With so many unusual, quirky and rare pieces hanging around in thrift stores, it’s just fair that the most fashion-savvy have already found their salvation there. For hipsters and fashionistas, a cool thrift store shirt is a must-have that can be resold for many times its original price.
To find out more about the art of thrift shopping and how to get your hands on the most valuable clothing pieces sold there, we reached out to Sean Fowlow, a professional thrift hunter and seller, as well as the creator of the "Ridiculous Thrifter” Instagram page.
“Ridiculous Thrifter” shares “the wonderful, bizarre and insanely overpriced items” found at thrift stores, from Facebook marketplace to secondhand stores and charity shops. Bored Panda wrote about it some time ago so check it out right here to find out more about Fowlow’s awesome and fun project!
The professional thrift hunter and seller confirmed that clothing and shoes are among the most sought-after items by thrifters and online re-sellers/flippers. “Thrift stores sell more clothes than any other item. It's the bread & butter of the thrift industry,” he said.
Fowlow argues that everyone wants to find those like-new garments for a fraction of the retail price. “It's such a thrill to find a very expensive garment and brag to your family and friends how little you paid for it,” he added.
When asked how Fowlow finds valuable pieces of clothing in thrift stores, he said that he only shops for clothing just for himself to wear. “I rarely look for clothing to re-sell/flip online as the competition is too fierce.”
Meanwhile, Fowlow concentrates mainly on video games, electronics and collectables. “Every now and again I will venture into the clothing racks to see what I can find. But most times, I usually come up empty-handed,” he laughed.
“However, in the past, I have concentrated some of my time towards finding retro t-shirts at thrift stores to re-sell online. I did pretty well with 1980s and classic video game-themed ones,” Fowlow recounted. Turns out, they have tremendous popularity and sell quite well. Just like old rock and roll t-shirts and sports teams as well.
We also asked Fowlow what’s up with these crazy retro t-shirts sold in thrift stores. “Certainly the funniest t-shirt I have found on my thrifting journeys has to be the one with pro golfer Tiger Woods' mug shot on it. No title, no words or description... just a picture of his downcast & sad face after he was famously arrested,” Fowlow recounted and added that the person who created this was indeed hilarious.
“I thought to myself, ‘Why would you make this and donate it?’ Maybe it was donated on purpose to make the finder chuckle.”
Living in Canada, Fowlow said that it's common to find the prime minister Justin Trudeau displayed in hilarious ways on t-shirts at thrift stores. “Sometimes riding a horse shirtless (Vlad Putin style), in a royal gown, as a professional boxer or one stating that he is a ‘thorough and gentle lover.’” The professional thrifter gets a great kick out of these. “Obviously the people who created these are certainly not fans of his,” Fowlow concluded.
