Recently, a news story about secondhand graphic T-shirts drew attention: a Nirvana farewell tour long-sleeve shirt, of which only nine exist worldwide, sold for $55,000 (about 77.5 million won). At the same time, at ThriftCon, a vintage clothing expo held in New York, old T-shirts featuring 1990s–2000s pop culture, rock bands, and hip-hop artists became hot items, with many pieces changing hands for millions of won.

These seemingly worn-out garments are now being given unprecedented value — no longer simply old clothes to be recycled, but "collectibles" carrying history, nostalgia, and pop culture memory. In 2021, a 1967 Grateful Dead T-shirt sold at auction for about 24.87 million won.

This boom is driven both by the demonstration effect of entertainment stars and by a shift in the consumption values of the younger generation. American pop singer Janet Jackson chose to wear a T-shirt of the late rapper Tupac at the BET Awards, while Miley Cyrus appeared in a nostalgic top related to her own TV series; Hollywood actress Zendaya also wore an oversized Spider-Man vintage T-shirt as if it were a dress. These public appearances have strongly boosted public interest in secondhand T-shirts.

At the same time, Gen MZ (those born between the 1980s and the early 2000s) has become the main group driving "value consumption." What they care about is not just price, but also the story behind a product, cultural resonance, and unique individuality. Against the backdrop of inflation, buying secondhand clothing both fits the budget and makes it less likely to "match" someone else, offering consumers a new option.

Currently, Korea also has many stores where secondhand jeans and trench coats can be bought at low prices, and vintage shops aimed especially at younger groups are highly popular. To reduce the waste burden caused by discarded clothes and also for marketing purposes, many brands have actively stepped into the collection and resale of old clothing. In the long run, some market observers expect that this newly emerging field will no longer be a simple workaround for old goods, but may further evolve into a professional collecting trend that combines sustainability with tradability.

Source: 전 세계에 단 9장 뿐인 중고 티셔츠…한 장에 7700만원 해도 산다 - 매일경제 · Originally published 2026-08-19