A 2019 survey conducted on 1,276 users of the peer-to-peer resale app Mercari found that 61 percent of consumers are comfortable with receiving a used gift, especially if it’s a unique find. But while only 38 percent of the 55+ crowd felt OK with secondhand Christmas gifts, 49 percent of survey respondents between the ages of 18 and 34 (the millennial and Gen Z crowd) were OK with it. So, why is secondhand gifting looking so appealing to the younger crowd? In addition to being more accessible than ever—online thrift stores like Poshmark, ThredUP, TheRealReal and even Facebook Marketplace are all easy ways to buy vintage and secondhand—this trend is also largely centered on the moment we live in. “We live in urgent times politically, environmentally, socially and economically,” Shilla Kim-Parker, founder of the vintage and secondhand online retail shop Thrilling, tells Parade. “The thing that’s so inspiring about this moment is that people feel we can change our fate.” When it comes to the secondhand gifting trend, millennials and Gen Zers mostly have their eye on the environment and slowing down climate change. “Most clothing is not biodegradable, and it takes at least a thousand gallons of water to make a pair of jeans,” says Kim-Parker. Long story short, secondhand gifting is the more sustainable option—and sustainability is where the priorities of millennials and Gen Zers lie. Jessica Fletcher, a millennial who buys and sells frequently on ThredUP (50 percent of her closet is secondhand!), says the environmental aspect is part of why she shops and gifts secondhand—but affordability is a big one too. “When I started shopping secondhand, I was fresh out of college with champagne taste and a beer budget,” she jokes to Parade. “I wanted nice things that would last, not things that would be destroyed once I washed them five times. More and more people would rather have quality over quantity, but quality comes at a cost. The secondhand market makes quality more affordable.” Fletcher admits that certain aspects of secondhand gifting are tricky—like sizing, and determining what kind of shape an item is really in—but she has tactics to get around that. “If you know someone likes a certain brand, especially if you know their size in that brand, start there,” she says. “Or choose a one-size-fits-all item.” Another thing to look for while shopping for quality secondhand gifts? High-quality materials. “You want to look for pure materials,” Kim-Parker says. “Think 100 percent cotton, 100 percent wool. Items that were made 20+ years ago tend to be made of higher quality materials by default, so keep an eye out for vintage pieces.” Want to hop on the secondhand gift bandwagon this holiday season? Here are the gifts Kim-Parker and Fletcher recommend looking for. Ready to hit the ground running with your secondhand holiday shopping? We thought so. Next up, 75 Christmas Activities to Intentionally Make the Season Oh-So-Bright
