This week I received a very rude comment on one of my pins on Pinterest. I had pinned Elissa of Dress with Courage's book Thrifting 101: A Beginners Guide to Thrifting and Vintage. Within minutes I had a very rude comment from someone who does not follow my pins or my blog that I know of. The comment was as follows:
"If you are older than 15 and you're just now beginning to thrift, you're one of the masses of people who are ruining it for those of us who have been doing it since the sixties."
I did not want to start a Pinterest Feud, so I simply replied that Elissa was one of my blog friends and I would like to support her by purchasing her book. I've loved reading her Thrifting 101 posts on her blog and thought it would be great to have them all collected in one volume. What I'm posting here is not a rebuttal. It is simply my own thrifting manifesto.
1. I believe thrifting is for all ages.
Last time I was in a thrift store (less than a week ago, in fact), the store did not carry just one size and style of clothing. There was clothing for babies, children, teens, men, women. Oh, occasionally you'll be in a store and see your thrift twin. Someone who is going for the same style and size as you, but that's rarely the case. Most of the time a thrift store is filled with shoppers that are as diverse as the merchandise. The variety of items present means that nearly anyone, in any age group can find something they like.
2. I believe thrifting transcends time.
Doing something first does not necessarily give you ownership over that activity. There were plenty of people who grew organic gardens in the 60s (and the 1860s for that matter), does that mean that everyone who grows a garden now must use toxic chemicals, because they were not around during the original movement? No, that's ridiculous. I think that thrifting and organic gardening are similar in that people realize that both are good for the environment and are responsible things to do, regardless of decade.
3. I believe thrifting is something to be shared.
I've never been secretive about my thrifting. In fact, I regularly post my recent finds. I give tips on how to make the most of your thrifting experience. I even divulge my best thrifting spots. You might even say one of the focuses of my blog is thrift shopping. I want to encourage people to give it a try. Isn't it a spirit of giving that makes thrifting possible in the first place? If people were not generous enough to donate items, then there would be nothing to thrift. The entire premise of thrifting relies on giving and sharing.
This is by no means my complete thoughts on thrifting, but I do believe it is an open culture with plenty of room for any interested person, of any age or background, to join in. What are your thoughts on thrifting? Should it be an exclusive club or is it something to be shared?
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