Episode 228: Thrifty Business with Sara and Shan of Bargain Thrift Center

Over the past few years, we have explored many different facets of the secondhand economy: resellers and the ethics of reselling secondhand items, the various secondhand platforms, the fine art of thrifting, and even where all of the unsold stuff from thrift stores ends up! In this episode we'll learn what it's like to run an independent thrift store, with Sara and Shan of Bargain Thrift Center, a thrift store in the Germantown neighborhood of Philadelphia, PA. We will discuss

• How the unrealistically low prices of ultra fast fashion impact the prices most people are willing to pay for secondhand items
• Opportunities that the secondhand supply chain has to reach more people and match them with the product they are seeking
• What happens to the collectibles and tchotchkes that are flooding thrift stores right now (I call it the “collection industrial complex”)
• And Sara and Shan’s vision for the future of secondhand/thrifting

Along the way, we’ll talk an awful lot about Precious Moments and we’ll wonder where all of the Ed Hardy stuff ended up at the end of the 00s.
Also: Amanda shares why she is feeling optimistic right now.

Follow Bargain Thrift Center on Instagram: @bargainthriftcenter

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Located in Whistler, Canada, Velvet Underground is a "velvet jungle" full of vintage and second-hand clothes, plants, a vegan cafe and lots of rad products from other small sustainable businesses. Our mission is to create a brand and community dedicated to promoting self-expression, as well as educating and inspiring a more sustainable and conscious lifestyle both for the people and the planet.

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Selina Sanders, a social impact brand that specializes in up-cycled clothing, using only reclaimed, vintage or thrifted materials: from tea towels, linens, blankets and quilts. Sustainably crafted in Los Angeles, each piece is designed to last in one's closet for generations to come. Maximum Style; Minimal Carbon Footprint.

Salt Hats: purveyors of truly sustainable hats. Hand blocked, sewn and embellished in Detroit, Michigan.

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