To learn more about online (re)selling and shopping, we got in touch with Matt Groll, a professional thrift hunter and the creator of Thrifter Sifter, and mother-daughter thrifter duo LuAnn and Brianna (Generational Thrifter). Scroll down to read more about their thrifting experiences and even get some tips for buying online!
Online marketplaces seem to be on a boom with more and more people choosing to shop on the internet. It’s a good alternative for those who would like to sell things they no longer use or handmade items without having to waste time standing in an open-air market. “I think online marketplaces are popular because it’s so convenient. Not everyone has the time to go out and shop all day, driving around town, when they could just order ahead of time by phone or computer,” Matt shared.
LuAnn and Brianna added that online marketplaces make thrifting and vintage shopping easy for customers and sellers. “Customers can shop anytime, anywhere for lower prices than what are typically found in brick-and-mortar stores. As an online seller, we do not have to budget for rent or other store-related expenses and can keep our items priced affordably. However, I do not think online marketplaces can ever replace the experience of the traditional open-air market. We make long-lasting personal connections with our buyers online; however, at the market, you just never know who you will talk to, what you will find, and can enjoy some outdoor time all at once. There is space for both!”
If you’ve ever thrifted yourself, you probably noticed that besides really interesting things, there are lots of weird and questionable items lying around. Just like these pieces found on Facebook marketplace. While for some, they are worth nothing, others might still find some sort of value in them. LuAnn and Brianna shared that there are tons of items they source that are not necessarily in high demand or worth much… “but they sure are cool! When we find something we love or is just weird and wacky, we buy it. Everything has a home somewhere and sometimes we sit on items for a while before we find it.”
Matt believes that there are many things you could own that are valuable. “How valuable, though, is the question. Usually, brand-name items with high sell-through rates are what will do the best. Other items that are mass-produced or off-brand might be hard to sell and not worth the time.”
When shopping is so easy, sometimes it's hard to find the will to say no to things that aren't really worth buying. Matt agreed that sometimes he doesn’t have the willpower to leave stuff behind. “My sister once said ‘if you absolutely love it you should buy it. If not, then leave it behind.’ For me, I resell items full-time, so if something is not worth selling, it’s pretty easy to leave it behind. Sometimes I’ll find something so weird and interesting and can’t find information on it right away but if it’s cheap enough I’ll just buy it to take a chance on it.”
While you scroll through this list of kind of ridiculous items, LuAnn and Brianna have some stories to share about their odd shopping experiences. “We have been to some weird places in search of vintage treasures. One time we shopped in an abandoned warehouse with no electricity and once in a rodent-infested, dilapidated old home in a swamp in Appalachia. We have found human teeth, antique bed pans, and once a statue of Jesus with his head replaced by a baby doll... creepy. I think some sellers find more value in these pieces than any buyer ever would, so they throw them on marketplace to make a few bucks. For us, it's a pass!”
Matt also shared that he finds all sorts of odd items all the time. “I think some of the weird and odd items people are selling could be things they are attached to, like heirlooms, and have meaning to them. Some people like selling oddities and some things are just flat-out weird. I don’t know why they would sell them, haha.”
We believe that some sellers (especially those specializing in secondhand items) might sometimes find it hard to part with the things they want to sell. Funnily enough, it is the case for LuAnn and Brianna as well. Brianna admitted that she is ‘guilty’ of keeping pieces from their business that she finds interesting. “It is so hard to sell a treasure that would look perfect in my home! LuAnn struggles to let go of things that remind her of her childhood or family members now passed. The memories that vintage treasures hold are part of the reason we love to thrift old things... but they can also make the work a bit emotional.”
As for the advantages of selling things online, Matt shared that instead of throwing things out that are worth money, you can list them online and try to make something from them. “Need to buy new clothes or cookware online? Sell the old and get some of your money back and put it towards something new. Selling online can also earn you a steady income full or part-time. Another advantage is reducing waste going to landfills.” For LuAnn and Brianna, selling online comes down to the connections they can make within the vintage community. “We have spoken to customers across the country we would not have met otherwise. We have completed collections for customers, reunited people with items that their loved ones once had, and connected buyers to other online shops. We have been mentored by experienced sellers and have mentored a few new shops ourselves. It is a beautiful network of people!”
