Budget-conscious shopper points out glaring problem with thrift shops

"It's actually cheaper to go and buy new items from Kmart and Big W than shop here," one woman said after seeing the eye-watering cost of a no-brand trench coat.  

In a post to an Australian fashion Facebook group, a budget-conscious shopper started a heated discussion about the unexpectedly high costs of thrift shopping nowadays. 

The woman took to the group after finding a no-brand trench coat at a Salvos store priced at $200.

She began her post by saying, "I love to thrift, and I see it not only as supporting charity work but as part of a cycle where clothing is used and reused rather than ending up in landfill and slowing the fast fashion machine."

The woman continued: "I went to the Salvos yesterday and a no-brand trench coat was going for nearly $200, and a new trench is going for $45 in Kmart."

"Pricing like this helps no one, especially the planet," she concluded, opening up the discussion for people to weigh in with their thoughts.

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Image: Facebook

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Worth it or overpriced?

Her concern resonated with hundreds of group members. One commenter shared that they recently spotted worn kids’ shirts from Kmart, originally priced at $5, for $10 at their local Vinnies. "What’s the point in buying second-hand when they do that?" she asked.

Someone else lamented, "In a cost-of-living crisis, many people cannot afford to shop at second-hand stores. They’ve outpriced themselves."

"It might be a good quality brand, but it’s not worth $195 second-hand. You can find them all over Google second-hand. While not comparable to the Kmart trench, it’s not worth that much," a third chimed in.

Someone agreed: "I'm not asking for it to be $45 because I know it’s higher quality, but I'm at an op shop because I can't afford $200 for a trench."

"Our local Salvos store is getting so much criticism for its prices, too. It's actually cheaper to go and buy new items from Kmart and Big W compared to some of the prices they are marking on clothing," one woman shared. 

Then someone else pointed out the irony of it all, saying: "Not to mention that op shops were originally set up to provide goods to low-income people that couldn’t afford new. That opportunity has well and truly gone with these prices now catering for a completely different market.

"It’s a real problem in gentrified areas such as Surry Hills, where there’s a wide mix in demographics of high-income young people and older, long-time low-income locals who would have relied on these places."

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"I don't see the issue"

On the other hand, others saw the value of second-hand finds, especially designer items. 

One thrift shopper shared a positive experience, "I don’t really see the issue with that… my local Vinnies had a Burberry coat for a couple of hundred dollars, and it sold - so that’s money to a good cause, isn’t it?" 

Someone else echoed this, saying that the prices were justified because "the money goes to a good cause."

"If you don’t like the prices at an op shop, don’t buy it," they added. 

And then this commenter provided a balanced take, saying, "Agree! No issue at all with paying market value for designer items, and op shops making money for charity, but some prices are over the top. They risk turning us ‘treasure hunters’ away. I love seeing young fashionistas (of all genders) op-shopping now. OTT pricing will discourage them."

It’s clearly a nuanced issue, so where do you stand on the issue?

Tell us in the Facebook comments. 

Originally published as Budget-conscious shopper points out glaring problem with thrift shops