The vintage clothing market was already on the rise, but inflation, declining garment quality, and tariff-driven price hikes on new apparel have pushed the secondhand into the spotlight like never before.

The numbers tell the story. The U.S. secondhand market is projected to hit $74 billion by 2029, and in 2024 alone, it grew five times faster than traditional retail. What was once considered a fringe interest or pandemic era fad is now one of the fastest-growing sectors in fashion.

Driving that shift is cost. Thanks to tariffs levied by the Trump administration, the price of imported clothing has shot up by 65%, and leather goods are up by as much as 87%, according to Yale’s Budget Lab. Shoppers are feeling it. What used to be a cheap, impulse buy at Zara is now something people think twice about.

Meanwhile, secondhand platforms are seeing a surge. Between January and March of this year, downloads of nine major resale apps—including Poshmark, Depop, Mercari, and The RealReal—rose by 3%, marking the first quarterly growth in three years. 

And it’s not just buyers flocking to secondhand. Sellers and resale programs are thriving. Booths at vintage markets are routinely pulling in five figures over a weekend, and as inventory availability becomes unpredictable brands are rushing to launch resale programs of their own. The resale market was already pegged to grow at a rate 11 times faster than conventional retail in 2023. That was before we layered on tariffs which will cause further shortages and unpredictability.

Younger buyers in particular are driving demand, turning to secondhand for everything from everyday staples to collectible pieces. The unpredictable nature of the hunt adds an element of entertainment—or dare we say, gambling—to the experience. You might walk away with a solid pair of jeans and a perfectly worn tee—or you could stumble across a band shirt worth thousands. 

The result? A market with momentum, urgency, and mainstream visibility. While brands struggle with supply chains and policymakers scramble to contain economic fallout, secondhand is thriving. The tariffs may be hurting most sectors, but for vintage? They’ve been an enormous boon.

Vintage isn’t just “in.” It’s the smartest buy right now.