The culture of thrifting is undeniably massive in Portland. Attracting Portlanders for its unique items, cheap prices and sustainability, the thrift scene ranges from digging through bins of clothing at Goodwill to shopping for clothes in specially-curated vintage markets and shops. This love for the hobby is visible at Lincoln High School, where each day students roam the hallways in second-hand fashion.
While thrifting is a common pastime, certain Lincoln students have found ways to take thrifting to the next level and profit off of their vintage finds. Senior Quinn Brown sells vintage clothes on Depop (@qbstreetwear) and eBay, and started his business in 2023. Before becoming an online seller, thrifting was a favorite hobby of his.
“I like going [to the bins] by myself,” said Brown. “I found some pants that were cool that didn’t fit me and I sold them. I realized I could do that with other stuff, so I started doing it a lot.”
Brown has expanded his love for thrifting and selling to his friends as well. Senior Ben Henry de Tessan was inspired to start his own Depop (@benhdet) and eBay business because of Brown. He recently got verified as a top Depop seller, and enjoys the job for multiple reasons.
“It’s different every time I go. I can’t think of a lot of jobs where every time you go there’s new and different things every time,” said Henry de Tessan. “I’m always learning new things about vintage clothing, pop culture and history. […] It encourages me to learn more about the era where [the clothes] came from.”
Many vintage clothing sellers at Lincoln source their items from the Goodwill bins, drawn in by the massive amounts of clothing and by-the-pound pricing, however, junior David Twigg has bought clothing in bulk from online sellers to sell on his Depop (@shopdavidpdx), which helped promote his business.
“It was fun because it was a lot of [clothing],” said Twigg. “I never had that much stuff to sell before.”
The students’ businesses have continuously grown and improved since they started. Sellers have picked up tips that have helped them gain more audience and sell more pieces on Depop and eBay. Brown has noticed this progress in his own shop as well.
“I used to spend so much time actually at the bins, just working as much as I could there,” said Brown. “Over the last six months, I realized it’s a lot better to just try to focus on the quantity of items you can sell versus selling them for high prices.”
Henry de Tessan agrees that gaining more experience with sourcing clothes and selling allows him to sell even more.
“I’m a lot more organized with it than before. I’m a lot more sure of what things to pick up, what will sell, and more behind how Depop works and the algorithm,” said Henry de Tessan. “[These are] just ways that I can sell more clothes.”
While Twigg and Henry de Tessan do not plan to continue their businesses full-time after high school, they both agree that it will be a fun and flexible side-gig or summer job. Brown is planning to take a gap year after high school to continue thrifting, selling and building his business.
“It took a long time to get going … for the amount of time I was working and putting into it,” said Brown. “Now, I’ve learned more and how to sell more.”