It’s not unusual these days to spot a Bergen County high schooler dressed in designer clothing from head to toe. You figure he or she must hold a lucrative after-school job or two to be able to afford pricey labels such as Burberry and Gucci—or maybe there’s a trust fund. But truth to tell, rocking these brands can be easy on the wallet if one shops at thrift stores— or on their fast-growing cousin, the online secondhand marketplace.
Making purchases that way—they call it “thrifting”—has become a much more popular option in recent years. Of course, the Salvation Army and Goodwill have long offered secondhand clothing and household items, but shopping there was sniffed at by some as a recourse for the needy or the obsessively cheap, and flea markets were hit-or-miss. Today, secondhand buyers seem to be having the last laugh. Citing recent statistics from GlobalData’s retail report, Business Insider predicts the resale market is expected to increase from $32 billion in 2020 to $51 billion in 2023.
Why the change? Economics, of course, plays a major role. Paying top dollar for quality clothing isn’t as feasible for some, but those famous brands can be deeply discounted when they’re bought secondhand. A shift in attitude regarding the environment has also helped to drive the trend. Thrifting supports sustainability, as it reduces clothing manufacturing—a process that can be taxing on, and send pollutants into, the environment. In addition, keeping clothing in the donatingreselling-buying cycle naturally keeps items out of landfills.
But for Waldwick resident Conor O’Hara, thrifting all goes back to the old adage “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.” “The hunt for something special is part of it,” O’Hara admits, noting that he often finds used shirts by Brooks Brothers, J.Crew and Ralph Lauren, but has also come across luxury labels such as Armani, Versace and Moschino. His most memorable discovery is a Longines watch he found in the nowclosed Paramus Goodwill. “To be sold in these stores, everything has to be in good, wearable condition,” he says. “A shirt may be considered used, but it’s new to me and everyone who sees me wearing it.”
O’Hara has also taken his treasure hunting to online venues such as Facebook Marketplace and eBay. Marketplace, he says, is more user-friendly and easier for establishing a buyer-seller relationship. That’s one of the reasons why, according to CNET, the feature on the social media site has more than 800 million monthly users. Today, O’Hara uses it to sell items, specifically some of the pieces he finds at Goodwill, Plato’s Closet and other brick-and-mortar stores. “It’s a way to earn extra income,” he says, noting that he may, for instance, purchase a used T-shirt for $4 and resell it on Marketplace for $8.
“When you’re looking for fashion in stores [to sell online], you want to pay attention to current trends and find clothing that can fit the trends,” says O’Hara. “Athleisure and workout apparel are hot, while brands like Under Armour, Disney and vintage Champion are popular.”
Cheryl Granger of River Edge began using Marketplace in September as a way to clear housewares and décor items from her home as well as pieces recently inherited from her parents and in-laws. “I was going to have a big garage sale in the fall, but with COVID I felt I couldn’t do it,” she says. “I started posting on Marketplace, and now I really enjoy doing it.” Though she cross-lists clothing on sites like Poshmark and Mercari, Granger conducts most of her business on Marketplace. In fact, she earned a “super seller” badge from Facebook after just four months and has been helping friends get into selling on it as well.
20 specialized Facebook groups. “Facebook is a perfect place for moms looking for information, groups for their kids, places to buy and sell,” she says. “It’s much easier selling on Marketplace because I can target all those groups.”
Making the item attractive with words and photos, says Smith, also contributes to a sale. “I believe describing the item in an exciting way is a great way to entice a buyer,” she says. “A blank background such as a clean colored wall makes the item stand out. Background clutter is a big no-no. And laying out clothing neatly is important, as is including pictures from different angles.”
Smith, Granger and O’Hara agree that appropriate pricing and maintaining communication with an interested Marketplace buyer are just as important as a good presentation. “I always do research on the computer to see what the going price is for an item,” notes Granger.
“It’s important to price it right,” adds Smith. “Be sure to respond quickly to potential buyers because there’s a lot of competition out there, and offering electronic payments such as Venmo, PayPal and Zelle is a great way to attract buyers. Like every buyer, I’m always interested in a good deal.”
THE GARAGE SALE GOES VIRTUAL “My advice for posting is to clean the item, take good pictures, describe the pieces the best you can and be truthful,” Granger says. “If there is an issue with an item, I always take a picture of it and note it in the description.”
Park Ridge’s Kristine Smith is another “super seller” whose Marketplace business, which features mostly women’s and children’s clothing, has grown during the pandemic. She links her success in part to the site’s cross-posting feature, which allows a user to share his or her Marketplace post with up to BERGENMAG.COM
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MARCH 2021
With ongoing concerns about COVID, traffic and general safety, old-fashioned garage sales and flea markets are slowly being replaced by online marketplaces as the go-to venues to buy and sell used goods. Bergenites have found success using a variety of sites. Here are a few: • Craigslist.org, general goods • Etsy.com, fashion, home and crafts • Facebook.com/marketplace, general goods • Grailed.com, men’s fashion • Mercari.com, fashion and home • Poshmark.com, fashion • Therealreal.com, fashion • Thredup.com, fashion • Tradesy.com, fashion