Student Launches Her Own College Thrift Platform

College Thrifts was launched by Patricia L. García, an undergraduate senior in FIU's interdisciplinary Engineering program, to resell gently-used college gear. (Photo credit: College Thrifts site)

Liberty Littman / Contributing Writer

If you’ve ever wanted to rep your university with some fresh gear but then found yourself cringing at the heavy price tag, you are not alone. That’s why one FIU student has made it her mission to make school spirit gear more accessible. 

Patricia L. García, an undergraduate senior in FIU’s Interdisciplinary Engineering (IDE) program, has created a startup that uses social media to resell used college gear and is actively developing an app for iPhone and Android. 

Patricia L. García, an undergraduate senior in FIU’s Interdisciplinary Engineering program, (Photo courtesy of Garcia)

Garcia says the idea first took shape in 2019, when she had the chance to participate in internships and fellowships at several Universities across the U.S.

“I always wanted to get gear from the many institutions I visited on internships such as Worcester Polytechnic Institute, MIT, UC and Berkeley but I didn’t have $60 to shell out for a tee-shirt,” Garcia said. “I realized that this is applicable for most people around the nation who already pay thousands a year in tuition and board in its rising costs.”

With College Thrifts, Garcia hopes to provide an affordable and environmentally friendly alternative for students to rep their university with branded gear.

As an interdisciplinary engineering student, Garcia enjoys the unique opportunity of honing her skills in both engineering and business. 

Her app now has a functional prototype, however Garcia says she will wait until summer or possibly fall to release the app on Apple and Android. This way she can accurately evaluate the audience or usage of her app as well as raise funds for production. 

The prototype shows a home screen where the user can see the item and also the profile of the person selling the item and can swipe up to “upcycle” or down if they are not interested.

A messaging feature or in her words “mentor system,” was inspired by a touching gesture from a Florida Atlantic University graduate who used Garcia’s service to hawk some varsity swag, who included a thoughtful handwritten note to his gear’s new owner. 

Sorority and fraternity gear also have now found a home on College Thrifts,  after Garcia merged a separate Instagram page she maintains, dedicated specifically to Greek letter apparel.

“We have raised over $20k from various pitch competitions” said Garcia. She has also been featured in various media publications such as an
interview in NASDAQ and feature in the Dayton Business Journal. Since the start March of 2020 she has competed in 12 competitions.

With her business Instagram account, @College_thrifts. Garcia has gained a following of over 4,000 followers. 

Sorority and fraternity gear also have now found a home on College Thrifts, after Garcia merged a separate Instagram page she maintains, dedicated specifically to Greek letter apparel.

FIU gear being resold on College Thrifts Instagram.

Another eco-friendly innovation for College Thrifts began with a seller in Gainesville who was ready to unload his University of Florida gear on a newly arriving freshman. 

The seller realized that they both lived within ten miles of one another, so he offered to drop the package off instead of shipping, in order to save emissions. 

As of now, Garcia says she doesn’t allow users to sell customized items because it’s not sustainable nor is it legal to sell unauthorized college apparel without a license.

“It’s not sustainable, the whole purpose of our platform is to give individuals the opportunity to sell their old gear and for new students to buy gear at a lower cost through a sustainable model,” she said. 

Garcia currently resides in Boulder, CO and attends the Watson Institute, known as the training ground for next-generation innovators and social entrepreneurs. She received the tech fellowship which is awarded to scholars creating tech solutions to solve the greatest social, economic and environmental challenge. She is attending FIU virtually and will be graduating in  April as the first graduate of FIU’s IDE program.

Everyone is welcomed to sell their gently-used collegiate gear through College Thrifts, to sign up and get more information, visit the College Thrifts site.

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