How thrifting became chic

Fashion and lifestyle blogger Andrea Kerbuski, 31, grew up knowing her way around thrift shops.

As a kid, she was sometimes ashamed of it. As an adult, she's learned to appreciate the adventure and, well, the thrift.

She once walked away with a "beautiful, high-quality" silk skirt at the Salvation Army for $5. She spotted a $30 vintage lamb fur coat she had been searching for at Kellie's Consignments.

"I love it when that happens," she said. "It's about finding fresh pieces that not everybody else already has in their closet."​

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The best part about thrifting is "making a better home for the stuff you no longer want or use," she said, adding that "the pieces you find add a story to your outfit and the shoes are already broken in."

Thrift shopping has changed in recent years. Experts say the 2008 recession boosted interest in thrifting and changed attitudes toward it, too.

"Terms like 'used' and 'secondhand' have been replaced with 'frugal,' 'upcycle' and 'vintage' as a way to mainstream thrifting and make it more appealing to the middle and upper class," explained Brenda Parker, an associate professor of Urban Planning and Policy at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

Used merchandise stores in the U.S. generate a combined annual revenue of about $17 billion, according to Dun & Bradstreet. According to the National Association of Resale and Thrift Shops, the thrifting industry is growing at a rate of seven percent per year.

"When I was growing up, you thrifted out of a need," said Atalie Buycks, owner of Thriftique, located in REO Town, "but now it's cool and trendy."

Kellie Johnson, owner of Kellie's Consignments in Okemos, sold her 12,500-square-feet building a year ago. She needed one double the size to keep up with the demand.

"We see close to 300 customers every day with new and familiar faces all the time," she said.

Chris Clissold, a 55-year-old Lansing resident, is one of the familiar faces. She frequents Kellie's, but also remembers shopping at Goodwill with her late mother, Nora, who re-purposed many of their purchases, like transforming an old pair of denim jeans into a purse.

"When I go to regular department stores, I'm always blown away by how much money people spend," Clisshold said.

And the younger generation, according to Parker, "is more resourceful in that way. Thrifting is not associated with poverty the way it was 50 years ago."

Those are, after all, the folks who made Macklemore's, "Thrift Shop," a smash hit. "One man's trash," he raps, "that's another man's come-up."

The internet is part of the growth in second-hand sales. It's added the convenience of searching by keyword, color and size, even down to the exact year an item was made. But, many thrifters still prefer walking into a shop and not knowing what to expect.

"As the internet tries to mimic the in-person experience, we as consumers tend to crave that because it feels more authentic," Parker explained. "We get to touch and feel the items, and we get to be the storytellers of our finds."

For many, shopping at thrift stores starts off as a way to save money, but Buycks said "thrifting is also a way of life. Who wouldn't want cool stuff for dirt cheap that nobody else has?"

Dedicated thrifters agree that the thrill of the hunt is a huge part of what keeps them coming back.

Amy McMeeken, owner of Vintage Junkies in REO Town, said "people are in love with the idea of finding that one treasure you can't find anywhere else."

Lansing resident Cheryl Ward-Benjamin, 55, recently found a St. John dress. One piece from the St. John line retails for as much as $2,000 at department stores. She only paid $50.

But she's had more valuable finds.

Growing up, Ward-Benjamin's Sunday dinners and holidays weren't complete without her mother's china and crystal dinnerware sets spread out across the dining room table.

But over the years, a goblet and pitcher disappeared.

Two years ago at an Ann Arbor thrift store, Ward-Benjamin stumbled upon the same exact goblet and pitcher.

And, when her mother, Doris, passed away in 2016, Ward-Benjamin found herself turning to those pieces over and over again for comfort.

"It's like having her with me," she said.

Contact Princess Gabbara at pgabbara@lsj.com or 517-377-1006. Follow her on Twitter @PrincessGabbara.