Vintage and thrift shopping has become a widespread, popular trend, especially for the younger generation. This type of shopping is a way for fashion enthusiasts to acquire unique styles that evoke a nostalgic feeling from the past.
One reason these numbers keep increasing may be due to the expansion of pop-up events in communities like Oxford. The Off-Campus Vintage Market pop-up has visited Oxford three times since it was created by Greyson Edwards, a Memphis native, in August 2025.
“Vintage and thrift shopping to me is like a way to time travel,” Jamiria Massie, a junior psychology major, said during her visit to the Off-Campus Vintage Market outside of High Point Coffee in Oxford on Feb. 22. “I wasn’t born in the ‘80s or ‘90s. I was born in the 2000s. And so it’s my way of trying to go back to the time without actually trying to time travel because you can’t do that, but you kind of have fun with it, you know.”
Throughout the years, vintage and thrift shopping have significantly increased in market value. Research from the resale company ThredUp and GlobalData shows the estimated value of secondhand and resale apparel is $256 billion, and that number is predicted to grow by $100 billion through 2029.
“We have seen an increase not only in attendance, in sales, but also in up-and-coming markets,” Maria Fernanda, a vintage clothing vendor based in Memphis, said. “More and more people are looking into buying, selling and organizing these types of events. It creates community.”
Fernanda began her interest in thrifting in 2021 and eventually started reselling later that year. She and her business partner, Gabriela Taledo, established The Found Vintage Co. in Memphis in July 2025. They are consistent vendors at the Off-Campus Vintage Market.
“I am extremely grateful to have been able to meet and connect with amazing people who also share a love for fashion and thrifting,” Fernanda said.
The concept of thrifting and finding vintage fashion has long been a part of what charity shops such as Goodwill rely on; however, they have had to adapt to the way the market has changed.
“Because of how popular it is, there are multiple people that come here every day to search for items to resell, and like I said, it does affect our prices because we know that they’re reselling. We have to put our price higher because of corporate, Mickey Laster, a Goodwill employee at the Oxford location, said.
Laster said social media has helped drive interest in vintage and thrift fashion among the younger generations.
“When I was around nine or 10, I’d come into a Goodwill and there’d be barely any people,” Laster said. “Now, throughout my day, it is packed. All the thrift stores are packed because of how popular it is now.”
Though thrifting has long been a way for shoppers to save money, it is now allowing customers to try out new things and embrace their individuality through clothing.
“I look for things out of my personality like something different,” Jakyla Spears, a freshman criminal justice major, visiting the Off-Campus Vintage Market, said. “I am always dressing the same way so sometimes I want to change it up. Vintage and thrift fashion is going to allow me to step out of my comfort zone for sure.”
Vendors like Fernanda have observed these changes and expect the movement to be kept alive and strong for generations to come.
“Vintage is also not just a fashion trend but also a lifestyle choice; most people take pride in how they dress, how they shop and how they live,” Fernanda said.
