Over 700 MSU students stopped by the MSU Surplus Store on Sept. 17th for a student-only thrift day that featured a bulk clothing sale. By the end of the day, Spartan thrifters had collectively rehomed 3,622 pounds of clothing! For sale at only $1 per pound, curious shoppers picked through clothes heaped in bins and lined up end-to-end in the store parking lot. When they came across a unique item, like the rainbow crab rangoon graphic tee or neon pink cat costume, it seemed to encourage more treasure hunting. The store was also open to students, and many were surprised by the variety of useful and affordable goods available just a walk away from class. A whopping 92% of thrifters were visiting for the first time.

That said, the 727 in-store transactions from the day indicate that many will be back! Proceeds from the sale help support Surplus Store & Recycling Centers diversion mission, which keeps millions of pounds of discarded goods and materials in circulation through reuse and recycling, while returning roughly half of total sales to campus departments each year. “The vast majority of clothing available has been donated by students over the last year, so it really comes full circle when so much of it gets back into other students’ hands,” said Kris Jolley, manager of the Surplus Store & Recycling Center. “Plus, these kind of events build camaraderie as they see that so many of their peers are interested in the same thing they are.” A second MSU student-only shopping day is set for Wednesday, November 6, at the MSU Surplus Store. The time will be announced later this fall. In the meantime, Spartans can stop by during regular hours, Fridays from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., when the store is open to the public.