As back-to-school shopping winds down, families are still hunting for deals and more shoppers are turning to secondhand items to stretch their budgets. New research says about a third of K-12 shoppers and nearly half of college shoppers bought or plan to buy secondhand items this school year, up several percentage points from last year. That trend is on display in Montgomery County, where the Just Between Friends mega kids consignment event is running through the weekend at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks. The sale features thousands of secondhand items at deep discounts, ranging from books and back-to-school clothes to toys. “We have our whole entire fall wardrobe,” shopper Samantha White said. For White, shopping secondhand offers an opportunity to find higher-quality items at more accessible prices. “There is no reason for us to buy new. And I think that we can share our kids are in these clothes and playing with these toys for very small windows of time and development,” White said. Stephanie Lineaweaver, franchise administrator for Just Between Friends, said thrifting is having a “huge moment.” The Oaks event is twice the size it was a decade ago, according to Lineaweaver. Nearly 2,000 consigners and 9,000 shoppers are expected this year, making it the event’s biggest year yet. “The misconception is that it’s only for kids and that they just don’t want to buy used. But we have lots of new items as well, but we have lots of used one-time items,” Lineaweaver said. One report found the U.S. secondhand market grew four times faster than the broader retail clothing market, an indication that consumers are looking to save amid tariffs and price hikes from the war with Iran. New mom Amanda Dabney drove an hour from Wyomissing to shop the sale. “Being able to spend, you know, 20 bucks on something that would normally cost you maybe 70 is a great deal. So I’ll take it any day,” Dabney said. Franchesca Christie, another new mom, estimated her savings at $100 or more — with more shopping still to do. The Just Between Friends consignment sale runs through the weekend at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks. This story was originally reported for broadcast by NBC Philadelphia. AI tools helped convert the story to a digital article, and an NBC Philadelphia journalist edited the article for publication. This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser. ...read more read less