The Consumer Price Index has historically has limited its observed market basket of goods and services to new or unused items in good condition except for used cars and trucks. This restriction is to maintain a market basket with consistent item quality. However, given consumer preferences shifting toward secondhand goods and the expanding availability and improving quality control of secondhand apparel, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) incorporated secondhand apparel into the CPI in early 2025 and is further researching including other secondhand goods.
This is one reason the inflation we are experiencing is so much higher than what’s being reported by the government. When the administration changes the measurement method they can significantly underreport the real inflation rate.
Next the Trump administration will include zero dollar food bank items in the food inflation statistics.
This makes some sense to me, particularly with second-hand retailers like Poshmark, etc.
Thrifting is a huge market