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 |  7 West 14th Street New York, United States of America |
| 111 East 12th Street New York, United States of America |
| Pippin Village Thrift Shop 112 West 17th Street New York, United States of America |
| Beacon's Closet 10 West 13th Street New York, United States of America |
| Hamlet's Vintage Thrift Shop 146 West 4th Street New York, United States of America |
| Star Struck Vintage Clothing 47 Greenwich Avenue New York, United States of America |
| 7 West 14th Street New York, United States of America |
| Pilgrim Vintage 70 Orchard Street New York, United States of America |
| 180 1st Avenue New York, United States of America |
| Stock Vintage
143 East 13th Street New York, United States of America |
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Thrifty-Chic: Thrift Stores in Manhattan
Some of the most popular stores found throughout the streets of Manhattan are either thrift stores or consignment shops. With the consistent repetition of old styles from other decades such as the eighties and nineties, thrift and consignment shops have been gaining popularity. Of course thrift stores are the perfect way to get the vintage style without breaking the bank, but there are other stores that sell vintage items. So, the question is, why thrift shops? What is the psychology behind saving money and how did these shops come to be?
It’s a known fact that people get a rush or get insanely excited from saving money. The mere thought of the latest coupons or Groupons could make a person ecstatic. What does something like saving money do to your brain? How exactly is your brain reacting to saving $3 on a certain product or engaging in a buy one get one free sale? Many people believe that money saving and spending habits are inherited from parents or taught as a child, but there are other aspects that people neglect to recognize as well. Your brain is programming your mind when you spend or save money, which affects the decisions you will make (Kearns).
Suzanne Kearns of Money Crashers discussed a study done in her article “The Psychology of Money—How Saving and Spending Habits are Programmed in Your Brain.” Kearns brings up the study published in the Journal of Consumer Research conducted by Cyder, Rick, and Loewenstein that involves the brain’s connection to buying decisions. Basically, the study involved participants making fake purchases and every time a customer “purchased” an item, the researchers would analyze the participants’ insula area of the brain. The insula is an area of the brain that is stimulated when something unenjoyable or unpleasant happens to the person. The insula is triggered often due to purchasing decisions. Savers love to save their money and get a rush from it because it will prevent them from spending so much money and to savers, spending money activated their insula. According to researchers, those who have more insula activity in their brains are savers and those with less insula activity are spenders (Kearns).
So it’s obvious that people like to save their money, some could even say people strive to achieve a level of savings in order to make purchases in the future much easier. How, then, does this tie into the fashion industry? Thrift stores have only just recently gained extreme popularity, whether it be from the return of the vintage style or the aftermath of the hit song “Thriftshop” by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis. The idea of thrifting was frowned upon for centuries. Thrift shopping was denounced as far back as the colonial era. Buying old and used goods was seen as a negative thing because the goods were considered “unwholesome.” This idea, however, could have been related to anti-Semitism because it was aimed at the Jews who owned Pawn Shops. One of the early stories that shows a negative connotation of the idea of buying used items is the story called “The Blue Silk.” In this short story, the main character is considered an outcast for wearing an old dress previously worn by someone else. She also contracts small-pox from purchasing the used dress. The story also says the woman behind the counter of the store was Jewish. This story not only put a certain prejudice in people’s heads about thrift shops and the people who own them, but it also induced fear into people because who wants to buy something that has the potential of getting them sick? It’s no wonder people stayed so far away from thrift and consignment shops (Moniz & Stanton).
How exactly did the thrift shop achieve its “claim to fame?” It was actually partially the influence of the Christians as well as influences from the changing twentieth century. A large part of the change was due to Reverend Edgar J. Helms. He instituted Goodwill, a name well known today when it comes to buying used goods. His idea was to gather used goods and used people, the poor or disabled in need of jobs, to bring both back to their restored purposes. Many people had a new outlook on the principle of buying used goods because it was endorsed by a Christian, so they felt it couldn’t be bad. The motto for Goodwill even changed in 1922 and became “not charity, but a chance.” Another reason for the growth in secondhand goods was the influx of immigrants throughout the twentieth century. There was a large number of immigrants who came to America for whatever reasons, but a lot of them were in need of goods but needed them at a cheaper price, so secondhand goods seemed like the most plausible option. There was also less room for storage of unused goods, so there was a lack of unused, new goods (Moniz & Stanton).
Economically, shopping secondhand made sense during the early twentieth century due to the changes in living conditions and the population. Today, however, there are many alternatives in which people can purchase clothing for a cheap price, for example, H&M, Forever 21, and Primark. Why have thrift shops remained and increased in popularity even with other options? A lot of the popularity is centered around the teenage community because of the increase in vintage style. A large group of teenagers are looking to thrift stores in order to find some cheap, unique additions to their wardrobe. Current fashion trends are inspired by certain styles previously worn in the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s. One of the best ways to get fashion from that time period is to buy the clothes that are from that period, thus, this is where thrift and consignment shops come into play. Without them, the market for unique clothes would be much smaller and keeping up with today’s fashion would be extremely difficult.
According to Jim Gibbons, the President and CEO of Goodwill Industries International, the thrifting culture is on the rise. USA Today says that the percent of consumers who shop at thrift or consignment shops on a regular basis has raised from 14% in 2008 to around 20%. This number is probable to increase due to the changing fashions year after year. With the fashion changes, certain items may be in higher demand than others, thus raising the demand for thrift shops. Thrifting also helps teens, as well as others, get the best bargain for their buck. It’s a way for people to stretch out a small amount of money by purchasing many different articles of clothing at such a low price (Gibbons).
The big question with thrift and consignment shops is where exactly does one shop? There are now so many different thrift shops it can be difficult to pick the best places to go. According to Untapped Cities, there are a wide number of great thrift shops in many different areas of Manhattan. Some of these stores are great for finding specific items. For example, if you are in need of a great dress, one of the best places to buy a secondhand dress from would be Shareen Vintage on W 17th Street on the second floor of the building. If you are looking for a mix of both casual and high-end items, a great option would be Star Struck Vintage Clothing. Located in the West Village, 47 Greenwich Avenue, this store has been around for over thirty-five years and has all of their items organized by style and color and from casual to couture. If high-end designer fashion on a better price is what you’re looking for, Fisch For The Hip would be the perfect place to visit. This Chelsea consignment shop is perfect for finding certain designer pieces from Alexander McQueen and Armani (Untapped Cities).
Refinery 29 also has a great list of exactly where to shop for each certain item desired on a person’s wish list. Band t shirts and varsity jackets are a staple at Ladies and Gentlemen in the East Village. 80s and 90s classic style pieces are a definite at Mr. Throwback located on East 9th Street. If vintage jewelry is on your wish list, the ultimate spot is Pippin Vintage Jewelry on W17th Street. There are certainly specific stores tailored to the needs and wants of thrifters across Manhattan (Refinery 29).
The thrifting culture has grown widely over the past few years and has become nothing more than a normal occurrence. Shopping in consignment and thrift stores has become a cultural norm as opposed to a cultural taboo as it was in the early eighteenth century. The industry continues to grow each day and with each day comes new fashion as well as new unique pieces. What seems useless to someone could be someone else’s most talked about fashion staple.
Works Cited:
“48 of Manhattan’s Best Consignment, Vintage and Thrift Shops By Neighborhood.” Untapped Cities. January 09, 2017. Accessed March 04, 2017. http://untappedcities.com/2015/06/29/43-of-manhattans-best-consignment-vintage-and-thrift-shops-by-neighborhood/.
Gibbons, Jim. “Thrifting Across America.” The Huffington Post. April 19, 2013. Accessed April 30, 2017. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jim-gibbons/thrifting-across-america_b_3118761.html.
Kearns, Suzanne. “The Psychology of Money- How Saving and Spending Habits are Programmed in Your Brain.” Money Crashers. Accessed April 30, 2017. http://www.moneycrashers.com/psychology-of-money-saving-spending-habits/.
Lee, Vivien. “A Brief History of New York City’s Vintage Shopping Scene.” Racked. December 31, 2016. Accessed March 04, 2017. http://www.racked.com/2016/12/31/14116302/new-york-city-vintage-shopping.
Moniz, Caitlin, and Zach Stanton. “How the thrift shop, once widely denounced, became popular in America.” The Wilson Quarterly. November 24, 2014. Accessed April 30, 2017. http://wilsonquarterly.com/stories/how-thrift-shop-once-widely-denounced-became-popular-in-america/.
Us, Fashion • NYC Consignment Shops • Shopping • Vintage • What To Buy Now, and Photographed By Meagan Long. “An Insider’s Guide To Shopping Vintage In NYC.” Best Vintage Shopping NYC Guide. Accessed March 04, 2017. http://www.refinery29.com/nyc-vintage-shops.
