College Graduate Turns Vintage Clothing Resale into $48,000 Annual Business

Hannah Valentine graduated debt-free from Lindenwood University after covering tuition with profits from reselling vintage clothing. She co-founded Drop Soda Market, a recurring vintage market, and now works full-time on the resale trade, dedicating about 12 hours a day to sourcing, restoring, and selling garments. While she began on Depop, about 98% of her income now stems from pop-up stalls where she can move up to 250 pieces per day, typically pricing items between $20 and $30.

Her inventory, sourced mainly from Goodwill Outlet stores and occasional garage sales, costs around $1,200 monthly, and booth rentals for travel markets can reach $1,000 per trip. A notable sale involved a Donnybrook coat that fetched $450 after being highlighted alongside a Rihanna photo. Valentine advocates for broader secondhand shopping to reduce waste and keep existing clothing in circulation.