Welcome to Second Take: 🎤 what dealers and collectors are really talking about behind the scenes of the multi-billion dollar vintage fashion industry.
PS: If you work in resale, your $5 paid subscription to Pre-Loved is likely a business expense.
In this letter: I finally tuned into the livestream shopping craze (it’s a crazier QVC for a new generation), Vestiaire Collective becomes the first resale brand to monetize their avoided carbon emissions, and the rise of “whisper networks” for vintage shopping — is your next grail hiding in a WhatsApp group?
Plus: the vintage Apple Martin steals from Gwenyth’s closet, and why someone needs to tap this mother-daughter duo for a 90s’ nostalgia resale campaign. Now.
And finally: I’ve been on Gem too much, and have some killer secondhand saves. You should snap them up. [Anna Sui, Max Mara, Kate Spade. Sizes S-XL, all under $150] —here’s a sneak peek:
With Livestream, Resale Becomes Theater:
Up until this week, I’ve mostly watched the resale livestream craze unfold from the sidelines. During the pandemic I caught a handful of the A Current Affair shows, but after my last few Pre-Loved Podcast guests have mentioned live shows, I realized I haven’t been fully paying attention to this growing segment of the market.
When I saw Michael from Toots Vintage – a previous Pre-Loved Podcast guest! – had celebrated his one-year of selling on Whatnot, I reached out to learn more.
Michael joined Whatnot after being courted by their team, who slid into his DMs because of his TikTok following (32k+). When a representative visited his booth at a vintage show, they made their pitch and said they’d help him onboard to the app and promote his first show.
“I just sort of put it together that this is the future of shopping—this sort of live selling aspect,” Michael told me. “So why not seize this opportunity?”
“I think people love to buy stuff from me because I’m the one finding it. I’m the one so excited about it and passionate about it.”
— Michael Phillips, Toots Vintage
On livestream shopping apps like Whatnot and TikTok, resellers both perform and sell—it’s like an online auction combined with a FaceTime call with a friend.
Tech writer, Saanya Ojha, describes the phenomenon this way: “The audience isn’t just shopping; they’re hanging out. The value isn’t solely in the garment but in the parasocial relationship with the host. We’ve moved from ‘What do I want to buy?’ to ‘Who do I want to shop with?’”
The numbers back up the streaming boom. According to the LA Times, between November 13 and December 2 last year, nearly half a million live shopping sessions were hosted on TikTok, totaling more than 660,000 hours. Nicki Minaj’s two-hour livestream for press-on nails became the highest-viewed TikTok Shop Live ever, with 80,000 viewers tuning in simultaneously at its peak. Whatnot reports the average user spends 80 minutes per day watching livestreams on their app, and they forecast $6 billion in volume in 2025 — about double what they did in 2024.
Retailers have already normalized the concept of livestream shopping in China where it’s a major phenomenon, moving beyond mass retail into the high-end space. Louis Vuitton, Cartier, Burberry, and Prada have all livestreamed on RedNote. Recently, All Things Fashion Tech reports, Stella McCartney even partnered with Swedish video e-commerce platform, Bambuser, for a live sale during Paris Fashion Week.
On Whatnot, Y2K is by-far the most popular vintage fashion category. Sellers like Grlonline (23.1k+ followers) and Shop Costura (18.4k+ followers) have built regular businesses livestreaming multiple times per week on these platforms.
“Whatnot is my most-used app, even more than Instagram or TikTok. Oh my god, my daily average use is over two hours!”
A year in, Michael now spends an average of two hours daily on Whatnot—making it his most-used app, even more than Instagram or TikTok. “I will just put it on when I’m washing the dishes,” he says. “It’s the new QVC. Literally. Last night I was watching Twilight for the first time with my boyfriend and I just had it on. I didn’t have the audio on but I could see if that’s an amazing piece—okay, let me turn the volume on.”
Michael estimates 50% of his audience are other resellers sourcing product for their own shops. The platform has become not just a place to sell, but a place to source discount finds. He likewise sources for his shop, using his brand name when winning auctions—no burner account. “There’s no shame in being like, yes, I’m flipping this. It’s like, if you don’t want me to buy it, outbid me.”
He says there’s a genuine community on the platform that looks out for each other. “I’ll now get mentions because people will @ me in the comments for a show that I’m not watching,” Michael says. “I’ll get a notification that someone mentioned me to buy a slip dress.” He does the same, tagging friends when he spots Armani suits or other pieces outside his aesthetic that would be perfect for someone else’s brand. “We all want each other to win.”
On Friday night, I tuned in to a Shop Costura livestream to see what the buzz is about. Stef held up a pair of embroidered low-rise Y2K jeans, measuring tape around her neck, with shelves of folded denim stacked behind her. She chirped replies to the comment section: “Hi Sammy! For sure, these are iconic! No way, we’re not selling these for $1! OMG!” Streamers typed back: “Heyy baddie—do you have Ed Hardy? When are you going to show lingerie?” It felt like getting ready at a friend’s house before you all go out.
“I think people love to buy stuff from me because I’m the one finding it,” Michael told me. “I’m the one so excited about it and passionate about it. I really showcase the personality.” Afterall, Gen Zers spend over six hours a day on their phones, they want the content they consume to feel real.
Ojha says this is just a preview of what’s coming as shopping becomes media. “Identity becomes currency. Sellers monetize persona as much as product. Audiences are loyal to hosts.”
For dealers willing to embrace that performance, livestreaming can offer a sales outlet a with built-in community and real-time feedback. But it requires energy, authenticity, and a willingness to experiment with new technology.
As Michael puts it: “Business is all about change.” Below, a Q&A with Michael about what it takes to run a successful livestream show, the earning potential, and why he thinks being open to change is critical for vintage sellers.
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