VIENNA, Virginia ‒ At noontime on a recent summer Friday, about two dozen cars were parked along a tree-lined culd-a-sac in this suburb 30 minutes outside of the nation’s capital.
A blue yard sign directed people to a house at the end of the street with a simple, beckoning message: “Estate sale this way.” Women in their 20s and 30s meandered to their cars carrying cardboard boxes piled high with books, holiday decorations, clothes and picture frames.
Across the country, scenes like this are becoming more common, as young people looking to shop in more sustainable ways are gravitating toward estate sales – rather than large retailers – to find low cost well-made products.
In the past six months, the online estate sale marketplace Everything But the House saw a 28% increase in business, with much of that driven by young people, Chief Commercial Officer James Ferguson said. The company saw an 18% uptick in sales among people aged 25 to 35 in the first half of the year, he said.
"There's a concept of quality and value from things that maybe are older or were gently used in a previous life. We call it pre-loved," he said. "They're seeing the opportunity to get something unique."
