Correction Appended.
A source misspoke, and a previous version of this article included incorrect information about Little Wing.
As Macklemore famously said, “One man’s trash, that’s another man’s treasure.” This is true for many Ohio University students as thrifting remains popular.
There are many different thrifting and second-hand options in Athens for locals and students near OU to enjoy. Many may not know about some of these locations or what they could potentially find when shopping there.
Isaac Morgan, a freshman studying nursing, recommended shopping at many different locations off OU’s campus, specifically Goodwill, Little Wing Curiosity Shoppe & Thrift Store and Athens Upcycle.
“Goodwill (is a good place to shop) because there's more abundance, and everyone knows about it, but the pricing is pretty expensive,” Morgan said. “But Athens Upcycle has like $3 shirts, and like $4 pants. It's really nice. Then, (with) Little Wing, nobody knows about it, so it's really nice.”
Little Wing is a thrift store in Athens that is tucked away behind the mall and IHOP and located at 1006 E State St.
Out of all the off-campus thrifting locations, Morgan recommends shopping at Goodwill because it is more mainstream and easier to locate directionally. Goodwill is located at 175 Columbus Road and is a long-standing nonprofit chain with a range of pre-owned clothing, furniture, housewares & more.
Not only is buying second-hand cheap, but it is also sustainable. According to Retail Dive, if every person bought one secondhand garment when in place of a new one, it would lower CO2 emissions by more than 2 billion pounds.
Caleb Hansman, a sophomore studying music education, also recommended going to Goodwill as someone who does not typically thrift for second-hand clothes.
“(Goodwill) is a pretty good option if you're shopping on a budget and you just need an emergency dress shirt, your emergency concert pants or some slacks or something like that,” Hansman said.
Athens Goodwill is a great option for students who are looking for a last-minute concert or formal wear for reasonable costs. It is one of the largest second-hand stores in Athens with clothing selections for men, women and kids. This thrift store also has furniture, books and games for those looking to shop for something other than clothing.
Livi Coven, a freshman studying psychology, sociology and women's gender studies, recommended shopping at Uptown Costumes on Court Street.
Uptown Costumes sells a wide variety of costume accessories including wigs, makeup, and hats. The store also sells and rents full costumes and offers vintage clothing and has over 5000 posters in stock. This second-hand store has two stories of items to shop through.
“(Uptown Costumes) has a lot of variety,” Coven said. “I go upstairs and then there's a lot of like, cute sweaters and stuff for fall.”
Something else drawing Coven to shop at this store is the distance to campus. Uptown Costumes is located at 12 S Court St, making it accessible to students who do not have a car.
Andrew Falkosky, a freshman studying theater performance and acting, recommended shopping at Athens Underground when just looking for a store to browse on Court Street.
“To be honest when I went there, I went with a couple of friends because we were just like, ‘Oh, let's check this place out,’” Falkosky said. “I think the only thing I did get was a VCR because I think that kind of stuff is cool. It's, I don't know, an aesthetic thing.”
Falkosky purchased a VCR player from Athens Underground as a gift for his dad. At home, his dad has a collection of old videotapes, so Falkosky thought the purchase would make for a thoughtful gift.
“If you're on Court, give it a look,” Falkosky said. “You might find something cool and might make a profit on something.”
Athens Underground is located at 90 N Court St and carries vintage clothing and antiques. It also carries a wide range of antiques and collectibles, with new merchandise arriving every week.
According to CBS News, thrifting has become increasingly popular, with the sale of used clothes expected to exceed $77 billion by 2025. It seems Bobcats are doing their part to make this statistic a reality.
