A video pops up while scrolling on social media of someone shopping at a secondhand store, where they find a rare and expensive Carhartt jacket that is no longer sold anymore. This sparks your interest and makes you want to go out with friends to see if you can find a unique, cool piece of clothing that no one else can get. As you look for any stores nearby, you come across two different options, thrift stores and vintage stores. This raises the question, are they the same?
In todays culture of rapidly changing fashion, secondhand shopping has become increasingly popular as consumers look for affordable, unique and durable alternatives to traditional fast-fashion retail. Thrift and vintage stores became central to this shift, offering customers goods at a reduced price and/or items that were discontinued due to old age.
However, with the growing attention for secondhand shopping, the term thrift and vintage are often used interchangeably, while they are completely different. Even though they both sell pre-owned, secondhand clothing, antiques, accessories and items, their purpose, pricing and how they pick up the products are significantly different. Despite how different these two stores are, they commonly get mistaken for one another due to their shared idea of secondhand items and the broad movement of fashion.
Garrett Cornelison, owner of The Dust Collective, a vintage shop in Des Moines, Iowa, says we need to to better understand the difference between thrift and vintage.
“Understanding the difference is essential for recognizing the diverse secondhand economy and appreciating the unique value each type of store contributes to fashion culture,” Cornelison said.
To begin, thrift stores are larger companies that serve a charitable, community-focused purpose. Some well-known chains of thrift stores are the Goodwill and Salvation Army. Both are nonprofit thrift shops that operate primarily to support social services, jobs and the community. Their business model relies heavily on donations from the community, which makes their inventory unpredictable and constantly changing.
On any given day, a customer can walk in and find everything from clothes and shoes to kitchen appliances, toys, books, electronics and more. Because the donations come without any cost to the company, thrift stores can price the inventory at accessible, low rates that encourage people from all income levels to come shopping.
The affordability of thrift stores has always been one of their defining features. They do not only exist to recycle goods, but to ensure low-income individuals and families have easy access to essential or desirable items. However, in recent years, the popularity of thrifting has fueled social media. Users on TikTok and Instagram contribute “thrift hauls” and the rising interest has changed the landscape.
Increased demand combined with inflation has caused prices to rise. Some shoppers have criticized nonprofit thrift organizations, but even the price increase, thrift stores remain one of the most affordable options for purchasing clothes and items.
Vintage stores, on the other hand, are driven by an entirely different purpose. Rather than operating as nonprofits or relying on donations, vintage shops are curated for retailers who specialize in clothing or items that vary from specific eras. These stores are usually on the smaller side and are selective, intentional and craftsmanship focused. Instead of random donations, they go out of their way to source inventory from estate sales, private sellers, auctions and wholesalers.
This difference becomes even clearer after hearing from Cornelison, who explains how the two types of stores operate with different goals in mind.
“People see a reseller or you know used clothes and they just have one idea in mind, and that’s a thrift store. They couldn’t be more different, even though we sell similar types of things. Thrift stores are taking anything and everything donated, dirty, broken and discarded objects,” Cornelison said.
One of the most notable distinctions between vintage stores and thrift stores is the emphasis on quality. Vintage shops tend to carry well-constructed and durable items, often from big brand names, made during a time when fast fashion did not take place. Not only do these items stand in the test of time, but they carry a sense of nostalgia or cultural importance that modern fast fashion cannot compare due to the importance of cheapness to the company over quality.
“Myself and the other people that curate this store, go to great lengths to find the best. Then they research it, clean it and repair it. There’s a certain care, I think that the vendors take, and they also have a very specific eye usually when they are sourcing certain things,” Cornelison said.
As secondhand shopping continues to grow, it becomes even more important to distinguish between different types of stores that shape this cultural movement. Thrift and vintage stores may both offer pre-owned items, but they have key differences such as purpose, pricing and curation. Recognizing what makes them different not only helps the customers but also highlights the diversity in secondhand fashion.
