Vintage Resale: Cool or Cruel?
Story by Hannah Heckman // she/her // @hjheckman
Graphic by Anna Kaminetz // she/her // @annakaminetz_portfolio
Used clothing stores are good for the environment because they keep clothes out of landfills while saving you money with their reasonable prices. But, can the same be said about independent vintage aggregation and resale? The short answer: it depends.
At a local vintage market last spring, my roommate’s friend bought a $75 pair of jeans from a handsome and charming reseller. During our conversation, the seller cheekily refused to tell us where they sourced their merchandise. This did not sit well with me, but I did not think much of it until I found the same jeans at a local thrift store for a third of the price.
Since then, I have been hesitant to buy clothing from independent aggregators, as the growing industry is virtually unregulated. My roommate’s friend did not bat an eye at spending that amount on the jeans. However, many folks, such as myself, shop at thrift stores to avoid high prices.
When career aggregators and resellers visit these thrift stores to find new merchandise to sell for profit, they are taking advantage of a system designed for people who cannot afford to shop elsewhere.
Justin Gonzales, a University of Texas at Austin student and former Pavement employee, says that he felt uneasy about working at the popular West Campus thrift store.
“I was just seeing this pattern of people manipulating the thrifting community,” Gonzales says. “The only point of going into thrift stores for them is to take an item and then resell it for more.”
Gonzales also says that he witnessed customers and other employees buy clothing in bulk at less expensive thrift stores and sell their hauls at Pavement for profit.
Witnessing this cycle left a bad taste in Gonzales’s mouth, but like many folks in Austin, he continues shopping vintage for unique pieces.
Fortunately, there are options for weary vintage shoppers in Austin like myself and Gonzales.
Whitney Scott, owner of Wingtip Betty Vintage, works hard to ethically source her clothes and to maintain reasonable prices.
“I've been super poor,” Scott says. “So I like to try to make my shop accessible to all which I love, but it also makes my job a little bit harder.”
Scott said that she buys the bulk of her vintage pieces from non-profit shops that directly benefit different causes, like Austin Pets Alive Thrift, which donates 100% of their proceeds to the shelter.
Unlike many vintage retailers who buy in bulk, Scott buys each piece she resells individually, guaranteeing that the quality and price point meet her standards. In doing so, Scott sets a new standard for ethical resale.
To morally navigate the saturated vintage resale industry in Austin, you must have your own set of standards regarding what you are willing to buy and who you are willing to buy from. The only way to do that is to ask questions and get to know the business you are supporting. From personal experience, if a seller is unwilling to disclose where they source their merchandise or how their pricing works, they are likely hiding answers that would discourage patronage.