How To Celebrate National Thrifting Day: Tips and Benefits

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Thrifting secondhand clothes is quickly gaining popularity thanks to its positive impact on the environment—and your wallet. If you’ve jumped on the thrifting bandwagon, a great way to celebrate your love of the hunt is by observing National Thrift Shop Day.

Wondering when National Thrift Shop Day is? Mark your calendar for August 17, and enjoy observing a holiday that encourages sustainability and community support while empowering people to discover affordable treasures and vintage finds. It’s the perfect opportunity to find a unique look and reduce your fashion footprint. 

In this guide, we’ll cover how to get the most out of National Thrifting Day and the feel-good benefits of thrifted clothing.

What’s a thrift shop?

Thrift shops sell secondhand clothing and housewares and typically partner with charitable organizations to raise money for good causes. Many businesses fall under this broad term, including consignment, resale, hospice, and secondhand shops.

From small local businesses to larger e-commerce stores, well-run thrift shops show people that secondhand items can be high-quality, unique, and more affordable than retail. Many stores also promote donations, encouraging thrifters to clean out their homes in a productive, sustainable way.

We’re proud to be a part of modern thrifting. ThredUp is the ideal place to donate preloved clothes online—and to shop for them. Offering 55,000+ brands at up to 90% of retail prices, you’re sure to find something that suits you, right from the comfort of your laptop.

4 benefits of choosing secondhand first

This National Thrift Store Day, acknowledge these four impactful benefits of thrifting.

1. Promotes sustainability

Thrifting is a vital step toward a greener planet and one of our top conscious closet habits. Secondhand stores extend the life of good clothing and keep items out of landfills.

This means your thrifting spree doesn’t contribute to fast fashion’s rapid production and waste cycle. When you’re ready to part with something, you can give it a new life by donating it rather than throwing it away. 

Take your eco-friendly efforts a step further and thrift sustainable clothing brands. These companies strive to reduce water and textile waste and commit to better human and animal treatment.

ThredUp is overjoyed to contribute to this positive mission. We carry many of the best sustainable apparel brands and have processed 172.3 million secondhand items, preventing 666 million pounds of CO₂ from being produced.

2. Encourages unique styles

Thrift stores carry thousands of items from different people and boutiques, promoting more original style options. These shops may even carry one-of-a-kind pieces like hand-made dresses donated by a sewing hobbyist, so you can find looks nobody has.

It’s easy to get caught up in trends you see on social media, but mimicking every influencer means you look like everyone else. Thrifting helps you showcase your personal style and discover inspiration you won’t find anywhere else.

We also recommend trying a thrift flip. Altering preloved clothes can make them even more unique, like turning oversized jeans into a skirt or transforming bed sheets into a summer dress.

3. Reduces shopping costs

Opting for secondhand clothing lets you fill your closet with high-quality items without emptying your wallet. Thrifting at stores like ThredUp allows you to buy clothing at up to 90% off the retail price.

Is thrifting cheaper than fast fashion? Yes, for the most part. But even if you buy pricier, luxury thrifted goods, their quality will outlast fast fashion, meaning their cost-per-wear is lower.

Thrift stores are the ideal place to find affordable, sustainable clothing. Some high-end retailers sell sustainable apparel that’s excellent for the planet but not within everyone’s budget. Thrift stores let you find items like organic cotton blouses with reasonable price tags.

We also recommend that you thrift children’s clothing. Kids outgrow their clothes quickly, and it’s good to know you’re saving money when you need to buy another pair of pants in six months.

4. Emphasizes clothing quality

Thrifting helps you find high-quality clothing for better prices. Thrifted finds are often almost-new (especially in consignment stores or on sites like ThredUp), so you’re buying new clothes at a reduced price. ThredUp's "New With Tags" filter simplifies finding these items, helping you thrift like a pro.

Secondhand stores also sell vintage items made of high-quality natural materials, such as cotton, linen, silk, and wool. Retro clothes are not only well-made but also unavailable in most retail stores.

You can support your wardrobe’s quality even further by caring for your fashion—wash clothing gently, mend minor imperfections, and remove stains for a spotless finish.

How do you celebrate National Thrift Shop Day?

Thrift Day is an exciting time to update your wardrobe, contribute to a greener planet, and stand with good causes. Even if you’re a regular thrifter, this holiday is the perfect chance to go out and indulge in your hobby.

The fun doesn’t stop at National Thrifting Day. Another great day to thrift is Secondhand Wardrobe Day, taking place one week later on August 25. At ThredUp, we acknowledge both holidays by celebrating August Secondhand Month.

Here are our favorite ways to celebrate:

• Donate a high-quality item: Share the feeling of a great thrift find by donating a special item. Contributing a quality piece you no longer need will make someone’s day and support your favorite thrift store.

• Go on a treasure hunt: There’s no better way to celebrate Thrift Day than thrifting. Hit a few stores and look for something unique, like a bold dress for a special occasion. As a bonus, that piece will carry a story—you can tell everyone it’s your National Thrifting Day dress.

• Volunteer at a thrift store: Thrift stores often need help, and volunteering for the day is enormously appreciated. Depending on the store, you can sign up for retail work, fundraising, or donation handling.

• Update your closet: Spruce up your wardrobe by clearing out the old, donating it to a thrift store, and restocking it with a few choice pieces. This helps you keep your closet clean and your fashion fresh in one move. ThredUp’s Clean Out service makes this easier than ever. With our help, you can sell clothes from the comfort of your home for other thrifters to enjoy.

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Enjoy August Secondhand Month with ThredUp

Celebrating National Thrifting Day is an excellent way to positively impact the environment, engage with your community, and find unique preloved clothing. Start celebrating with ThredUp.

Donate preloved pieces, update your kid’s closet, and find new styles from our massive selection of high-quality apparel and accessories—all while promoting sustainability. Also, try out our natural language search. It doesn’t rely on strict keywords, so a query like “neutral, casual top” gives you results that match the vibe, not the terms.

Visit ThredUp today and start thrifting.

FAQs

What day do most thrift stores restock?

Thrift stores typically restock at the beginning of the week, on Monday or Tuesday. The weekend is a great time for people to stop by and drop off donations, so staff generally stock these excellent finds the following days.

That said, at ThredUp, we drop tens of thousands of new items daily so you never have to wait for the best day and our inventory is always fresh. 

What’s the best day to go thrifting?

Monday and Tuesday are the best days to thrift because most stores restock at the beginning of the week. But always keep an eye on your local thrift store since many have color-tag sales on certain days of the week.

Should I wash clothes after thrifting?

Yes, it’s always a good idea to wash thrifted clothes. Whether or not your thrift store washes clothing before selling it, do so when you get home just in case other thrifters handled it.

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