10 Thryft Myths You Can Officially Stop Believing

Okay bestie, let me guess—you’ve found yourself scrolling social media feeds full of thrift hauls so expertly curated they’d make Martha jealous.

You’re intrigued—curious, even.

And you’d totally dive in, but you’ve stumbled into the comment sections and read things so unhinged they’d make Springer blush. Never mind that the thought of rummaging through old junk gives you the ick.

Listen, I hear you. There’s probably no shortage of horror stories and hostile commentary dissuading you from frolicking off on your own thrift adventures.

And honestly, bestie, if I was a lesser person, I would totally leave you to live in your world of thrift myths and misconceptions. But then who would I gossip with about outrageous secondhand prices—or giggle with over deals so insane we’d both end up double-checking the math?

Which is why I’m busting the myths and spilling the tea—because you, my darling, are invited to join me in my thrift obsession.

We’re diving into the nitty-gritty of the thrift world—everything from who actually shops secondhand to how dirty it really is.

So brace yourself, because we’re about to get into it—starting with the million dollar question: could you even?

1. Thrift? I Could Never!

I’ll be the first one to admit that thrifting isn’t for everyone—but that doesn’t have to mean it isn’t for you.

And I get it. Maybe you can already hear that dreaded, “Oh, you thrift? I could never…” comment rolling off the tongue of that one overly critical and seriously judgmental friend. I bet you can almost feel the sting just at the thought of it.

And maybe you don’t think your reputation can withstand hosting game night with pretentious Patti giving you the side-eye over a secondhand coffee table.

Listen, I believe in transparency—always. So, I won’t pretend thrifting doesn’t still carry a stigma.

Seriously. No amount of viral thrift hauls, secondhand stylings, or thriftcore hashtags will keep some people from looking down on the act of thrifting. The questions is, will you be one of them?

And I’m not here to judge—but if you’re an amateur decorating shopaholic with champagne taste on a beer budget, then my friend, thrifting is probably for you.

And before you start spiraling, wondering what that says about you, take a breath. Because you and I aren’t the only ones shopping secondhand—and once you take a minute to realize who is, you’ll feel a lot less judged.

2. Thrifting Is For The Poor

Who says thrifting is reserved for those strapped for cash? This living room, complete with mahogany, marble, and a gallery wall, proves that secondhand style is all about taste—not income and not the price tag.

Contrary to somewhat popular belief, thrift shopping isn’t just for the low-income, bargain-hunting masses looking to stretch a buck.

I don’t really know why—but people seem to cling to this idea that thrifting is only for our packrat grannies, our weird hoarding uncles, and individuals who barely have two pennies to rub together.

Spoiler: there’s a lot more money changing hands in the used market than you think. And that’s because the most prestigious and elite people on earth are sourcing their prized possessions secondhand.

Sure, they prefer the prestige of fancy auction houses over Goodwill. The anonymity of brokered backdoor dealings over sketchy marketplace meetups. And swapping the title of “thrifter” for something with a more elitist ring to it, like “collector.”

But make no mistake—they’re scouring the used market in search of priceless art and ancient relics, jewelry and precious gems, chateaus to automobiles, and everything in between.

It’s basically swapping out yoga pants for a three-piece suit, a pumpkin spice latte for a high-end scotch, and Goodwill for Sotheby’s.

Either way you slice it, the most valuable items in the world are secondhand.

And I don’t know about you, bestie, but they can sign me up for a piece of that action.

3. Casual Thrifting Hurts Low Income Families

$2 well spent! This crystal ring holder isn’t just pretty—it’s proof that secondhand finds can support a good cause. Who knew helping send kids to camp could sparkle so much?

I get it. Now you’re thinking, “Okay, but there’s a big difference between someone like the Kardashians purchasing a used Hermes bag and me buying used stuff from Goodwill. Like seriously, low-income families probably depend on that stuff.”

Oh bestie, tell me you’ve been poking around in those unhinged comment sections without telling me.

Listen, unless your approach to thrifting is elbow-dropping little Susie over a sweater like it’s a Walmart Black Friday sale in 1999, I don’t think you’re hurting anyone.

And if thrift stores were established for only low-income individuals, then someone would be verifying paystubs—or at the very least, asking for some form of income self-certification at checkout.

So don’t let the keyboard warriors and their cyber-complaints discourage you.

I promise you, it’s ok to hold the scarcity mindset.

I’ve been thrifting for a lifetime—and I’ve never seen anyone roll in Grinch-style to clear out an entire thrift store, leaving nothing behind but a broken hanger sadly squeaking on the rack.

But if you’re still concerned that shopping traditional thrift stores is taking away from those in need, that fine. There are certainly alternative options for shopping secondhand—some of which I prefer far more than thrift stores anyway.

That said, before you shut the door on thrift stores entirely, consider their mission and purpose.

Most of these organizations are set up to support a specific cause, and income generated from the sale of donated merchandise is put toward relevant endeavors.

For instance, Goodwill’s mission is to “enhance the dignity and quality of life of individuals and families by strengthening communities, eliminating barriers to opportunity, and helping people reach their full potential through learning and the power of work.” Proceeds from inventory sales are used to fund things like employee salaries, job training and skills development.

In truth, there are a million and one reasons people might opt to thrift—and being low-income is only one.

Some people shop to support charitable organizations and their endeavors. Others resell to make a living for themselves and their families. A few are collectors looking to find vintage, antique, and otherwise hard-to-find pieces. And so on.

The purpose of thrifting is multifaceted, and it would certainly be a shame to make a blanket assumption that “everyone thrifting is taking away from those in need.”

4. Thrift Stores Only Carry Junk

Floating shelves, pewter candlesticks, and secondhand charm—because thrift stores are what dreams are made of! Everything you see was purchased secondhand—besides the artwork, which was a Temu steal!

Now, maybe you’re not morally opposed to thrifting, but you’re still left questioning the realistic potential of it.

I’m going to be honest. The most common complaint I see from new thrifters is that every store is filled with nothing but broken junk and garbage. And I can understand the sentiment coming from someone new to the scene.

Thrift stores are definitely a hot freaking mess, and anyone who tries to tell you otherwise is either an eternal optimist or downright delusional. (I said what I said—sorry, not sorry.)

I mean, seasoned thrifters shop using a plethora of tips, tricks, and even a few uniquely personalized methods to the madness for a reason.

You know what they say: “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.”

But you have to be able to see past the trash in order to find the treasure.

I’m telling you—your thrift success will be dependent upon your ability to develop a clear thrifting strategy.

Trust me, an extensive thrift wishlist and a few simple shopping strategies will have you honing your thrift skills and spotting treasures in even the most overwhelming thrift stores.

5. Thrift Store Merchandise is Outdated

Outdated? Try timeless. I quite literally strutted my way out of Goodwill with these like-new Sam Edelman leather boots for ONLY $8.99—proving that thrifting is in fact trendy and FABULOUS.

Okay, let’s just admit it—first impressions aren’t exactly where thrift stores shine. At first glance, shelves appear to be stocked with the old and outdated pieces our grandparents couldn’t con anyone into taking.

But upon closer and more routine review, you’ll discover that thrift stores are a treasure trove of both trendy and timeless pieces.

That said, don’t let being “trendy” keep you from finding your style potential. Thrifting paves way for creative expression by harnessing the jaw-dropping power of vintage, antique, one-of-a-kind, and otherwise unusual pieces.

After all, style is but a revolving door—and what goes around comes around. So instead of aiming to chase viral trends, seek to set them in your own totally quirky and completely unique way.

Sure, you can thrift the Lululemon leggings for a gym-fit look everyone and their sister is rocking on TikTok. But how dope would they be paired with ’90s Dr. Martens and a vintage leather jacket?

You can absolutely thrift the viral Mackenzie-Childs teapot, but how much more epic will tea time be when you’re sipping from antique bone china trimmed with real gold?

So the next time you’re thinking about how thrift stores are filled with nothing but you’re grandparents’ junk—remember, there are resellers who would give their left kidney to have first dibs rifling through grandpa’s closet and granny’s cupboards.

Hmm, maybe that’s why everyone thinks resellers have ruined thrifting for the rest of us?

6. Resellers Ruined Thrifting

Cast iron, pewter, and marble—straight from the thrift store, not a treasure hunter’s secret vault. Turns out, if you invest the time you can certainly beat em to the punch!

Remember those keyboard warriors we talked about earlier? Well, I’m pretty sure the only thing they hate more than millennials painting thrifted stuff is the reseller community they blame for buying everything.

Listen, I get it.

One minute you’re scrolling a social media feed full of resellers plugging thrift hauls and Etsy shops, and the next you’re leaving the thrift store empty-handed.

Now you’re ready to hang up your thrift hat, assigning blame for your shopping misfortunes to the reseller community. After all, they’re definitely buying more than their fair share, right?

Mmm bestie, no—don’t make resellers the scapegoat for a poorly executed thrift strategy. Because that only hurts you.

Remember, thrifting doesn’t come with any guarantees—not for you, not for me, and not even for resellers.

Seriously, there’s no shortage of stuff being donated every day. And resellers are people with lives to live, just like everyone else. So they can’t possibly get first pick of everything, all the time.

And let’s be honest—resellers aren’t out here buying just anything. Most focus on a specific niche of merchandise, meaning odds are they aren’t looking for everything you are.

So don’t let some misguided scarcity mindset keep you from scoring amazing secondhand pieces.

Instead, learn how to thrift effectively. It’s amazing how basic things like knowing when and where to shop can optimize your success.

And I can already see the wheels turning, so before you say, “Yeah, but it’s their fault the prices are too high,” let’s talk about it.

7. Thrift Store Prices Are Too High

$6.99 for pewter candlesticks—Even with rising prices, thrift stores still have their shining moments!

Listen, I’m not going to pretend that thrift store sticker shock hasn’t taken the pep out of my step a time or two—because boy has it.

And while resellers everywhere are flocking to the internet to lodge complaints against thrift stores for price increases, others are running to the comments to blame those very increases on the resellers themselves.

Oh, the irony.

Regardless, prices are up—and I’ve definitely seen some mind-boggling, head-scratching, downright bizarre pricing. But getting sucked into the finger-pointing and blame games won’t do anything to fill your cart with affordable secondhand finds.

So before you swear off thrifting like a bad relationship, consider that some prices might not be as outrageous at they seem.

Sure, not everything has that $2.99 sticker price we all hope to see. But the majority of items are still priced fairly relative to their retail value.

Remember, scoring secondhand items for a steal truly does come down to strategy. There are a lot of ethical thrift hacks you can implement to save money. And I’ve said it before, but knowing when and where to shop directly correlates to thrift success—because not every store, or even every employee, prices things the same.

So not to sound like a broken record—but: location, location, location… and timing.

Besides that, in my not-so-professional opinion—thrifting smart and purchasing wisely matters a lot more than the increasing prices. Because when you actually want and need the items you’re purchasing, spending a little more doesn’t hurt so much.

Honestly, bestie, all this talk of strategies might have thrifting feeling so overwhelming that you’re throwing your hands up in defeat—so let’s talk about it.

8. Thrift Shopping is too Overwhelming

Overwhelmed? You’re not alone—thrift stores are packed with treasures, from cake plates to mirrors, just waiting to be found. The art of thrifting? It’s about seeing the potential in everything!

Does just the thought of thrifting get your heart pumping? Have you ever walked into a thrift store and immediately felt so overwhelmed that you made a beeline for the door? Is all of this talk about thrift strategies and timing sending you spiraling with anxiety?

Take a breath. You’re definitely not alone—and there are a lot of perfectly valid reasons why thrifting might have you feeling overwhelmed.

Dare I say, a few of us are out here having thrift-store-induced flashbacks of grandma’s house of hoarders. And don’t even get me started on these “50% off everything” sales. I swear they’re armed with so much chaos they’d make ’90s Black Friday sales blush. (Okay, maybe not that bad… maybe.)

Anyway, while the trick to thrifting really is in learning strategies to see beyond the chaos, it shouldn’t be shrouded in stress comparable to a college entrance exam—it’s just not that serious.

Thrifting should be fun.

Undeniably, all the junk can act as overwhelming clutter camouflage, which adds a degree of difficulty. But if you approach it like an adult version of a seek-and-find, it gets a lot less stressful—and a whole lot more fun.

And at the end of the day, it really only matters that you’re buying what you like, for a price you feel good about.

9. Thrift Stores are Disorganized

Thrift stores may seem like more chaos than organized, but that’s exactly how the best treasures are found. My apartment is proof that a little hunt leads to a lot of style!

Let’s just be honest. Most thrift stores are organized chaos at best—emphasis on the “chaos”

Unfortunately, that’s the nature of the beast.

Listen, employees do their best to organize merchandise. But regardless of how hard they try, space is limited, merchandise varies, and there are always things that don’t fit neatly into designated categories.

Not to mention the fact that people always have their own logic for sorting and classifying things.

And not to further overwhelm you by bringing up strategies again—but there are tricks to help navigate the chaos. Timing your thrift trips wisely cuts down on the chaos of crowded aisles and unnecessary distractions. Using a thrift wishlist can narrow your focus. And so on.

Also, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention how important good thrift etiquette is when it comes to helping cut down on the chaos. We should all be doing our part to help keep things as organized as possible.

Not only for our fellow thrifters, but for the sake of employees as well. It’s bad enough they have to deal with dirty donations all day long—they shouldn’t have to run around like Cinderella picking up after everyone.

Oh yeah, did I just admit that donations are dirty?

10. Thrifting is Dirty

Thrift stores might be a downright filthy, but a little cleaning magic turns pieces like these Haviland china coffee cups and glass teapot into gems. The thrill? Finding old hidden treasures, then making them sparkle like new!

Well, I guess the cat’s out of the bag—donations are dirty. And if donations are dirty…

Listen, I’ve read some of those myth-busting thrift blogs trying to convince you that secondhand shopping isn’t as dirty as everyone thinks it is. But let’s be honest—those blogs are more than a little misleading.

And no shade, because I get the sentiment. But I’m a firm believer in transparency—and I have no intention of sending you into the wild world of thrifting with rose-colored glasses.

Instead, I aim to prepare you for exactly what to expect—and that includes the downright filthy nature of the used market.

That said, would we all like it if everyone put a bit more care into prepping their items for donation? Sure, absolutely.

But think about it for a second: people are donating things they don’t want.

We’re talking about things that have spent years piled in musty basements, been stacked in filthy garages, and pulled from the deepest recesses of closets, cabinets, and drawers. So it stands to reason that they’re probably covered in layers of dust, a few cobwebs, gooey residue you’d need a blacklight and a forensics degree to identify, and an odor just off-putting enough to make you question your life choices when you bring it home.

If you want to buy collectibles and one-of-a-kind items for pennies on the dollar, then you better be prepared to rub some dirt off.

Mark my words—the second people start demanding everything be cleaned prior to donation is the exact moment everything starts ending up in the trash instead of the thrift store.

Seriously, even the most reasonable people aren’t spending Saturday afternoon spit-shining a bunch of stuff they don’t want just so some thrift store can start charging 10x as much. You think prices are high now? Please.

Do yourself a favor and sideline those expectations of retail store vibes. Arm yourself with a pocketful of hand sanitizer—and never underestimate the power of soap, water, elbow grease, and a whole lot of persistence.

Pro Tip: The really dirty stuff gets priced cheap and passed up—so if you want to score the best deals, grab your gloves, hold your breath, and embrace the grime. I know I do.

Myths Busted: Embrace Your Thrift Journey

My apartment is proof that thrifting isn’t just a hobby—it’s a lifestyle. Bust the myths, embrace the finds, and turn your space into something uniquely you!

And there you have it, bestie—thrifting isn’t the dirty little secret it once was.

I mean, it’s definitely still dirty, it’s just not much of a secret.

Thrifting shouldn’t be shrouded in shame and baseles myths. It’s up to you to outsmart the misconceptions, shirk the fears of judgment, and embrace the chaos for the adventure it can be.

And if you’re struggling to do that, don’t worry—I’ve created my Thrifting for Beginners series to remove the guesswork. It’s kind of like my thrift-based tell-all. I’m spilling the tea, sharing the secrets, and giving away all the strategies I’ve honed over a lifetime of thrifting.

So don’t be shy, click around and stay awhile—see what other value-added tips you might find, what inspiration I can provide, or even learn more about me if you feel so inclined.

Or perhaps you’ve got some hilarious horror stories about the disgusting things you’ve encountered along the way that you just have to share with the rest of us?

Seriously. I live for a good laugh, so no matter how outrageous—we want to hear it.