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A12 BUSINESS
Wednesday 30 november 2022
Millennial Money: 4 reasons for thrift

store gifts this year

KELSEY SHEEHY of NerdWal-
let
Thrifting is hot, and Good-
will finds are cool again.
But while we’re thrilled to
find the perfect throwback
tee for our own closet, gift-
ing used goods still carries
a stigma for some.
It shouldn’t.
Secondhand gifts are bet-
ter for your wallet, your
community and the en-
vironment. “The planet is
drowning in excess stuff,”
says Lauren Bravo, 34, the In this June 9, 2021, file photo, a sign announces that a Goodwill
London-based author of store is open in Santa Monica, Calif. Associated Press
“How to Break Up With Fast
Fashion .” that go along with pack- ness owners say holiday
“It feels more sustainable aging and shipping items. sales like Black Friday and
to buy from things that are 2. SECONDHAND IS MORE Small Business Saturday are
already out there in the BUDGET-FRIENDLY: You important to the success
world than adding to the may have noticed, but ev- of their business, accord-
demand for more, more, erything is more expensive ing to a new NerdWallet
more.” right now (inflation hit a 40- survey of over 3,000 U.S.
Not convinced? Here are year high in September). adults (including more
four big benefits of sec- Even with rising prices, buy- than 900 small-business
ondhand gifts, plus a few ing secondhand is almost owners) conducted online
tips and ideas to help you always less expensive than by The Harris Poll from Oct.
thrift a gift this holiday sea- buying new. 3-5, 2022.
son. This author was recently Money spent at small lo-
THE CASE FOR SECOND- gifted a set of eight vin- cal shops typically stays in
HAND GIFTS tage cocktail glasses, the community, supporting
1. IT’S BETTER FOR THE EN- which my parents scored jobs and other businesses.
VIRONMENT: Fast fashion for 50 cents apiece at a Popular nonprofit thrift
and fast furniture gener- local thrift store. (Yes, they stores like Goodwill and
ate an incredible amount left the price tags on.) A Habitat for Humanity Re-
of waste. In 2018 alone, similar set from Anthropolo- Store give back to the lo-
nearly 21 million tons of tex- gie currently sells for $56 for cal community in many
tile waste, furniture and fur- a set of four. other ways, too. Sales from
nishings ended up in land- And Bravo says shopping items purchased at Habitat
fills, according to the most thrift shops allows her to gift ReStores, for example, help
recent data published by higher-quality items. to build and rehabilitate
the U.S. Environmental Pro- “I can afford to buy pricier homes for local families.
tection Agency. brands for people if I get 4. THRIFTED GIFTS HAVE A
Buying a sweatshirt, jacket, things secondhand,” she HISTORY: There can be
vase, side table or virtu- says. something special about
ally any other thrifted item “And, frankly, they’re often a book, handbag or ar-
keeps it from landing in a still brand new in their box.” ticle of clothing previously
heap at the dump or on 3. YOU SUPPORT SMALL owned by someone else.
some foreign shore (where BUSINESSES: Vintage shops The item lived another life
much of our donated and thrift stores are almost and sometimes quite liter-
clothing lands). always small businesses ally has the notes to prove
Most secondhand pur- and they’re counting on it.
chases are made locally, your support this holiday “My wife bought me a
too, so you avoid many of season. book of love poems from
the environmental impacts In fact, 73% of small-busi- a secondhand bookstore,
where the previous (book)
owner and his/her partner
wrote notes to each oth-
er,” says Michael Morris, 45,
who lives in Brooklyn and
runs a men’s lifestyle web-
site. “It’s a book of love
poems with a real-life love
story in the margins, and
it’s unbelievably touching.
It’s one of my prized pos-
sessions.” q