thrift flip
/θrɪft flɪp/
CommonTaking a thrifted item and altering, upcycling, or customizing it into something new.
Sometimes criticized for driving up thrift store prices by resellers, since thrift flipping often involves buying lots of items to flip for profit. The creative DIY version and the resale-for-profit version are distinct but get lumped together.
Real-world examples4 examples
| # | Example | What it means | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | found the ugliest blazer at goodwill for $3 and turned it into a crop jacket. thrift flip complete. | Transformed an unappealing thrift find into a fashionable item through tailoring. | tiktok, 2023 |
| 02 | thrift flip fail. bleached a denim jacket and it came out looking like a crime scene | A DIY transformation attempt that went badly wrong. | tiktok, 2024 |
| 03 | thrift flippers are pricing normal people out of goodwill and that's not sustainable or ethical tbh | Criticizing the resale version of thrift flipping for driving up thrift store prices. | reddit, 2023 |
| 04 | spent $2 on a men's XL tee and turned it into a dress. thrift flip season is never over. | Using a cheap oversized thrift find as raw material for a clothing DIY. | instagram, 2023 |
Use it when
- Someone transforms a thrifted item into something new through alterations.
- Describing the content format of before-and-after thrift transformation videos.
- Talking about the broader community or trend of upcycling thrift store finds.
Do not use it when
- Someone just bought a thrifted item and is wearing it as-is.Use “thrifting” instead.
- Someone resells thrifted items without altering them.
Variations and related forms
Origin and context
Grew from YouTube DIY and fashion communities before becoming a major TikTok format around 2020-2021. Combines the thrift store shopping trend with the DIY crafts community.
- First seen
- 2020
- Confidence
- medium
Cite this page
Use this stable URL to reference the entry.
https://slang.fyi/thrift-flipUpdated: 2026-08-28License: CC BY 4.0