Gee Thanks, Just Bought It (Secondhand): on the Surge in the Resale Biz

To say resale clothing sites are having a moment would be an understatement. In addition to clothes, what else are people buying and selling secondhand? We surveyed 1,325 Americans aged 18 to 64 to find out.

While just over half overall have bought or sold clothing or accessories on resale sites, those under 35 have particularly leaned into this phenomenon.

The top benefits of buying and selling secondhand clothes:

• “I can buy items from brands I normally can’t afford” (54%)
• “The quality of the items is generally good for the price” (50%)
• “I can make extra money selling items I no longer use” (47%)
• “Resale sites are making a positive impact on the environment” (37%)

As for other items they’ve bought secondhand or would consider buying, exercise equipment draws intrigue (over eight-in-ten have bought it secondhand or would consider doing so).

The item over eight-in-ten would never even consider buying used? Mattresses.

Craigslist and Facebook Buy and Sell groups are common sites for buying & selling secondhand items, however, safety considerations are not lost on our members. Two-thirds of females have concerns meeting strangers to buy or sell items and would either insist on having someone they know with them to meet a stranger for the exchange (52%) or simply be too worried to even attempt this (14%).

Searching for insights on consumer purchase behaviors? We’re happy to help!