What is Protea Thrift?
Protea Thrift is a boutique with a curated selection of thrifted clothes from the community and thrift stores. We hand select every single piece and pride ourselves on the quality and selection we carry. We have women’s clothing, mens aloha shirts and unisex items, with an emphasis on women’s apparel.
We have a buy-back program where we buy clothes from customers they no longer want, to then resell at our store. A few times a year the owner goes to Los Angeles to thrift and bring back a large quantity of clothes to keep the racks stocked.
Why Secondhand?
We discard 92 million tons of clothing-related waste each year. In 2022, fast fashion generated more CO2 than aviation and shipping combined. Fast fashion is responsible for 8-10% of all carbon emissions, and for 20-35% of micro-plastics in the ocean.
Shopping second hand helps to decrease the negative impact on the environment. Clothes get another life instead of going to the landfill, woohoo!
Schedule your buy-back appointment
As a busy refill store, we may not be able to buy back clothes every day. Your best bet is to make a 15-minute appointment, so we can be ready to accept your clothes! It's free to book, you'll just need to check out to save your spot.
Buy Back FAQ
1. What items will you accept for the buy-back program? Women’s, men’s and unisex clothing. We are not accepting bikinis or athletic wear at this time.
2. Will you be buying back every item people bring?
No, we will be hand selecting items based on a number of factors which include size, availability, stock, season, material, quality, style, etc.
We will not be accepting items with any holes, rips, stains, or significantly undone seams/stitching. Items must be clean and free of pet or human hair.
3. How many items can I bring to sell?
We have no minimum or maximum, but we please ask you to be selective in what you bring. Please do not bring us trash bags full of random clothing and miscellaneous items.
4. What days will the buy-back program happen?
Please schedule a time through our website to bring your clothes in. There will be a product called “Buy-Back Program”, which is free, where you check out and select a date and time on the calendar. Being that we are also a busy refill store, this helps us better manage and prepare to receive clothes! The appointment will take about 15-30 minutes.
5. How will I get paid for the clothes I sell to Protea?
We will have two options for payments. You will be offered the total amount in a Protea gift card that you can use at the store or online, or only half of the total offer in cash.
ALL CLOTHES FOR BUY BACK MUST BE WASHED BEFORE THE APPOINTMENT. NO DIRTY CLOTHES WILL BE ACCEPTED. LOOK OVER EVERY SINGLE PIECE WITH DETAILS TO MAKE SURE NO CRUST, STAINS, OR HOLES ARE PRESENT.