By Bretton Thacker, Special to the Journal
The art of shopping is difficult because items have gotten extremely expensive. Imagine you’re strolling down a street with a lot of preppy boutiques, and you stop in one. You see so many stylish clothes, so you check the price of one you absolutely love, just to see a $300 price tag. For some, that’s the end of your time shopping in that store, leaving you discouraged and thinking you can’t have clothes like that, but what if I told you there was another way? You have to start by shopping smarter. College students can save money and still keep up with trends by knowing how to shop secondhand.
Thrifting and resale can help college students save money while still keeping up with trends. There are a ton of options for finding pieces secondhand, like consignment stores, Depop, Vinted, and Facebook Marketplace, just to name a few. There are many unique items in these stores at discounted prices.
Secondhand shops give good-quality clothing a chance to have a longer life. People often get tired of clothing quickly, even when the items are still new and trendy. Resale gives those clothes another chance to be worn, while also giving shoppers the option to find vintage items if that’s their style.
Local thrift stores are a great option because of the in-person experience you do not get with online sites. I interviewed Sydney, the owner of Revival Boutique, which is about ten minutes from Pellissippi State Community College’s Hardin Valley campus. She has been running the store for two years and described herself as “a walking Depop.” Sydney finds her items at estate sales and other places rather than through donations. She also tries to keep her prices affordable so the community, especially college students, can find their personal style. She said jewelry is especially popular with college students because good secondhand jewelry can be hard to find. Revival also has a unique personal touch because Sydney knows many customers by name and remembers their sizes and preferences. During our phone call, Sydney decided to create a 15% discount for Pellissippi State students. Students can receive the discount by mentioning Pellissippi State or asking for the college discount.
There are a few apps available: Vinted, Mercari, Poshmark, and Facebook Marketplace, but Depop is my favorite resale app due to its low prices and the community feeling. When I shop on Depop, I get very specific because that is how I find the perfect item. I filter by specific brands and sizes and use the photo tool to find similar items from a photo I take. Let’s go back to the example of seeing a dress I love in the boutique. I snap a photo of it, put it into Depop, and it shows me someone is selling that exact dress for $50. That might seem like the best deal out there, but it gets better. Depop has a feature similar to eBay’s, where you can offer a lower price, and the seller can choose to accept or decline. So if the seller accepts the offer of a lower price, that means an even better deal. As a college student, I have learned how to save where I can because every dollar counts when saving for my future.
Local places on the map from left to right: The Consignment Shoppe @ Campbell Station, Revival Thrift Boutique, the several KARM locations on Kingston Pike, and Katie’s Kloset, all within about 15 minutes of the Hardin Valley campus.
To start the search for clothing that possibly interests me, I normally will find something for inspiration. Once I find something I like, I will check the seller’s profile to see if they are reputable and a five-star seller. If they meet my criteria and the item is at a good price, I will purchase it. I recently went through my closet and tried on every item that I have not reached for in some time. I looked in the mirror, and if I would never wear it or it did not fit correctly, then I listed it on my own Depop page. When someone buys an item, it gives it a chance to be used more, rather than me just trashing it.
The best thing about resale is when you find something that you truly did not know you could find cheaper. Resale allows items to be accessible to someone without the budget for the retail price. I have learned that saving money can take a little more effort than just instantly buying an item, but the financial impact is worth it. If you live near Pellissippi State, you can start by visiting Revival Boutique and asking for the new 15% college discount.
