jeans. But a decade ago, I was getting brand names on the last chance sales for 88 cents or less. I got J. Crew corduroy pants for 22 cents! They'd want almost 100x that now and there is no more special last chance rack.

[@kimalexander8378]

Have you ever noticed different thrift stores have, what I call, a “favorite price”? Not so much clothing, but other stuff. You go in the store and soon notice lots of items priced at $3.99, for example. Sometimes the item is worth more than that, sometimes less…but the person in the back room, who does the pricing just figures $3.99 is a good price for just about everything!! 😂

[@itsirrelevant4565]

Ex GW employee busy stressful short staffed day Someone donated dollar general turtle complete with $1 DG sticker. Immediately throw it in a cart to go out as is. 2 hrs later my supervisor is over at a “production table” for about 10 mins. Comes over to me and says “we need to make sure not to do stuff like this” flipped over the turtle now with a $2 sticker on it. Then he spent the next two or so minutes explaining to me how we can get more for nice stuff. Oh about 2 months later I got sexually assaulted by his ex wife who was trying to get revenge on him while he was at work, and HR gaslit me into quitting.

[@TheFoxisintheHouse]

😂 I thought I was seeing things!!!!! I too, had the same experience!!!

[@intellectually_lazy]

i saw a cd i boughtr in the dollar store in the year 2001 selling for 2 at the starvation army, "heroes"

[@blackadder1859]

It pisses me off....I HAD to shop at these shops as a kid and these people that are now saying "thrift with me" were the types that made fun of me mercilessly. These fools have driven up the price at thrift stores and honestly, I'd rather it go back to being considered trashy.

[@DORCASDIASRIESMAKINGMEMORIES]

I feel your pain

[@sharonthompson672]

A friend introduced me to yard sales when I went out on my own at 18. About 10 years later ANOTHER friend introduced me to thrift stores. So. Many. Deals. One of my best: $2 for a rock maple night stand, then years later I got the matching chair and vanity on eBay. 👍

[@pippaseaspirit4415]

Our family was extremely fortunate back in the 1970s; there was a second hand shop locally that regularly had beautiful Laura Ashley dresses from a lady who didn’t like to wear the same thing more than a few times. My mother, my sister, and I were the same size, and called in frequently! We ended up with a wardrobe we couldn’t possibly have afforded at new prices. I’ve loved those styles ever since.

[@DANIxDANGER]

I hope they're still in your family! I have one Laura Ashley dress from the 80s and it's the most comfortable dress I've ever owned

[@brucetidwell7715]

I like nice clothes. Even today, I have a closet full of Cole Haan loafers, Jos. Banks, and Brooks Brothers that I couldn't possibly afford off the rack.

[@EdensApple80]

What treasures and great memories that makes! How fun for you all ❤

[@vickywitton1008]

Oh how lovely!

[@TheSapphireSprit]

I remember those beautiful Laura Ashley dresses. I even had Laura Ashley comforters but the dresses were pretty much out of my reach back then. I sure wish they made clothes like that still.

[@Dreymasmith]

One of my ancestors, her sister in the 1870s was "dealing" in 2nd hand clothes. Her husband was a guard on the trains, working for Great Western Railways (this was in the UK). He and his fellow guard were arrested for stealing from a goods van a large hamper of clothes destined for the London 2nd hand market. On searching the house police found the clothes but my ancestor's sister claimed that the garments were not the same ones at all but ones she had been hired to clean and repair for onselling (her occupation on census records had been listed as seamstress). The whole matter is written up in detail in the Old Bailey records. It was noted that she had made extensive alterations to at least one of the garments. Outcome of the case was they were the same clothes, he was sentenced to five years' hard labour (and pretended to be a German immigrant when he got out, but didn't change his name, and opened a bakery) and she was let off as there were children and the courts did not want them becoming a "burden to the state" - which was common to do at the time. She didn't change her profession but she moved the whole family to a different location. Probably not of interest, but it caused me to dive deep into the history of 2nd hand clothing in Victorian England and it really drove home how wasteful we are now. The rag man really was the end of the line for the long life of a garment. Sorry for the long comment.

[@m.maclellan7147]

This was fascinating! Thanks for sharing ! 😊

[@Dreymasmith]

@@m.maclellan7147 You're welcome!

[@virginiacardinal9563]

Please don't apologize for a wonderful story!

[@samanthat7553]

5 years hard labor?! That's such a harsh punishment for what is essentially, the same as dumpster diving

[@Dreymasmith]

@@samanthat7553 not really the same. These were clothes sent to London for resale by a registered seller. The 2nd hand clothing market was big because clothes were expensive. They had been purchased (you could sell your old clothes and get a small return) and were someone's property. It's theft rather than dumpster diving. But yeah, the sentence is harsh, but sentences were. The Victorians were quite punative.

[@burnyizland]

As a disabled person barely surviving on the poverty handout I get from the government I deeply resent the gentrification of thrifting. I can't tell you the last time I bought ANYthing for myself. Can't afford it anymore when prices have gone from an average of $3 per item to $30+ and many things are priced even higher. Many prices are higher than the original ticketed price. The last straw for me though was finding things I had donated(having purchased them from the same store years ago) that were priced as new. Disgusting, the greed! Can everyone please stop suggesting things like I'm some kind of idiot who this is my first day thinking about this? I have tried everything I can access with the resources I have, full stop.

[@orwellwasrightabouttheleft7549]

I just posted very similarly. I am poor. And now I'm priced out of most charity shops.

[@solesticia]

That's not good :/

[@taffykins2745]

Me too. I just made a comment like that. This is the only place I can afford to buy my clothes and these mean and selfish people take them to sell on that one site. That's not what donors intended.

[@AlexisGeier]

It depends on whwre you go you need to find a different thrift I know a store in my town where I can get a coat for 6 dollars and all shirts and pants are only 3 each

[@melowlw8638]

@@AlexisGeier im not thrift savy, but depending on the city, it can be impossible.. in big cities, u have to find the "obscure" thrift shops that have good prices, n avoid the "chain store" thrift shops, n in small cities, or towns, u have much less choice, n in both cases, often the clothing can lack in sizes for fat ppl at least thats what ive figured out from my experience for now most of my good deals were individual ppl who decided to sell their clothes, not an actual shop thats established

[@TheSuluhope]

On handing down clothes to servants: My great great great grandmother was a chamber maid to the mistress of a prominent household (the mistress was the SIL to the prime minister of the day in my country). She gave my ancestor a ball dress, probably as a gift when she married the coach man and left service. The gown was packed down, put in storage and forgotten about, until my grandmother died, and my mom went through the attic of her house. It was as perfect as new, but to the great sorrow of 13 year old me, she donated it to a museum.

[@erinwojcik4771]

Even though you didn't get to keep the gown, it is good that it is being preserved in a museum rather than sent to a landfill.

[@wandamusictube]

Is it still at the same museum? Did you visit it?

[@TheSuluhope]

@@wandamusictube Yes, I did.

[@Waynem.9363]

@@TheSuluhopeI wish you could post a picture of it here. I’d love to see it.

[@TheSuluhope]

@krism.9363 I wish I could, but my mom gave it away before I had the chance to take a photo, and you are not allowed to do it at the museum. My mom didn't take a photo because she isn't in toclothing history. Her interest lies in archaeology instead. I also think she wanted to give it to the museum before any of her (then) teenage daughters tried to pester her to keep it.

[@marygem]

I've trifted most everything I've ever needed for over 50 years : books. Clothes. Furniture. Dinnerware, decorative items. Never did without anything I needed at 10 cents on the dollar. Thanks to generous donators for the past 50 plus years!😂❤

[@TJ-gm2uy]

Me too💗

[@annettefournier9655]

Goodwill is pricing themselves out of the market. Upper management salary greed. Cheaper to buy new at same quality. It is harder to find a good deal there. Small town local thrift stores are the real gems.

[@renpixie]

@@annettefournier9655 My local thrift store occasionally has a garbage bag you can stuff with clothing for $3. I managed to cram one full with a goose down parka , wool sweaters & blue jeans. Laundry soap & hot water works wonders. 👍🏼

[@Shalin_Deniece]

@@annettefournier9655i’ve seen things from target at the goodwill that i seen, with my own eyes, on sale.

[@loricook6331]

Me too. Garage and estate sales!

[@andreamerlin223]

A woman down the block where my sisters and I grew up used to bring us a huge box of her daughter's last years wardrobe. All Bobbi Brooks. We we so excited! It was like Christmas.

[@ildikof9730]

This was fascinating! I live in Hungary and it's practically impossible to buy any natural fabric clothes, everything is polyester here, which I find shocking and outrageous. So I go to the second-hand store on certain days when all items are 1$, and I got many high quality, brand new looking, 100% wool, cashmere & cotton stuff there, the tag usually says its made in a western european country. Also got into sewing, I order wool and linen from abroad and make some of my own clothes. These damn clothing companies gotta stop pushing plastic stuff so much, it's incredibly unhealthy.

[@sheylac802]

Oh we should be friends! I do the same for the exact same reasons QUALITY & Natural fabrics. New clothing nowadays is just trash

[@esm1817]

​@sheylac802 I have found some very well-made, durable items secondhand. Of course there's also a lot of junk, but it's fun to look! I do most of my shopping secondhand now. It's just comforting to know I paid less for something if it wears out quickly.

[@alexmaier5228]

I have a beautiful dark blue embroidered velvet jacket with poofy sleeves (I think it's technically some sort of southern German folk wear but I like to pair it with my 1895 walking skirt) that I found at a thrift store for a fraction of what it must have cost originally and I absolutely adore it :) this year (several years later), I found velvet trousers in almost exactly the same shade of blue so now I have a full, gloriously dramatic velvet suit I never thought I would find

[@TJ-gm2uy]

I never thrifted until 2006 when we were struggling under credit card debt and we had that market crash (we nearly lost our home) we were one of the fortunate ones who got the message that we spent far more than we made…thrifting everything shoes clothes furniture etc showed me I could have everything I wanted! Cleaned up or painted it was just as good for a fraction of the price…hence we paid off all our credit cards and now live on cash only!

[@HannaARTzink]

Same here...

[@caveatemptor93]

Most unique thrift experience I had was donating a dress to a local Goodwill. It was a fairly unique dress that I used to love (and still really liked), but wasn’t using. A few weeks later it my coworker wore it to work! She loves it, and it’s all hers now. I’m glad it’s getting another life and some use.

[@MichaelJohnson-tw7dq]

Rag picking did not refer to picking through discarded clothing for reuse. Rag pickers sold the rags they gathered to printers that made newspapers. When paper was delivered to the printers, the rags they had acquired, went back to the paper mill and were shredded and used in paper production. Paper was, and is, graded by its rag content.

[@OffOfTheCuff]

My understanding is that the rag in paper came from old textiles no?

[@lreeher]

Hence the term "rag trade".

[@NecromancyForKids]

Didn't they also sell them to shops as actual rags for workers and patching etc?

[@vegetable_warmth]

Tiny second-hand shop in a TINY town in rural Australia, I found a ton of GORGEOUS 60s deadstock going for less than $30AUD - like these were untouched, immaculate minidresses and stuff

[@dianeatpeace337]

Wow -- Lucky you! I wonder if they're putting any of it on Etsy or eBay.

[@crwilley]

One of the most surreal experiences I've ever had browsing the Internet was finding a photo of a lifeguard on a beach in Ghana wearing a basketball jersey from my suburban high school - that was the first time I heard of how much donated clothing ends up in Africa via the secondhand clothing industry. I am glad I have a truly local thrift shop available to me!

[@SearchIndex]

@@crwilley one of the most poignant anecdotes in a surfing travelogue that became a Pulitzer winner was the author mentioning how cringey it was to see a poor child in the South Pacific wearing a donated tee that was really meant as a fetish wear ‘baby tee’ for a stripper with an obscene inuendo on it ie: a cartoon cat with the word ‘Pussy’

[@fenn7]

At the local thrift shop I go to, I've seen many of the clothes I've donated on the racks, so I know they are keeping it in town. (Always funny to go through and think "oh, that's something I would wear" and it turns out to be something I did wear!)

[@KathrinFranke-z4c]

My clothes would be unsuitable. By the time I'm finished with them, they're usually too worn out to be of use to anyone else, except for craft projects.

[@lauralake7430]

That happens to me at the used book store and library sale all the time!

[@arjaygee]

I once saw someone in a store wearing what I was certain was a shirt I had donated to Purple Heart. Glad it found a new home after it (ahem) grew too small for me.

[@Scriptadiaboly]

​@KathrinFranke-z4c something it's just weight thing 😅

[@erinwojcik4771]

I used to visit the local stores a week or two after I donated things to find them. I wanted make sure they were staying local. Most of the time they did, especially when I found out Goodwill ships internationally and pays their special needs workers lower than minimum wage "to allow them to keep their government benefits", I stopped taking them donations. No one and I mean NO ONE deserves to be paid at anything less than minimum wage even if it is too little already. The excuse they give is in exact opposition of their claim to be helping people work their way out of poverty. Shameful!

[@Hippiechick11]

Our food shelf has a clothing section, so if you donate clothes to them, they get it directly to those who need it the most.

[@helenl3193]

Yes, one of our neighbourhood foodbanks does the same for baby and child clothes, shoes and toys

[@gisellel12357]

That’s honestly the best way to go. I crochet baby blankets and donate to my local food pantry.

[@ecouturehandmades5166]

As a county worker at landfills, i saw A LOT of clothing getting dumped, especially after estate cleaning, divorces and death. I have Aiger, Coach, Dolce Gabbana and Louis Vuitton handbags, and Hermes and Chanel scarves that i "rescued". There were two women, apparently just my size that regularly threw out clothing, some with the tags still on them, that still hang in my closet. Good brands, no fast fashion. I always have a silk blouse or cashmere sweater that i can wear for any occasion and look pretty darn good, IMHO (lol), not like a county garbage handler.

[@Robynhoodlum]

Thrifting suffers from the “garbage in, garbage out” principle. People complain the Thrift shops are selling garbage for way too much money (which they are), but they feel so good about themselves when they donate the junk they got from SHEIN!😂

[@LightLivingEst80]

Cancer clothing

[@daxxydog5777]

I guess because my parents grew up in the Depression, they considered receiving used items as “charity”. I remember my aunt giving us a bag of my older cousin’s clothes for me and I was thrilled to have so many new clothes! My parents were uncomfortable though and it was never repeated. It made me sad because I got so few new clothes every year. I didn’t care that they were hand me downs.

[@dianeatpeace337]

My parents grew up in the Depression and came away learning the opposite lesson -- Why spend big bucks on new clothes when the neighbors or our extended family members were regularly outgrowing their clothes. In fact, one of my younger cousins says she was around 11 years old before she understood that some people bought clothing at stores. From her experience, 'new' clothes always came to her from a bag in the closet.

[@grayfae3]

i still remember my blue suede shoes that came from a neighbor. loved those, almost wish i had them now….but turns out they were nazis and holocaust deniers. maybe it’s for the best that i don’t have them anymore.

[@hyacinthmoon6289]

@@grayfae3wow that took a drastic turn!

[@donnatelley4532]

I was 7 of 10 children. The sixth girl of 6 girls and 4 boys. All my clothes were hand me down unless my Mother made me something new.

[@wandah9468]

Shame when parents inflict their kids with their hangups, even if it would save them money. Hey parents, next time, think about your pride and the cost, BEFORE dropping your pants. DUHHHHH!!!

[@beagleissleeping5359]

When I was a teenager, you used to get teased if they found out your clothes came from a yard sale or the Goodwill store (which was codenamed Betty's by my mom's coworkers). Now these same people proudly proclaim where they got it and how cheap it was.😂

[@DrinkYourNailPolish]

Exactamundo!!

[@jaded_gerManic]

Shoot, my mom stitched our cabbage patch dolls and most of our wardrobes 😂

[@uptonogood1893]

Same.

[@ChristinaOurWoodHome]

Similar for me in my area! i'm 34 now, and when I was a teenager thrift stores were seen as for poor people or homeless people. Specifically in my small town, because the only thrift stores we had were non profit. My family was low income, so we did get clothes secondhand but I liked it because I had a unique style.

[@beagleissleeping5359]

@ChristinaOurWoodHome ours used to, but now because everything comes from Walmart it all looks the same 😭

[@julieoelker1865]

My daughter used to live in Peru. For formal clothing, they still have custom sewing. You go to an open market, select an outfit from a picture, select your fabric, get measured, and then pick up the finished dress.

[@AysenGuler369-zs1om]

Love that. Wish we have it in the US.

[@orwellwasrightabouttheleft7549]

I went round charity shops yesterday, the prices are getting ridiculously unaffordable. I don't thrift to be trendy, I thrift because I'm poor. And now have been priced out of even buying donated secondhand items.

[@TheFoxisintheHouse]

Q Check the bags left next to Donation boxes. You'll eventually find free stuff you need. Some even have tags on it. ❤ Q❤

[@AysenGuler369-zs1om]

It must be the rents went higher and have to pey for labor more.

[@orwellwasrightabouttheleft7549]

@AysenGuler369-zs1om their rent is free and their staffs are volunteers, manager is only paid one, on about 24k, which is fk all, goods are donated.

[@orwellwasrightabouttheleft7549]

@@TheFoxisintheHouse that would be stealing

[@129jasper1]

@@orwellwasrightabouttheleft7549 No, items not put into the box are considered to be litter. The donation boxes are plastered with signs warning against just dumping stuff on the ground around them. Those items are fair game.

[@Gothlite-i1l]

Brava to you for thrifting! I used to shop at Goodwill, too, until a couple of years ago when I discovered the Big Cheeses at GW make somewhere between $200 thousand and 1 million dollars per year (depending on what internet search you do). I also found out that employees with disabilities are often paid less than minimum wage (as low as 22 cents per hour), whistleblowers have been fired, and safety issues have led to tragedy. Now my fave thrift store is The Humane Society Thrift Store, also the fave of all our town which voted it the Best Thrift Store - even against GW! We also have thrift stores for hospice, Teen Challenge, and other local charities. I try to be even more ethical about where my little money goes.

[@laughmasterk3552]

I'm trifting for many years and I never saw luxury brands in trift stores. And if I saw Coach or similar brands the prices were unacceptable high. Overall now trift stores are unaffordable anymore. How low income people can buy anything? It's a shame

[@sonipitts]

i don't remember where I saw it, but I once read that a very significant chunk of donated clothing, especially stuff that gets shipped overseas, is branded "swag" tshirts and the like from events like races, community sporting events, family reunions, conferences, etc., including a lot of excess inventory that were never worn. Like, a huge amount. I've made it a point to bring up at club events and work if the idea of "we should make a tshirt!" comes up. Almost nobody wears those unless it's a super trendy or personally important event, and soooo many of them get donated or thrown away. At least the 100% cotton ones can be shredded for insulation or torn up for rags, but the synthetic blended ones (which many are, because it's cheaper) cannot.

[@heatherkuhn6559]

One thing that happens is that clothing and souvenirs for championship events get made up for all possible outcomes. After the event is over, the winner's branded swag gets put up for sale in the appropriate markets and the loser's branded swag gets shipped overseas to be sold or donated to people who don't know anything about the event in question.

[@dorismahoney1440]

Also negatively affects the local clothing trade.

[@eagleturtleyarnell7048]

​@@heatherkuhn6559thanks

[@buckeyedav1]

Yes I have several personalized items like my husbands high school coat with his name embroidered on it, 2 jackets we got when we both worked for the same company with our names embroidered on it and a jacket my husband had made for me when I owned a business. My husband's coat we've hung on to is from 1976 sigh. I still haven't figured out what to do with it. He's passed on and it's not my size I guess eventually I'll cut the name out of it and throw it away. Anna In Ohio

[@carolehart1714]

I used to be bullied at school in the 1970's -1980's mainly because I got most of my clothes from "Jumble sales". I later didn't say no to offers of 2nd hand clothes for my 2 children when they were babies. They grow so quickly I couldn't keep up with their growth spurts.

[@yensid4294]

Whenever we have a yard sale people are lookng for toys, kids clothes, & 2nd hand kids furniture/strollers. We don't have children so all of our toys & games are teen/adult 😊 I see plenty of swap meet groups online that specialize in baby/kids clothes & toys. They outgrow it before it's ever really "used" tbh. 2nd hand is the way to go imo.

[@mwater_moon2865]

@@yensid4294 Considering the small stuff lasts 2 months if that! For sure. We used to be able to sell outgrown baby stuff no problem, but once they hit school age, no one wants to buy from a yard sale anymore. And most of the kids toys will sit for years, but the kids' FURNITURE will fly out the door if you price it right. So we ship their clothes (middle school aged) to my mom because near her they have a twice yearly kids swap sale that seems like it's professional, but they use all volunteers and 100% of the goods are just drop offs from locals who clean and price their own things. So she's seen Polo brand shirts with tags still on for $4 and old worn khaki pants for $20! She usually ends up getting a few things for my kids and making a little extra for the work she puts in preping and pricing stuff.

[@sarahkinsey5434]

Add in changing seasons. My cousin is having a baby in November in Michigan so she has had to calculate the baby will probably be this size in this season kind of stuff

[@mwater_moon2865]

@@sarahkinsey5434 That's what totally threw me off with hand-me-downs between mine! One was Apr, one was Oct. The girl vs. boy aspect didn't matter as much to me because I bought all neutral for the first few months since the ultra sound didn't show on #1.

[@gisellel12357]

Absolutely. These days kids are expected to have 10+ outfits. That’s a lot to keep up with as they grow quickly. I have cousin who passes down gently worn outfits to my son and it’s been a blessing.

[@linmol17]

Where I live we can donate broken clothing and used old underewear, it gets recykeld for isolation and padding. Love that they give me a oppertunity to recykel fabric scraps, old worn out sheats. Even the smallest of fabric isn't seen as trash but instead has a purpose as something else, like isolating a house or padding under carpets.

[@mwater_moon2865]

I know Salvation Army used to keep cotton to turn into rags for paper making, but last I heard gas was too $$ to afford to ship it and still make money for it.

[@controlfoodcontrolthepeopl5627]

Gross

[@controlfoodcontrolthepeopl5627]

@@mwater_moon2865 ceo of salvation army makes over 200 k a year, that's gross

[@solesticia]

​@@controlfoodcontrolthepeopl5627 why?

[@wendyreynolds2261]

Thrift stores definitely don't clean or repair clothing now! Consignment stores are generally more choosy, but I saw LOTS of stuff from Shein😡! Overall, the quality at both has diminished considerably. Meanwhile, I try very hard to think before I donate or consign. If I don't wear it because it's crummy or worn out, why would I expect anyone else to?

[@devh6168]

I agree so heartily! Giving useless clothing to thrift shops smacks of the "they're poor and should be grateful" mindset which just so gross to me.

[@ThisIsATireFire]

I joke that my house is where fabric stops. If I can fix it, it gets fixed. If I can't, I checked the fiber content and if it's natural fiber, it goes to the "for humans" rag bag to be used in patches and blankets and eventually end up in my compost pile. If it's synthetic it goes into the "other" rag bag to be used as animal bedding stuffing or floor pillow stuffing.

[@ChristinaOurWoodHome]

the chain stores where i live do not repair or clean, per se. But they don't sell damaged clothes (it goes to textile recycling) and they spray scented disinfectant on all clothes they put out.

[@sarahkinsey5434]

@@ThisIsATireFire To me quilting is where the clothes stop. For centuries leftover scraps from making clothes and old cut up clothes were made into doll clothes, rag rugs, and quilts

[@karenabrams8986]

@@sarahkinsey5434I have a quilt my nana made out of ruined clothes. 🥰

[@chelseavanhoof6398]

I used to buy a lot of my kids clothing second hand. Now I find the prices insane on second hand clothing! If I shop clearance and sales I can get their clothing almost as cheap, it’s wild.

[@woodspriteful]

Thrifting is my only option, but people think my daughter and I are fashionable. I'm picky and feel good about what I have.

[@maryhildreth754]

When my husband had a stroke in 2016, after being an electrician since the 80s, it took a couple of years before his disability was approved, and since I was a housewife and at the time he needed me at home to help him, we had no income. I sold almost everything of mine so we could get by. We had nice furniture and China and some antiques so they all went first. Eventually I sold most of my nice clothes, shoes and purses. The jewelry was already sold by then. I didn't get that much for my clothes but I suppose it was about $150 total, and that was for my nice things and name brand casual things. I was surprised that I was able to sell anything because in my small town it's only donations to thrift stores. I had a yard sale in a central location where most people do that, the same as I had done with everything else. People did buy them. That's my experience with selling used clothes. I've bought plenty of used clothes over the years but only sold them once. Still trying to find someone to buy my wedding dress that I bought used in 1986. It's a Mr Walter brand. Older than the 80s.

[@sayakota3054]

I have to say, I used to love thrifting, if I needed anything at all I would buy it secondhand (video games, dvds, books, clothes, everything). Then a few years ago I got a gorgeous vintage chair... that came with the famously dreaded bugs. They nested in the headboard of my bed, my grandma's vintage baroque style velvet headboard. :( had to throw out everything. Now I'm too paranoid to thrift. I'll still buy secondhand books and manga but they go in the freezer first.

[@kjmav10135]

I really hate to break this to you, but the dreaded bugs can also live in the bindings of hardbound secondhand books . . . Thank you secondhand “Crime and Punishment” with the beautiful woodcut illustrations, which supplied me with the dreaded bugs. Once you get the dreaded bugs, you get really, really paranoid about getting them again.

[@Martinique_36]

I caught scabies and I washed everything what nightmare treating the physical invasion and washing and dry cleaning everything in the house.

[@judithgrace8359]

I frequent two thrift stores and the good thing about both is that everything is steamed cleaned. The owners are meticulous about that. They don’t want to lose clients. I still wash things when I get them home and then I do a vinegar wash. I feel very comfortable after that.

[@dorismahoney1440]

​@@judithgrace8359steam cleaning doesn't kill bed bugs.

[@judithgrace8359]

@@dorismahoney1440 From WikiHow Bed bugs may be resilient, but they cannot withstand the high heat of a steamer. Steamers are an excellent, chemical-free way to treat for bed bugs and other pests, such as dust mites. Steamers will kill bed bugs and their eggs on contact, and thoroughly clean the infested area. When treating an area, there are a few guidelines to follow to ensure that all bedbugs are eradicated in a safe manner. Our Expert Agrees: Bedbugs and their eggs die off at around 121°F, and steam is emitted at 180°-200°F, so the steam is definitely hot enough to kill the bugs. However, the steam needs to applied for at least a couple of seconds in order to be effective, so move the steamer slowly over any surface you're treating.

[@Handmade_at_Harcles]

The rags were not used for clothing. The shoddy trade was an important industry that "re-cycled" old fabric (particularly wool) in the mills. The old fabric was put through large machines that shredded it and turned it back into fibre, to which a small amount of "new" wool was added. This was then spun up again and re-woven into blankets and so on. Part of the bad image of the shoddy trade came from the fact that the fabric used often came from very poor neighbourhoods where there was a lot of disease, and the cloth was not properly sterilised. There was also a scandal during the American Civil War because very poor quality shoddy cloth was used to make uniforms, which essentially were such poor quality that they fell apart!

[@christinehavens2846]

I started an online vintage shop two years ago and frequently source from Europe. I buy a lot of designer goods from Ukraine if I can because I feel like I'm supporting folks there who are living through difficult times. I do most of the repairs myself and, all in all, it's a very rewarding business. I was a winemaker before that, but a fairly catastrophic back injury left me unable to continue in my chosen trade. Thank you for sharing your historical knowledge, it's nice to connect the dots.

[@hampstersquared]

An aside about the rag collectors - my grandfather was a rag man in the East End of London - rags would be collected and sold to paper mills in bulk, where the rags would be pulped and processed and make into cheap, tough packing paper. My grandfather specialised in collecting the leftover scraps from the local tailors' shops - they all knew him and everyone spoke and conducted all their transactions in yiddish, and these were relationships that lasted decades

[@solesticia]

Very interesting, thanks for sharing

[@serahloeffelroberts9901]

There were the ruins of a paper mill near my cousins house. In the 19th century old linen garments were pulled and turned into paper. When excavating the site, thousands of shirt buttons turned up which were cut off and thrown away.

[@Valzora-]

Back in the late 90's my husband saw street sellers in Africa with US sports champion T-shirts naming the losers as winners. Shirts and hats are made up for both teams so they are immediately available.

[@catherinesanchez1185]

They do this for the Superbowl and the World Series. That’s why 10 minutes after they win you see the winner wearing their shirts and hats . Plus, some online sellers make them available to purchase immediately cuz they want to take advantage of viewer’s excitement. I always wondered what they did with the loser clothing

[@gemmamacdonald2211]

A quote from my great grandmother, she was born 1896 in the East End of London: "When I used to go to a school on Mondays you'd see long queues outside the lawn shop. They used to have to take things in to paen, perhaps husband's suit, to pay the rent Mondays and Gretchen out again when he brought his wages home Saturdays" So sounds like in very poor neighbourhoods things went in and out on a regular basis, Sunday best clothes were only needed that one day a week.

[@JaneAustenAteMyCat]

I don't understand the quote

[@hey_thatsmyname]

I've never seen pawn spelled that way before. Is that an old spelling, or just how she pronounced it? And yeah, crazy how people have learned to work that system to their benefit 😂

[@11orana]

Every Friday my granddad would pawn many things to go out and have a fun weekend. Every Monday my auntie, cousins and I would buy back his stuff. Eventually my cousin became a posh pawnbroker and resells stuff like theatrical costumes, musical instruments, electronics and espresso machines.

[@gabriellehitchins9182]

@@JaneAustenAteMyCat speech to text doesn’t like her accent

[@hyacinthmoon6289]

@@JaneAustenAteMyCatthey would pawn their Sunday’s best clothing for the work week and get it out of pawn when they got paid before Sunday came back around. Meaning clothing was often coming and going it seems, in pawn shops at least.

[@annastarr2043]

First time viewer, very informative. I was hunting down & wearing vintage clothing since I was 14 in the 70's! Ended up being a vintage dealer, it was great fun & endlessly fascinating. I'm 66 & still wear "odd" & interesting clothes, jewelry & accessories. I've subscribed ❤

[@melissabruner1224]

Im so grateful for thrifting and second-hand items. I've had a comfortable life because of it. I was thrifting when thrifting wasn't cool. Ha.

[@1st1anarkissed]

It was in Dickens's novels that people were burgling for fabric, robbing the dead of garments and pick pocketing handkerchiefs. All to be sold downtown as 2nd hand goods.

[@SearchIndex]

@@1st1anarkissed Those anecdotes were based in fact and reiterated in a documentary about tycoons. Rich well-dressed toddlers were snatched and stripped in the streets just for their clothes

[@rachelkopel5678]

I am as waiting for SOMEONE to mention Grave robbing for clothing to sell. And of course jewelry too. Thank you. 💕🙋

[@VS-kf5qw]

In my culture, hand-me-downs aren't just passed between siblings but throughout your entire circle of friends and extended family. I'd highly recommend starting up that tradition for anyone who's fed up with thrift stores. Dresses, outwear, shoes and even children's clothing can last a surprisingly long time if they're decent enough quality and well-cared for.

[@Judith-b3t]

There are about 85 people living in my apartment complex. Every other month we have a "Treasure Hunt" . People bring their unwanted items including furniture and clothing, shoes , household items to our community room. All residents can shop for free! It's like a huge free garage sale. People love it.❤

[@robinsydney140]

I hate Goodwill and Salvation Army and don't buy there anymore because they have become so greedy. Their prices are most of the times above a new item. They sell for profit and what profit when these are DONATED goods. And they charge you tax! If, for some weird reason I go there (to wait for someone around the area for example) I go to get a good laugh looking at the ridiculous, outrageous prices. I call them Greedwill and Perdition Army. I have made many of my relatives and friends aware of this and they either go less and less to these stores or have stopped going altogether. Also, the agents at the store are very rude. Another thing that bothers me is that they fight to get up to the last penny from the customer; they have instructed their agents to ask you every time if you want to "donate" that penny. Used to love these stores but, again, hate these stores!

[@VultureSkins]

I didn’t realize the second-hand trade had such a history! Thank you for sharing this :)

[@chrisbrady-t1u]

50 years ago there used to be a bunch of thrift clothing stores on 3rd Ave. in New York,some right next door to each other,they were so numerous.My mother called them ''dead peoples clothes'' because a lot of the clothes were ''donated'' by the dead after they had died.

[@WomanRoaring]

There are two local places I donate to. One helps rehab people and the other is for foster kids. The foster kids one is set up like a store but the kids get to shop for free. I love that so all of my sons stuff has been given to them. I also will put stuff on the local buy nothing group before I donate it. There are so many faux charities that it takes a lot of work to find one that really helps without gouging consumers. Once in a while I will drop stuff at goodwill but it's rare. When I was a kid my grandma sent me to private school. We had a dress code, she also bought my school clothes so I had nice stuff. We lived near San Francisco and there was the gunnie Sax factory where I got most of my dresses. Great quality! So when I grew out of them my mom would give them to her friend who had 3 daughters, the oldest and I are the same age but I was usually taller. They were always happy when we showed up with a bunch of bags. I always liked the idea of giving good clothes to others who need them. I do try to give things to others before it's given to a shop for resale. Comparatively I don't have the pricey ball gowns and stuff but I do usually have decent quality things so if it doesn't fit me anymore I'd rather give it to someone for free than give it to a store.

[@lorettascott5477]

I only donate to the thrift store in my community that gives back because when I found out otherwise I was very very upset even though my oldest daughter is a prominent employee at one now. Family Outfitters in NH are the absolute best!!! I also have donated to the mental health centers as well because the clothes directly go to those that need them for free. Thank you so much for your work on this topic I am really happy to see the truth be told and the historical stories I just live for!!! 😊❤🙏

[@cadileigh9948]

pre synthetics we simply did not stink so strongly . We washed underwear frequently and though we only took baths weekly we washed our bodies twice daily with castille soap and everything we wore smelled of lavender sachets. I happily bought linens, silks and woolens from rummage sales in the 1950s and used fullers earth etc to improve their state and remodled some aspects. Because the quality was high I was presumed to be from a richer family. Then in the mid 60s Oxfam shops opened and we gorged on Tea dresses from the 1920/30s for 10p each . Now Oxfam has designers remaking garments for it's top end stores. Interesting to hear about how the USA managed to throw away their overconsumption past and now like us present

[@mbvoelker8448]

No, people still sweated and stank. But we were used to the odor and smoking was common, which deadened noses and covered up BO. Our noses filter out any odor that we smell too often -- that's why people who use scented products can't smell their own perfume-clouds while other people's eyes are watering from it. I work in a deli where the first batch of fried chicken smells wonderful but after half an hour we can't smell it at all anymore until we go on break and come back in.

[@laurajones4088]

My hobby is sewing and I have friends who purchase thrifted clothing to make into other garments. The amount of donated clothing, particularly fast fashion, is disturbing. Nicole, thank you for a very interesting video and, as always, the well researched and informative content you provide.

[@kirstenpaff8946]

I have been buying most of my clothing from ThredUp these past few years in hopes of getting natural fiber clothing at reasonable prices while also being a little bit more sustainable. Part of me, however, keeps on wondering when there will be some great scandal about the company that will make me feel like a horrible person for buying from them.

[@NicoleRudolph]

I always say it's more important what you do as an individual than what the companies you buy from are doing. Doesn't matter how ethical and expensive if you go through clothing like water. Sounds like you have a good system regardless!

[@joygilman1110]

I love Thread Up! I buy directly from people as well, but with Thread Up nothing ever comes with off smells, and you know exactly what you are getting.

[@MelissaMelissa-ge6jx]

My biggest issue with them is as a seller. I never got my last payout.

[@pulidobl]

@@MelissaMelissa-ge6jxYeah they are shady on that end. Shady!!

[@andreamerlin223]

I love ThredUp. Always clean and unwrinkles. I've also sold clothing on the site.

[@missl1775]

Thank you for sharing this history. My immigrant great-great-grandparents were ragpickers in Canada, and today I'm able to live a life they never would have dreamed of. Their legacy, and the work of other members of my family, are what inspire me to learn about historical fashion and consumption (or sustainability) and to learn to repair my clothes and, as all clothing becomes both higher cost and lower quality, to make my own clothing that fits me like it should, is made ethically (or at least, I'm only mistreating myself) and will last.

[@lauralake7430]

Thats a very cool family history!

[@brkfst4dinner]

Oh man, my algorithm is algoritming today! This is everything I didn't know I needed. Love the history, love the plentiful photos and illustrations, love the new trivia facts I've just learned. Chefs kiss, and I'm now subscribed!

[@twinnish]

I’m a re-seller and get grief from everyone about it (including my own mom ) in spite of the fact that perfectly good and often new/unused clothing gets sent abroad by the TONS each week from dealers who get rejects (often never seen at retail stores because of the sheer volume). I’m proud to find new life for good used clothes. I work very hard to benefit my customers and support my family.

[@Stayathomemomflips]

Same! I'm a new reseller. We do get a lot of hate but we're just trying to hustle to help support our families

[@evasilvalayton758]

You are not breaking the law. Do what you need to do. Let them talk

[@CassandraNadeau-ec1sv]

And as a reseller myself, I know you work hard and I'm sure you're not rich! people who think so harshly of resellers are truly just not sure who to point their anger at. And clearly don't understand that there is ALWAYS a middle man somewhere...and in thrifted clothing it truly is never that serious.

[@kimalexander8378]

Hold your head high, resellers! You’re providing a service that benefits a lot of people. You invested time and money for gasoline to curate those items…as well as given attention to steaming out wrinkles, removing any stains, sewing buttons back on, and, overall, making the item ready to resell. Especially valuable is your knowledge of what the public wants and is willing to pay for. The naysayers don’t take any of that into consideration, nor the fact that when you sell online, you have to share profits with the online provider. All your efforts keep perfectly good items from going to our landfills. When you make a profit, you’ve earned every penny! I’m not a reseller, but a close family member is; and I see firsthand all the work that’s involved in reselling thrifted items.

[@elisabethmontegna5412]

Getting second hand maternity and baby clothes has been considered sensible for quite some time, long before the current trend of thrifting (granted this probably depended on where you were from and your social circle). This was more along the lines of getting them from a friend or a friend of a friend rather than buying from a thrift store (ie my mother made a bunch of maternity clothes for herself that then got passed around her friend group in the 80s). I think the acceptability came from the short span of time in which they were used. Buying a whole new wardrobe for pregnancy or large numbers of clothes your baby would outgrow in a few weeks was considered wasteful, at least where I grew up in the Midwest.

[@horseenthusiast9903]

Interesting! For a while, that's how it was where I live, too. Thrifting is now much more socially acceptable (it's seen as artsy and fun, which ties in with the artsy, isolated, weird vibe my home cultivates), but when I was a kid (not long ago! Just in the 2000s/up until about 2012 or 2013) there was some stigma about buying clothes second hand if you were no longer a little kid (the usual "Too poor for good clothes" kind of stigma). But there was this shop that specialised in thrifted clothes for babies through to elementary schoolers, which was much more normalised. I got most of my clothes that way (most of the rest were hand-me-downs from my cousin, since he was a couple years older than me, so his old stuff usually fit my brother and I just fine), and the rest was homemade or bought new, until I was in 4th grade (at which point I started public school, got bullied for my clothes, and convinced my mom to buy me a little bit more of my clothes new, though we still kept it cheap by using mail order catalogues and buying some new marked down things at military surplus and outdoorsman shops). I remember a friend of my brother gave me a fancy dress she bought at a thrift store in my town, and at first I was a little weirded out by it (I loved the dress, I was just put off by it being from a thrift store). But since I could sew a little, I mended the small tear on the bottom hem and used it in a Halloween costume, and soon stopped worrying about it being thrifted. A few years after that, I started to dress more alternatively anyways, and the culture around thrifting started to shift, so I happily thrifted or made almost all of my clothes after that. But it's weird to think how quickly that's shifted. It's like someone flipped a switch and suddenly thrifting was cool!

[@sarahkinsey5434]

If/when I have kids I know they will have a lot of second hand clothes. My cousin is having a baby girl in November and luckily her sister has three kids and sister-in-law has two girls. She won't need much baby clothes

[@eastlynburkholder3559]

Hand me downs yes

[@SearchIndex]

@@elisabethmontegna5412 same in the UK

[@Catbooks]

Buying vintage and antique (secondhand) clothing actually first became popular in the mid- to late 60s, and then began to take off in the 70s, 80s, and beyond. Thrift shopping was amazing in the late 60s and through the 70s. It's how I fell in love with vintage.

[@dfinite1111]

It’s was so great to shop at those stores then!

[@catherinesanchez1185]

Well, also the vintage clothing then was from Union American made clothing . It was very well made and meant to last decades .

[@edenelsworth591]

In the UK we have charity shops, run by volunteers and stocked with donations. I buy from charity shops for work clothes.

[@lisawalker4399]

I been thrifting since about five years old, and over the years have develop a nice eye to spot most things. Thanks to my mom/grandmom!

[@theresasmith1]

Nice Video. I've been in the import and export of recycled clothing for over 35 years and now retired . Also I owned and operated several retail stores and wholesaled sorted clothing and wiping cloths. The section of video about the donations of clothing going to other countries are false. These are buyers for profit . There's so much more to this industry not ever reported. If you really knew what goes on with these top donation entities you would be shocked.

[@daytime12]

I worked retail for about 5 years and yes I was shocked.

[@Grlnuerongir]

I grew up in a really small town with no thrift store so we had the “Free Box” at the post office. It has several cubbies to sort items and you donate what you don’t want and take what you want. There’s no home delivery for mail there - so everyone goes to the PO and everyone used it. But now the post office moved and people leave a lot of trash costing the city a lot of money to manage it. Every year there’s conflict over keeping it or getting rid of it and it makes me so sad because I grew up poor and really enjoyed being able to get toys, clothes and treasures for free without any stigma

[@Tera_B_Twilight]

First hand account: Prior to the turn of this century, we would buy clothing for a much higher percent of our income; however, it would last and last. It could be hard on middle class or poorer families with growing children, who usually did not wear their clothing out before just growing out of them, but we'd use garage sales, second hand stores, and hand-me-downs to supplement our fashion budget. I think general trends lasted longer too... for most people, we were less concerned about wearing the latest than about clothing that fit and suited us. Keeping up was for the wealthy and famous. I remember when something had been used to the point of uselessness, mom made rags of them - for cleaning things. Old diapers were especially useful because they were made for absorbency. Some of my clothes, especially when I was tiny, were sown at home. Mom's mom had made almost all of her clothing growing up, and she told me that in the 50-60s store-bought was a luxury. I'm not sure store-bought was even an option for her parents in their youth - I come from Colorado country folk.

[@erinwojcik4771]

My mom made my brother's and my clothes or put us in handed down items a lot. We used to joke that every kid in the neighborhood had "been in one another's pants". Until I got my first summer job in high school, Christmas, Easter, and the start of school were the only events that triggered a brand new outfit complete with shoes. This was the late 1980s through the 1990s. Fashion was only for the "city folk". We rural types needed work wear not fancy party clothes.

[@Imanimal-lover]

One summer I worked at a thrift store . I was able to buy clothes I liked from there. HAPPY ME 😊 I became one of the best dressed girls at my high school. My styles were varied but I didn't follow trends or fads. My outfits were modest. 😊 I saved money and felt so good about earning my own money.

[@historical.isolde7918]

When I was growing up in the 90s and early 2000s, wearing second-hand clothes (either thrifted or hand-me-downs from friends and family) was seen as an embarrassment and something you wouldn't want to boast about. Even now, my grandmother pulls a face if I mention that any of my clothes which she just complimented were from an op-shop. These days it is often seen as a point of pride when you have find those great gems in op-shop. When people remark on my outfit (usually early-40s inspired) and I tell them that most, if not all were op-shop (or made from op-shop materials), they are impressed. At this stage, almost everything in my wardrobe is second-hand or made from deadstock/destash sale/repurposed fabric, including all my old-lady nighties (some of which still have the room number from the retirement home of its previous owner on the label). Only my underwear and specific uniform items are purchased new.

[@dorismahoney1440]

U can pull those tape tags off.

[@historical.isolde7918]

@@dorismahoney1440 These aren't tape or iron-on labels, but a laundry marker used straight on the garment's original tag. But I am okay with that. I like knowing a little about my clothing's history and provenance. The nightgown I am wearing right now has "J. Olive Room 7" on the tag. I like to imagine Ms Olive wearing it during the last years of her life. The careful hand mending in one seam. Her loved ones visiting her for last goodbyes. Her family going through her things, trying to figure out who might want such an old fashioned nightie except another little old lady, so they donated it to the Busso Vinnies Op-Shop. And how Ms Olive might just smile at a woman in her 30s seeing a nightie on the rack, in a style that is decades out of date, and buying it without even trying it on. And I hope that Ms Olive's family know that her sleepwear (and Ms Olive's sewing skills!) are being loved and cherished by someone else out there.

[@Marissa_tm]

My mom's cousin is getting up there in age, she's in her 80s and her husband is maybe later-ish 80s. He grew up pretty poor in Texas, I think he had a large family. 7, 8 siblings. The family couldn't afford to buy new jeans and pants for each boy every year, so there were a lot of hand me downs. Holes included. He's absolutely FLOORED now that holes in pants are a thing that's "cool". They used to be made fun of; now it's hot fashion.

[@mbvoelker8448]

I refuse to buy jeans off the rack that are already worn out. The reason I want new ones is that the ones I have are worn out.

[@amymullen296]

I've been thrifting for more than 30 years, everything from household goods to clothes to pieces I turned into costumes.I've seen the rise of fast fashion in all the thrift stores at the same time prices have gone up. But you can still find great things at thrift stores, especially if you have basic sewing and crafting skills and are willing to do small repairs. And if you're a crafter or costumer, don't miss the local Goodwill bins (here it's called the Goodwill Outlet). I can't tell you how many gorgeous saris I've bought at our Outlet for literally pennies, as well as all kinds of vintage textiles. I put textiles in the dryer as soon as I get home on high for an hour to knock out bugs. (Putting them in dry sidesteps issues with shrinking, felting, or bleeding). Then I can wash them in the manner best for that type of fabric.

[@sarahkinsey5434]

Always check the bedding and linen sections too

[@plousia]

Yes in bedding and linen I often find great vintage textiles for sewing

[@angelicanordstrom33]

That's a really great tip! Thank you!

[@elizabethgardner6832]

I looked into this a few years ago and was shocked to learn that many donations to places like Goodwill are thrown away. This is not just clothing in bad condition but items that don't sell quickly. Nor did I didn't want my clothes to be shipped out to places like India or various African countries. It's a lot more work and effort, but I prefer to either sell my clothes to local retailers (who won't take what they don't think will sell) or to organizations that benefit particular populations (AIDS, homeless, etc.) More and more charity organizations are now requesting only new clothes, so I have a binder to keep track of who takes what. I have a hard time throwing clothes away, so I'm wanting to learn how to repair or refashion items that have stains or holes.

[@SillyTeacherLady]

Before I bring clothes to donate, I bring them in the rounds at consignment stores. I just made $30 at one of the places I went today as I was dropping off old stuff! You make some money, and are sure that they are sold to someone who wants it!

[@serahloeffelroberts9901]

Consignment stores are extremely picky about what they will accept.

[@eliscanfield3913]

My rule for passing clothes on is no stains, no rips, no fraying.

[@gurgleblurgle7345]

Don't forget that a lot of thrift stores recycle unwearable items too!

[@eliscanfield3913]

@@gurgleblurgle7345 Mine doesn't; they just give it back.

[@mbvoelker8448]

And no worn-thin places. If it's too worn for me to want to wear it why would someone else want it?

[@eagleturtleyarnell7048]

​@@mbvoelker8448Unless it's jeans . . . then upcharge for the rips, tears, holes.😂

[@sydneyfairbairn3773]

Our family too. We take very good care of our clothes. Hand washing and pressing or steaming as needed. I just sorted through my largest hanging closet, donated 85 items to a thrift shop and gifted another few items to friends. Now I have room in my closet again.

[@billiedavila8636]

We love donating to Saint Vincent DePaul, they really do help so many people in our community ❤

[@pamelaroberts-aue7984]

I had a neighbor and friend who would bid on storage units and they would take all the clothing, sort it wash it and hang it out to dry then donate to various hospitals, group homes, re-hab, women's abuse facilities etc in our community first then to the Thrift stores. Some times she would have yard sales or go to fairs, but she never sold used clothing at any of these venues.

[@suzz1776]

Went to the local goodwill a few weeks back. The clothing costs more then the new stuff at the store. Resellers have really messed up the thrift shops for people who act need it. That is why i REFUSE to give to thrift shops now. When i donate, i donate to places that give the clothes to the homeless and low income people for free.

[@MarshLady-tj6if]

When I was homeless, some of the people would wear their gifted clothes until they could stand up by themselves and get new ones, just throwing the old ones in the trash. I heard ladies in a shelter brag about never doing laundry. It seemed so wasteful to me, especially when there was a day shelter nearby that would do your laundry for free.

[@w8what575]

Resellers are just people trying to make a living to support their families…when they buy something they still have to clean it up, take pictures, describe it and then store it while it’s up for sale…then they have to ship it which sometimes ends up arriving broken meaning they lost money in that sale….ive had this happen so many times because my local post office seemed to think it was funny…I started taking my packages to the next town over to ship them out so they’d arrive intact lol…but resellers aren’t the reason for the price hike…other then they pay those prices to begin with…the more people boycott this price hike the sooner it stops….but don’t hate on people who are just trying to make a small living in an honest way….its how a lot of people survive this economic crisis we seem to be stuck in

[@pamelasmith7740]

We currently have 3 second hand stores in our small town of 5000. One is charity based with volunteer workers, all items donated and all proceeds are given to individuals, community programs and victims of fires and flooding. The second is a consignment business that donates items that fail to sell or are rejected to charity. The third was previously started by a government supported facility called Career Development Center that provides career skills training to people with developmental disabilities. All items are donated. But now, although they continue to provide some skills training, the business is privately owned. Their prices used to reflect their purpose (provide affordable clothing to those in need). Now it's become over priced name brand crap fasion fest. Where the simple clothing gets dumped in the dumpster. It's rediculous.

[@erinwojcik4771]

😢

[@RosaliePacheco]

Love thrifting. I was recently listening to an ep of Betwixt the Sheets, the historian did warn you can still get scabies from second hand items. She said to be safe the best practice is to immediately wash it on hot when you get it home ❤

[@katieserra6492]

Wow! It's actually incredible to me that thrift store owners used to wash and repair clothes for resale. Now they either only accept resellable clothes, throw out unsellable items, or occasionally or donate them elsewhere. I worked at a clothing bank at a homeless shelter and we put things we didn't need in a bin to be sold (probably overseas) or recycled. The community center where I work now throws out items they can't use.

[@ellen4956]

Salvation Army used to take the things that didn't sell to a plant to be made into rags. I think they still do. Then the rags are sold by the bag.

[@dorismahoney1440]

To many clothes around. In my town they are places giving them left n right.

[@sarahkinsey5434]

Clothes now are so poor quality they can't be repaired or it's not worth it. Depending on the garment, stains might come out with a good wash, or could be dyed. I think I remember a clothing reselling place would batch dye stained clothing

[@SearchIndex]

@@sarahkinsey5434 some leather goods are easily refurbished with relatively inexpensive leather dye I bought an artisan made handbag by a local designer second hand for $15 that would normally go for $150 but it had a coffee and wine stain on it I bought an $8 bottle of leather refurbishment dye and the handbag was like new with plenty of dye left over for any further applications

[@yensid4294]

Fleas, lice, bed bugs & rat droppings 🤮 A thriftstore I regularly shopped at (back in the 80s) always had a very specific odor to their clothes/store. I always suspected they fumigated their items before putting out to sell. I would not buy any upholstered furniture 2nd hand & especially not a mattress which I think thriftstores no longer accept anyway.

[@hey_thatsmyname]

If you decide to return a mattress during the trial period (usually 1-3 months), the companies arrange for some place like the Salvation Army to pick it up. I forget the company name, but the one who makes like 12 different styles and are hybrid spring/memory foam did that when I was like "I'm so sorry I love your concept but I hate these F-ing springs, why did I think I could ever go back from memory foam" 😂😂😂

[@alicejones2342]

Family yard sales in the summer are really nice and usually much lower prices than your average thrift store. You can even bargain for a lower price or 2 for 1 in some cases. I do like the swimsuits at Goodwill and the variety of them.

[@sth.777]

For years there was a stigma attached to second-hand items here in Switzerland, as if you "couldn't afford new" if you went to such a shop. But it's more acceptable here now. I grew up aboard, knowing things like garage/yard sales, boot sales (UK) & charity shops, so I'm glad it's becoming more common here at last!

[@lyllydd]

A little disappointed that you didn't mention the controversy around people thrifting in order to re-sell items for a higher price. This is a recent trend that ties in very well with the older theme of making a profit off the backs of people in need, and it’s something that the charity organizations are trying to combat - even to the point of charging exorbitant prices themselves. Glad that you discussed the theatre/costuming. IN the present day, cosplayers, re-enactors, and college theater departments LOVE thrift stores. There's aways something that can be altered or re-made. I have fond thrifting memories from my time in the SCA.

[@horseenthusiast9903]

Your point on thrifting in costumes is SO good. Just about every kind of costume I've made (theater costumes, cosplays, and SCA garb) has required a triple threat approach of buying raw material (fabric, beads, thread, etc, which I usually get from local small shops or online folks I trust), buying used material (thrifted clothes and accessories from small local shops and ebay), and buying specialty/artisan goods (like a disc brooch, a specific trim I can't find locally, a high quality wig, or for my most recent project, 3D printed hand armour plates). I'd say the first two categories are a collective 99% of how I build a costume out, with those specialty bits being the 1% finishing touches. I also love reading about other costumers' work processes, and it's fascinating seeing how much costumers utilise the thrift stores at their disposal. For instance, I have a book all about Star Trek costumes, and a lot of the fur bits used on Klingon costumes (especially the more sumptuous ones) were random scraps from thrift stores. If I remember right, the fabric for Boromir's tunic in the LOTR films was thrifted. And with my current cosplay project (Mandalorian armour), I'm having lots of fun revisiting Star Wars costuming, and noticing a lot of military surplus (which I count as its own kind of thrifting, though it's sort of got its own microeconomy attached to it), particularly with all the belt pouches. The general thriftiness of those costumes is great, too. I grew up wanting to watch Star Wars mostly for the clones and Padme's amazing outfits, which are not so thrifty, but one of my favourite fun costume facts about the original movies is that Luke's pants in A New Hope are literally just bleached jeans. You wouldn't know by looking, because of the care taken to wrap the puttees and style the tunic in a way that doesn't suggest he's in jeans and a simple shirt (even though he's literally in jeans and a basic shirt, maybe a poncho depending on the scene). I love hearing about stuff like that, because I think knowing that "Real" professional costumers hit up thrift stores and use "Regular" clothes even in the big fancy fantasy and sci-fi stuff makes it feel more feasible for us working stiffs who want to make costumes, too. :)

[@lauralake7430]

I get kind of tired of this. I see people leafing through the racks, quickly taking anything with a good label in any size. I can see they are not buying for themselves or their family because thy are only looking at the makers label and not the style or color. They leave with 50 or so garments, and i guess they wash and resell. But i am looking for clothes to wear, because my budget is low.

[@gurgleblurgle7345]

Resellers need income too. The job market sucks and as someone with a chronic illness, I can barely find work that I can manage. Goodwill would have marked up their prices anyway.

[@dorismahoney1440]

​@lauralake7430 that's not their problem. Maybe they are also poor n trying to make some money. I have found gold jewellery at church sales etc. Sold those. If u look there may be places that give away clothes. There is no shortage of clothes. Especially if u sew n can alter good clothes to newer sttyles.or not if u don't care.

[@woodspriteful]

With smartphones, it's so easy to access a larger market. People can do as they wish.

[@kristinamanion2236]

When I was young the local church ran something called the clothes closet where you could either get clothes for free or for a nominal fee. There were many years my wardrobe other than underthings all came from the clothes closet.

[@virginiamoss7045]

In my area in small town Georgia we have an excellent food bank that takes clothing, toiletries, linens, toys, and especially diapers among anything else someone needing food would need. I no longer donate to Goodwill or buy from there anymore. I do like that they train people for jobs so they can have an opportunity to move onwards and upwards.

[@bellacucina3209]

I only learned recently that a franchise thrift store in my area must pay overseas buyers for most of their incoming donations!!!!! You're right on!!

[@subliminalphish]

When i was a child way back , Goodwill would hire disabled and NOT reject broken things like clothing with a rip or appliances that needed repair to resale . It used to be cheap and idk about your area but Goodwill isn't all that cheap and hasn't been in my area. Clothes for nothing costing 1/2 to 2/3 rd it's original cost .

[@vlmellody51]

I studied at the University of Arizona in Tucson AZ back in the early 80s. There was a second hand shop there called the Buffalo Exchange that specialized in trendy and very lightly used clothing and accessories. (From what I understand, it's still there.) I got some of my favorite pieces there, and I kept them in good shape until my divorce, when my ex-husband threw them away. I love to peruse thrift stores, and also donate to them regularly.

[@bellyjewel]

There are Buffalo Exchange stores in the Bay Area, also. I think there are a couple of them in San Francisco, although it looks like the one I used to shop at in Berkeley has closed.

[@angelacole9664]

My very favorite thrift store is a charity shop that helps local families with food, clothing and when possible, utilities. 💕🦇 I will support them in every way I can.

[@ItsCelestia.]

Absolutely love your videos! These sort of topics are exactly what I enjoy about your content.

[@rosebroady6618]

I was shopping in op shops for clothes in the 1980s, I got a lot of really cool vintage items including a 1930s ball gown which I wore to my senior ball. Now these shops have become expensive, bland and rather nasty

[@sandriagutierrez2605]

Even my local Salvation Army Thrift store has marked up the prices so high, it’s hardly worth buying. I Just as well go to old navy or gap and search through clearance racks. It’s cheaper, and new!

[@afreemanpalanca4045]

Also, Salvation Army discriminates against LGBQ.

[@caitgrate6172]

Something I did not see mentioned in the comments regarding the ethics of modern thrifting trends is that there is a whole DIY trend of going into thrift stores and buying larger sized clothing specifically because it has more fabric. Through the mix of socioeconomic and body weight trends ending up with people of lower income being the people who would need to buy larger clothes, that means a lot of people can't afford to shop for "plus" sized clothing elsewhere, especially with the upcharge for anything that looks decent. Some stores upcharge $4-5 for an xxl t-shirt compared to an xl with the reasoning of fabric, I guess, even though that's absolutely ridiculous. So, when these people go to a thrift store where clothes sized for them ARE being donated, they've already been bought by Crafty Connie and cut up to make a t-shirt bath mat or whatever. I'm all for upcycling and saving money on materials, but some actions have unintended consequences and it's important to maybe think of that when you go thrifting.

[@sarahsilverlight2064]

Really interesting video. Thanks so much for the cool knowledge!

[@avivat3010]

Thank you so much for another very informative post! I really appreciate that you're so responsible regarding the research for your posts.

[@PatosdeGuadalupe]

Wow it’s so interesting to think about how now I’ll see a lot of really well to do people thrifting in manahatten because it’s become a really popular t thing to do here .

[@beverleybee1309]

Back in the 1970's, my father was in the air force, we would have "hand-me-around" parties. The wives would get together, with the kids in tow, and sort through clothes and shoes and stuff. Mom would sew our clothes, so they were of really good quality. Her handsewn garments were of high demand. But, this was "normal" for us. We didn't learn that it wasn't a common occurrence elsewhere until we were among civilians.

[@spilltheteaalloverme8810]

Goodwill used to be affordable now some pants are 11.99!! Not name brand labels,I'm done thrifting,twas fun tho

[@Authentistic-ism]

Here we have a large number of small business locally owned thrift stores and a large homeless population. I always donate to the homeless outreach first and anything they don't hand out, they give to the locally owned shops. When I was homless I had a small personal moneymaking gig buying from Goodwills in a rich part of town, cleaning it up myself, and selling it to Plato's Closet.

[@dorismahoney1440]

Thought it worked the other way. Folks that can't sell the items donate the stuff.

[@erinwojcik4771]

I saw quite a bit of that when I worked in Milwaukee. The problem was that the handful of true entrepreneurs like yourself were quickly out paced and over shadowed by the less savory types who would steal the items they were reselling. It readily became a nuisance and for at least the time I was there it became highly suspicious to host a rummage sale and very few people would visit it even if you were in a nicer neighborhood.

[@kathrynoftheshires]

I find it the differences between UK and US culture around secondhand clothing, we don't have thrift stores, we call them charity shops. And while yours seem to be huge more commercial looking places, ours are usually tiny little high street stores.

[@sveme5450]

that necklace and dress combination is fantastic!!!!

[@cecehughleynoel]

I still have an amazing 1930s, silk knit chemise that I bought at a thrift store in 1974. I bought a lot of dresses from the ‘30s through the ‘50s back then as I tried to develop my own iconoclastic style, while eschewing polyester hot pants! 😅

[@plousia]

Those were the days... Now you rarely find clothing from those eras. I have a few 50s dresses and skirts, one 30s blouse and one 40s dress I've thrifted but they are rare finds

[@monimelie]

I use to love second hand stores: unique stuff, prices that fit my small budget... but now it's often same price or more pricey the other stores... 😢 I feel bad to buy new stuff because there is so much clothes in the world and it creates so much pollution but buy old looking (sometimes strained) clothes for the price of new ones is... ridiculous.

[@QueenOfTheNorth65]

Now I have the song Thrift Shop stuck in my head.

[@MichaelRainey]

"I wear your granddad's clothes" 🎶

[@gabriellehitchins9182]

@@MichaelRainey I look incredible

[@Tera_B_Twilight]

Wutwut... wut wut

[@believablefiction1234]

Go pop some tags 😂

[@SearchIndex]

@@QueenOfTheNorth65 a former co worker of mine went to high school with Macklemore