Thrift shopping has been around in Indonesia for quite some time. Popular centers such as “Cimol” in Bandung were established in the early 2000s, but some go back further: Pasar Baru Bandung was built in the early 1900s, while Pasar Senen traces its origins to 1733.

Flea markets can be found in almost every city, ranging from the clothing-focused to those that specialize in books or electronics. Thanks to technology advancement over the past decade, however, online thrift shops are now bringing the thrift experience to shoppers through social media.

It's just business: Degian, who has been operating an online clothing thrift store for the past four years, said it would be great to have more competitors as it would motivate her to make improvements. (Courtesy of Degian) (Courtesy of Degian/Courtesy of Degian)

Digital fleas

One of the many who have chosen to populate the digital market is 27-year-old Degian, a full-time businessperson. Along with her husband, she also owns a barbershop and is active in the culinary sector. Owner of @Lekha_thrift on Instagram, Degian has been operating an online clothing thrift store for the past four years.

"[When I started] there were not many women in the industry," said the Bandung, West Java, native. "You don't need big capital to start the business."

Meanwhile, Bharep Panghayom, a native of Jakarta, West Java, who now lives in Surabaya, East Java, said he initiated his thrift shop business in 2013 when he was a vocational school student. The property agent began as a consumer.

"I saw a friend wearing a nice jacket. So, I asked him where he bought it," he said, to which his friend replied, “From a local flea market”. The answer enticed him to enter the world of thrift shopping.

"Then one day, on my way home, I was pulled over and ticketed by the police," Bharep, the owner of @baperapparel on Instagram, continued. "I could not sleep until 3 am because, at that time, I did not have any money. How could I pay the fine?

"Then I got this idea to sell my clothes purchased at flea markets on Facebook. I ended up with a Rp 350,000 [US$24.40] profit and paid the fine. Fast forward to today: here I am, operating an online thrift shop."

Partner up: Degian's husband, with whom she operates Lekha Thrift, has been exploring the thrift shopping industry longer than her. (Courtesy of Degian) (Courtesy of Degian/Courtesy of Degian)

Bharep added that he can reap up to Rp 7 million in profit every month from his side hustle of selling vintage clothes online, which can leap to Rp 30 million every Ramadan. 

He also shared a story that revealed the potential extraordinary financial rewards of opening a thrift shop. This story, sadly, was rather an unfortunate one for the 26-year-old.

"I once sold a Nirvana t-shirt for Rp 150,000," he said. "It was a reprint edition. The original print can be sold for up to Rp 40,000,000. Still, the reprint edition's real value was Rp 15,000,000. I did not know back then and only became aware of what it was worth after I sold it."

Target market and expensive shipping

While Degian's target market of women aged around 25 is rather narrow, Bharep's buyers are more diverse.

"I once shipped to Hong Kong. The buyer was from Jakarta, but he was working in Hong Kong," Bharep explained. "I also ship to Malaysia. Once I almost shipped to Canada, but the shipping fee was too expensive.

"My customers range from teenagers to adults to the elderly. With the elderly, I usually sell warm clothes as they catch a cold easily. My buyers are mostly males. I once sold women's clothing with my partner. Now she is my wife and is currently pregnant. So, we are pausing the operation."

Degian and Bharep shared some tips on how to start a thrift shop business. Degian warns newcomers that the first three months are be the hardest. Consistency, she emphasized, is always the key. 

According to Bharep, the most important thing for newcomers is to remember to sell low-quality goods first. After achieving a stable income, one can start offering products with medium quality before finally moving up again to sell more high-quality items.

Change of career?: Bharep said operating an online thrift store earns him as much money as working as a property agent. (Courtesy of Bharep Panghayom) (Courtesy of Bharep Panghayom/Courtesy of Bharep Panghayom)

Flea market hoppers

Marwa is a 25-year-old aspiring social media influencer from Bandung. She discusses skincare, fashion and makeup with her almost 9,000 followers on Instagram (@heyitsmarwa). 

Every two months, Marwa embarks on a journey to explore the Gedebage, West Java, flea market, where she hunts for the perfect outfit for her daily "Outfit of the Day" Instagram posts.  Once she has finished modeling the outfit ofr the photoshoots, she either keeps the clothing or sells it on Carousell, Twitter and her other Instagram account (@xgetyoursx).

"I have been thrift shopping for around three years," Marwa said. "Thrifting allows me to get high-quality clothes for a much lower price. More often than not, I find rare and branded items.

"I usually don't have anything in mind in terms of what I want to buy before going to the market," Marwa added, saying that she just buys whatever she finds attractive. "If I set a target like what kind of clothes I want to buy, I usually end up not finding anything. So, it's mostly random.”

Marwa stressed the importance of checking for defects in the items before buying them. She also recommended going to the flea market or browsing your favorite thrift shop’s social media and choosing whatever you find interesting, rather than targeting any specific item.

"You will end up buying nothing if you set your mind to find only one specific item," she explained.

Shopping tips

While thrift shopping in Indonesia is most often associated with clothing, Gabriel Wahyana, a 24-year-old native of Garut, West Java, said he buys a wide range of items from thrift stores and flea markets.

"I usually buy electronics and electronics-related accessories, including smartphones, laptops, RAMs and hard drives," said Gabriel, who is currently working in Bandung. "Sometimes I also buy musical instruments such as the flute and guitar as well as spare parts for my motorcycles such as tires.

Preloved phone: Gabriel Wahyana's 2014 secondhand smartphone is still functioning well. He does not, however, use it as his primary phone. (Courtesy of Gabriel Wahyana) (Courtesy of Gabriel Wahyana/Courtesy of Gabriel Wahyana)

"I have been thrift shopping since I was a high-school student. Depending on the item, I may prefer buying a secondhand item rather than a new one. For phone and motorcycle accessories, it is better to thrift. The reason is the huge difference in terms of pricing, especially when the seller is in dire need of money. Everything I have bought so far was in mint condition."

Gabriel recommended checking a vendor’s track record before making a purchase. "If you choose to thrift shop in flea markets, at least ask the opinion of someone who has made purchases there," he advised.

However, when it comes to electronics and motorcycle accessories, Gabriel advises not to just go and buy something random.  "You should at least know the specifications [of the item], including the year [the item] was manufactured, for example,” he said.

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