US secondhand/thrift store market

American parents chose the name Maverick more often and American shoppers chose the thrift store more often between 2012 and 2022, and the two curves have risen together (r = 0.958) in what might be the single most millennial pairing on the site. The child is named after a movie; the sweater is bought already broken in. Both decisions, in their way, are nostalgic.

Babies named Maverick grew from about 800 per year in 2012 to over 5,000 by 2022, with Top Gun: Maverick's 2022 release creating a final name surge. The US secondhand market grew from about $10 billion to over $28 billion in the same window, powered by Depop, Poshmark, ThredUp, and the ethical-shopping wave that reframed thrifting as sustainable rather than frugal. Both trends embed the same generational aesthetic: the 1986 movie rebooted, the 1980s jacket resold, the name and the garment both worn as affectionate references to a decade their owners did not live through.

A son is named after a pilot. A coat is purchased once and sold twice. Everything old is valuable again.