Aussie thrifting duo reveal how they sold a $35 jacket for $2000
Thrift shopping is on top of the world nowadays.
Buying second-hand is not only cheaper, it's also become a trendy ?phenomenon across fashion and homewares.
According to 2023 PayPal Garage Sale Trail Research Report, 43 per cent of Aussies have bought something pre-loved in the past year.
On top of this, 35 per cent were reported to have sold something second-hand.
Watch the video above.
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Aussie couple Brad and Jaz, who go by 2AussieThrifters, have perfected the art of finding and reselling second-hand gems.
"There are so many benefits to shopping second hand, especially in the current financial climate," the pair tell 9Honey Money.
Garage sales in particular have been rising in popularity with over 300,000 Aussies reported to have shopped or sold at approximately 15,000 garage sales in the last year. ?
This year, Brad and Jaz are ambassadors for Australia's nationwide pre-loved festival, Garage Sale Trail, which kicked off last weekend and continues November 18 and 19.
"A lot of people are tightening their purse strings as the cost of living rises and what better way to save a few bucks than to snag a handy or unique item at a garage sale or op shop," the pair say. ?
When it comes to second-hand shopping, the dynamic duo have some tip tips to scoring the best finds and getting more bang for your buck.
Read on for the thrifting expert's ?best pieces of advice to successful thrift shopping and how to resell your gems.
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Source from all over?
When it comes to scoring some stellar second-hand finds, Brad and Jaz reveal that they don't just stick to the one spot. ?
"We source from all sorts of places including op shops, tip shops, flea markets, auction houses, business liquidations, businesses overstock, Facebook Marketplace, Gumtree, and our favourite: garage sales," they tell 9Honey.
On top of checking out all the best op shops, markets and online resellers, the duo reveal social media is a key tool in pre-loved shopping. ?
"We also advertise our business on social media with our YouTube Channel and Instagram to spread the word about the types of items we're looking for and often people approach us with things they want to sell," the pair share.
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Check what you have at home
Sometimes you don't even need to head to the op-shop to score a stellar find.
If you look around your home you might be surprised to find that some of those items collecting dust in a box somewhere can actually sell for quite a lot of money now.
Items considered 'vintage' or 'retro' these days can be auctioned off for a profit. ?
According to Brad and Jaz, video games are one item that is worth a fair amount now. ?
"Most of us 80s and 90s kids had some sort of console whether it be a Nintendo 64, PlayStation or Gameboy and a lot of them ended up getting thrown in the back of the cupboard," they share.
"Those kids are collectors now and some of those nostalgic items can be worth hundreds," the explain.
But video games aren't the only collectible expensive find perfect for reselling. ?
"While you're digging in those cupboards keep an eye out for your old film camera, because while it may seem outdated, film photography is not dead and your old camera could be in high demand," Brad and Jaz reveal.
When it comes to turning thrifting into a business, the duo add "you don't need anything flash to get started, so don't blow your whole budget trying to make a buck!"
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?Sell things you know about
According to Brad and Jaz, the best place to start is "by selling something you know about or enjoy".
?Whether it be a first edition book or a designer jacket, knowing the value of your find will help you know if its actually worth reselling.
Check the condition
While you might think you've discovered a golden find, the condition will really determine its worth? if you want to resell.
"Condition is everything so check your items over to make sure your items sell and that your customer won't be disappointed," Brad and Jaz reveal.
Ask questions?
To find the true value of your item, the 2AussieThrifters duo urge shoppers to "ask for the story" behind the find.
?"Ask for what you're looking for even if you can't see it because you never know what it might lead to," the explain.
On top of asking questions, researching your find can go a long way.
Brad and Jaz managed to make thousands on a ?Formula 1 Racing jacket after doing a basic Google search.
"We bought the jacket for $35 initially thinking it would sell for around $100 based on the style and age of the jacket and the excellent advertising on it," they said.
"After researching the signatures on it, with some help from some local experts, we identified one signature as Niki Lauda (late F1 Legend) and we sent it over to PSA for Authentication," they continued.
"It came back as a genuine hand-signed jacket, we put it up on eBay and it sold to a collector overseas for $2000 plus international post."?
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Use online sellers to price your finds
Another way to determine the worth of your find for reselling is to use sales data from selling platforms Brad and Jaz reveal. ?
"eBay actually has an inbuilt feature that lets you see the items that have sold previously," they say, adding the sold filter will show you three months worth of sales.
They also list the Terapeak function in eBay as a way to increase the sales history to up to three years. ?
"This is handy information because your item is only worth what someone is willing to pay for it and the market is always changing!"
"And if we know we have something super cool but we're still stumped as to how to price it... we can always list it as an auction and let the buyers bid!"