12/24/2025
More consumers are buying used jewelry, toy cars and other gifts than in previous years, risking the disappointment of extended family and friends to keep their budgets in check because of inflation and other financial pressures.
“I could go to a Target, a Walmart, a HomeGoods,” said Carlee Wengel, a 33-year-old stay-at-home mother in Olympia, Wash. “But my dollar is not going to go as far.”
Wengel, who scoured secondhand aisles for presents for her daughters ages 3 and 5 in previous years, is also going to give used gifts to about a dozen friends and other family members.
The shift is lifting ThredUp, Savers Value Village and other thrift retailers, which usually see sales slow during the holidays and have been taking steps to reduce the stigma around used items.
Some 82% of roughly 1,800 U.S. shoppers surveyed by eBay said they are more likely to purchase secondhand gifts this year compared with last year. Likewise, nearly half of the 8,200 American consumers the National Retail Federation surveyed said they might buy used to save money this holiday season.
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