Samantha Rose Brammer of Phoenix, Arizona, bought "Thriftmas" gifts for 16 family members from thrift stores.
Some of the "Thriftmas" gifts Samantha Rose Brammer got for her extended family include a new pickleball shirt, puzzles, games and mugs with special meaning.
Natalie Ray of Woodstock, Georgia is gifting a thrifted school-themed tote bag and shoes that look like pencils to her sister, who is a teacher.
Natalie Ray of Woodstock, Georgia is gifting Disney collective plates as her Thriftmas present to her best friend.

This summer when Samantha Rose Brammer was thrifting, she saw a brand new pickleball T-shirt. She thought it'd be a great Christmas present for her aunt, a huge Pickleball player.

“That’s kind of where the hunt started,” Brammer, 30, said. She ended up finishing her Christmas shopping for 16 family members by buying nearly everything at a thrift store.

The popularity of secondhand shopping has come to the holidays via Thriftmas.

Shoppers are buying new and gently used gifts at thrift stores, saying they are leaning into the growing trend as both a way to save money and be environmentally conscious.

In a recent study of 1,500 shoppers by OfferUp, 81% said they were going to allocate part of their holiday budget to secondhand items and 1 in 4 (27%) plan to allocate as much as half.

Why is thrifting popular?

The perception of secondhand shopping has shifted dramatically, Kelly Stephenson, vice president of brand at OfferUp, told USA TODAY. “What was once considered an option is now a preferred way to shop, especially during the holidays, as people look for meaningful, high-quality gifts at fair prices, often right within their own communities.”

According to OfferUp’s 2025 Recommerce Report, 70% of Americans said the stigma around secondhand has faded. In OfferUp’s Holiday Special Release, 67% of shoppers said they’d be happy receiving a secondhand gift in good or excellent condition.

This shift is also being led by younger shoppers, Stephenson said, with 95% of Gen Z saying they’d prefer a secondhand item if they can find the same product for less.

Thriftmas gives items a second life

Giving thrifted items appeals to Brammer of Phoenix.

“They’re getting a new life and they’re not ending up in a landfill,” Brammer told USA TODAY. “Thriftmas is like repurposing items ... and can save you a lot of money.”

“I really do love gift giving and finding something that people will actually really like and use,” Brammer said in a TikTok sharing some of her Thriftmas finds.

Some of the other gifts Brammer got for her family include a Hallmark ornament for an aunt who loves Hallmark movies, an infographic baseball book for her uncle and a new-in-the-box Beatles puzzle for an aunt who is a big fan of the band.

The gifts averaged about $5 a person but when Brammer researched retail prices, they averaged between $15 and $20.

Brammer’s advice is to start early in the year, especially if you're thrifting for a lot of people. But it is still doable for a smaller Christmas list if you are shopping now, she said.

Thrifting has become more mainstream, especially for people in her age range, Brammer said.

Buy items that are in giftable condition and wash or wipe them down, she recommended.

Avid thrifter says she can find anything at thrift store

Natalie Ray, 28, of Woodstock, Georgia, has been doing Thriftmas for the past few years.

An avid thrifter, Ray said it can be a challenge to find the right gift.

“You don’t know exactly what you’re walking into ... but you try to find something that resonates with that person,” Ray told USA TODAY.

But Ray said she will find the perfect thrifted gifts for everyone on her list.

“Anything you want at the mall, you can find at the thrift store,” she said, adding that there is “overconsumption” and too many things being sent to landfills.

Ray found a new-with-tags Guess winter coat for her mother-in-law for $8. It normally retails for $50 or more, she said.

“She’s really going to love it. It’s one of her favorite brands,” Ray said.

She got a school-themed bag and shoes that look like pencils for her sister, who is a teacher.

Ray recognizes “not everyone wants a thrifted gift. I know one of my friends specifically will not thrift, so I will never get her something from the thrift store.”

For the majority of her Thriftmas shopping, Ray said she’s looking year-round. She especially likes shopping right after Christmas when people are donating a lot of their things that can be good gifts.

Family loved Thriftmas gifts

Brammer’s extended family opened their Christmas gifts at Thanksgiving. Brammer wrote each person a card explaining why she chose the thrifted gift.

“All of them were in shock because they said they all seemed like brand new gifts and they never would have guessed they were from a thrift store,” she said. “My entire family had an extremely positive reaction.”

Betty Lin-Fisher is a consumer reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at blinfisher@USATODAY.com or follow her on X, Facebook or Instagram @blinfisher and @blinfisher.bsky.social on Bluesky. Sign up for our free The Daily Money newsletter, which breaks down complex consumer and financial news. Subscribe here.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Thriftmas is trending, and it may cut your gift costs in half

Reporting by Betty Lin-Fisher, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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