Thrifting for tuition, student turns vintage finds into college savings

A high school student is turning thrifted clothing into a growing side business to help save money for college tuition, combining entrepreneurship and passion for fashion. 

Oliver Crust, a senior in high school, began reselling clothes after discovering thrift culture during his freshman year. What started as curiosity about fashion turned into a profitable side hustle that has helped him set money aside for the future. 

“Around ninth grade, I had some friends who was like wearing cooler clothes than I, or that’s at least how I deemed it,” Crust said. “All of their methods of acquiring these clothes was going thrifting and stuff.”

After he started vision thrift stores more frequently, Crust began meeting people involved in clothing resale. Those connections introduced him to the world of buying and selling secondhand clothing. 

“If you start going pretty often, you get to meet the community relatively quickly,” he said. “That’s how I got into the reselling community of clothes.”

Now most of what Crust owns and sells comes from thrift and secondhand shops. Primarily Goodwill bins and vintage clothing shops. Crust says his process requires both time and consistency. On the weekends, he spends time searching for items building an inventory that he later prepares for resale. 

After clothes are collected, Crust said each item is cleaned and organized before being sold. Crust has transformed the attic of his home into a mini shop with storage racks and a photo setup designed to elevate each piece before it goes online. 

Using resale platforms like Depop, eBay and Grailed, he lists items with pricing and descriptions allowing him to reach multiple audiences at once. 

While the process may sound time consuming, the ongoing results have been proven as worthy to Crust. Over the past few years, Crust has turned thrift store finds into a significant source of income. 

“The bins price is usually like $2 a pound and like each item I get, I sell for at least 20,” he said. “I’ve also sold items for like upwards of $100 or $200.”

Over time, that margin has continued to add up. 

“Over my few years of reselling, I’ve amassed maybe like 10,000 from selling,” Crust said. 

Even while being a full-time, senior high school student, Crust recognizes the limits of the business while it has its benefits. He also adds that it doesn’t equate to having a full-time salary unless you’re a full-time thrifter. 

However for Crust, motivation goes beyond profits earned. His interests in vintage clothing are tied to both quality and sustainability, two factors he believes are often overlooked in fashion. 

“I really like vintage clothes because of all the character and stories going into them,” he said. 

Beyond style, Crust sees his passion for thrifting as part of a larger effort to reduce waste within the fashion industry. Many of the items he sources come from Goodwill outlets, often referred to as ‘the bins,’ where unsold items from regular Goodwill locations are sent and sold in large blue bins, typically priced by pound. Items that are not purchased after being sent to outlets, are usually sold to third-party textile wholesalers, recyclers, or exporters. 

“After that, they usually just get incinerated,” Crust said. “I enjoy saving these clothes and giving them to a new owner while putting a pretty penny in my pocket myself.”

That mindset has shaped how Crust approaches the business, not just as a way to make money, but also as a way to give clothing a second life. He said It also influences the type of clothing he chooses to sell, prioritizing pieces that carry both durability and uniqueness. 

“They don’t make clothes like they used to,” he said. “Like the quality of clothing has gone down and the blend between polyester and cotton has gone up.” 

Maintaining quality has become part of his process. Early in his reselling journey, Crust learned that paying attention to details matters when building a reputation online. Selling uncleaned clothes led to lower ratings, something he said he worked quickly to correct.

“When I first started out, I would not wash the clothes, and that resulted in a lot of low ratings,” he said. 

Now Crust said each item is washed and prepared to be worn before it is listed. 

Despite the financial successes, Crust is intentional about keeping reselling as a side venture rather than a full-time career. For him, the experience is meant to be enjoyable and not something that becomes overwhelming. 

“I enjoy it like a hobby almost. The whole thrifting and selling process. I’ve met so many friends through it too,” he said. 

What began as a way to improve his personal style has grown into a source of income and a step toward financial independence. For students facing similar financial challenges, especially when it comes to paying for college, Crust believes opportunities exist in places many might overlook. 

“I’d always recommend finding somebody who’s already had experience in the field and getting to know their method first and then using their method to adapt to your own situation,” he said. 

As Crust prepares for graduation, he plans to continue reselling while pursuing his education, keeping the business as a flexible source of income and creative outlet for passion. 

Lizzy Nyoike is a Hubbard School of Journalism & Mass Communication student and contributing writer for the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder.