The Verge

My phone dings, and a notification from Instagram pops up: “Clark’s Closet Connection’s countdown has ended.” I click the alert to head to the profile page and start refreshing as new posts furiously come in on tonight’s “drop.”

Size 10 Mario sneakers. Moana-themed Hanna Andersson pajamas. A 3T Boden skort.

Users, mostly moms, comment “me!” on posts to claim the item. It’s first come, first served. Tonight, a total of 36 items are posted, and 24 are claimed in the short time it takes for owner Ashley Hauri to complete posting. She comments back to confirm the purchase, and then sends Venmo requests for the payment.

Hauri is one of a growing number of thrift store resellers, sometimes called thrift store flippers, moving their business from resale platforms like Poshmark to more intimate social platforms like Instagram to build a closer relationship with their customers — even though those social platforms are worse for sellers.

“Instagram is one zillion percent not set up for selling,” Hauri, who lives in Kansas City, said. “For me, it’s the community there that is the primary thing. I’m connected with people via their Instagram. I get to see pe …

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