Over the last decade, thrifting and buying things second-hand has risen in popularity. Many people thrift from chain retailers, such as Goodwill or Salvation Army, but there are other hidden gem thrift stores most people do not know about.
According to Bunns, the best place to thrift in Macon is his own store called Vintage Bunns.
Vintage Bunns was started due to Bunns wanting to change his own style through thrifting. Over time, his closet grew and he began selling items on the Instagram account @vtgbunns and through the Depop account @vtgbunns.
“I've kind of gotten decently big, I'm not going to say I'm super big, but I've gotten decently big like I do at events. I've made a lot of connections. And it's just been a lot of fun,” Bunn said.
In addition to running his own business, Bunn works for the local second-hand store, Wear, on First Street.
Wear is a non-profit organization that benefits the Daybreak Center which Wear’s website, www.wearmacon.com, describes as a “day/resource center for homeless and low-income men and women right here in Macon.”
“It's actually a really cool thrift store. We get stuff in like every single day. I really enjoy Wear. That's why I started working there, because it's always my favorite one,” Bunn said.
Similar to Wear, Rescue Mission is another thrift store that has a goal to help the community. Rescue Mission states on its website, www.rescuemissionga.com, that it is a “faith-based, life recovery program for men, women, and children dealing with all types of addictions, domestic violence, sexual abuse, poverty, homelessness, and other life-challenging issues."
Rescue Mission has two store locations in Macon: one at 3375 Napier Ave. and another located at 6601 Zebulon Road.
“I would say Wear and Rescue Mission is where you'll save the most money because their prices are definitely lower than Goodwill," Bunn said. He also noted that the profits of those stores go back to the community.
Not only is thrifting helping the community but it also helps the environment. Buying second-hand leads to less clothing production.
According to an article from Topic Insights titled “Why Thrift Shopping Is Better For The Environment,” “Thrift shopping is good for the environment because it keeps clothes out of landfills, reduces carbon and chemical pollution caused by clothing production, and lowers water consumption.”
Clothing can also be donated to organizations, such as Wear and Rescue Mission, instead of thrown away, which helps both the community and the environment
In regards to what is in style this fall, Bunn explains that oversized clothing that has a vintage look, such as vintage items from Carhartt, oversized sweaters, baggy jeans and “dad shoes” are popular. The trendy color schemes for the season are monotone looks and earth tones.
Maura Rutledge ‘25 is a Journalism student at Mercer University. She has previously worked for The Cluster as an Arts and Culture and News reporter, and currently works as the Managing Editor. She enjoys thrifting, fashion, reading and writing in her spare time.
