Students save money while shopping secondhand   

 

 

 

College students have been apart of a rise in resale retail and secondhand shopping going on since 2018, according to us.chamber.com. In 2018 about 6 percent of clothes were secondhand as told in a ThredUp report. ThredUp is the world’s largest online thrift store where consumers thrift top brands up to 90 percent off retail. The 6 percent is projected to grow to 13 percent within 10 years and reach one-third by 2033. 

 

A common theme among lovers of antique, thrift and secondhand stores is the value in recycling and upcycling their finds. These stores allow the buyers to have a piece of history and continue the life of tangible things that are left behind generation to generation. 

 

University of Southern Mississippi Sophomore biological science major, Alaya Cosgrove has been thrift shopping since her junior year of high school. Cosgrove said she got into thrift shopping because she hates going to the mall and trying on mainstream clothes.  

 

“At a thrift store I can take my time and search and discover unique fashion that I like rather than being rushed and having to wear the mainstream looks,” Cosgrove said. 

 

Cosgrove is from outside of New Orleans. She likes to shop at Goodwill and Red White and Blue Thrift Store on the west bank of New Orleans.  

Her favorite recent finds, while secondhand and thrift shopping has been a yellow button-up shirt with bees on the collar, found for $2 and floral shorts for $1.50.  

 

Cosgrove believes it’s important to thrift shop because people are able to find their own unique sense of style, and she said thrifting also allows you to meet people from all walks of life.  

 

USM Sophomore music major Mary Parker Raley has always been into thrift shopping but has adamantly antiqued and thrifted for two years. Raley said her passion for thrifting comes from her uncle.  

 

“Antiques have a story and you get to continue the story and the life of something. That’s the beautiful thing about antiquing. The tangible things are left behind tell a story they get a second chance in a new home,” Raley said. 

 

Raley looks for antique shops that have a wide selection and friendly staff and reasonably priced. Raley shops at various stores across Mississippi and Alabama such as Antique Mall of the South in Ridgeland, The Emporium in Canton, and Antiques on the loop in Mobile, AL to name a few. 

 

When in the Hattiesburg area Raley loves to frequent the Lucky Rabbit when it’s open and her most recent find Marketplace Antiques which is located on Highway 49 in Hattiesburg.   

When you walk into a place like Marketplace Antiques includes more than a 73,000 square feet building filled with antiques in all the nooks and crannies. The building is a  warehouse to vinyl records, war memorabilia, glass ware, vintage books and magazines and almost anything you would want you’ll find here.  

 

 

Undrea Harris an employee at Marketplace Antiques, said that she first got into antiquing and thrifting through her mother. Harris believes it’s important to secondhand shop and to use reuse, recycle and pass on things instead of filling landfills. She also believes antiques add character to a space and stand the test of time.  

 

 

“Thrifting is the way to go. Just because you think it’s trash, it can be another’s man treasure,” Harris said.  

 

Harris says she does most of her shopping at secondhand stores in Hattiesburg such as Plato’s closet, Jacob’s Well, Edward Street Fellowship Thrift Store, Goodwill, Salvation Army and of course Marketplace Antiques.  

 

Harris loves of vintage jewelry and some of her favorite finds have been a cameo necklace at Marketplace Antiques and a diamond necklace from a thrift shop on the Coast. Harris also loves to find clothing while thrift shopping and upcycle them. 

 

Harris said Marketplace Antiques sells antiques to not only to the people of Hattiesburg, but also to connoisseurs of antiques that come from across the nation and the world including the Netherlands, Australia, Costa Rica and Germany. Marketplace Antiques is also currently selling antiques to five movie companies, she said. 

 

Gary Perry, the owner of Marketplace Antiques, has been in the antique business for more than 25 years. Perry is passionate about the African artifacts that he has in his store and he believes students should come and see all the artifacts since many of them would never be on display in museums the only place to see them would be at Marketplace Antiques.  

 

Marketplace Antiques is located on Highway 49 South in Hattiesburg and Perry will soon open 1914 West Pine Estate Auctions in Hattiesburg.