A 19-year-old Depop dealer is accused of being 'greedy' over her vintage haul, which also ignited a debate about the ethics of thrifting

• Jacklyn Wells, a 19-year-old Depop dealer, excitedly posted a thrift haul in January.
• After it went viral, critics accused her of "greedy" markups, especially because Goodwill is intended for low-income shoppers.
• "Like most resellers, I am not rich. I grew up thrifting and relying on second-hand clothing," the teen wrote in response.

Jacklyn Wells, a 19-year-old vintage dealer with almost 400,000 followers on TikTok, has incited a moral debate about thrifting after sharing a fortuitous haul that she subsequently resold on her Depop storefront, Jack's Vintage. 

While most people were genuinely impressed — and even envious — with Wells's finds, it's also ignited a thorny discourse about access and greed when profiting from secondhand clothing.

In late January, Wells shared a TikTok that she dubbed "the most insane thrift haul." It since been viewed 5.9 million times. The teen modeled a slew of vintage leather coats and a number of 2000s-era denim maxi skirts in breezy succession.

"Where do you thrift?" one commenter wrote. "In heaven?"

But then, things took a turn. As the seemingly harmless haul went viral, critics began criticizing the steep markups that Wells happened to be making on Depop — particularly for a leather Penny Lane-style coat that she said she'd been "manifesting" and then selling for a cool $175.

The anger was vicious. "She can go fuck herself," read one tweet with screenshots from Wells' Depop store. "Greedy, lazy, and parasitic."

But others pushed back, arguing that the markups were valid compensation for the time and curation required for vintage dealers to "sift through otherwise 'ugly' clothes," as one Twitter user put it.

But still, many felt that Wells was emblematic of a troubling trend that may gut thrift shops and deplete merchandise for low-income shoppers. 

"It is so humiliating to be poor," one Twitter user wrote. "Sometimes places like the thrift store can provide a glimmer of relief, but not if vultures pick all the good stuff out."

In the wake of the backlash, critical comments seemed to be filtered out of Wells' original video, and the ability to stitch and duet her TikToks has been deactivated. Wells did not respond to Insider's request for comment. 

On Thursday, she took to Instagram, addressing the criticism by sharing a bit about her life story. 

According to her lengthy caption, Well started reselling at 16 while living with her sister and "working in fast food" to support herself through high school. Last year, she formally founded Jack's Vintage, which has 53,000 followers and has clocked roughly 1,950 sales to date. Feeling aimless in college, she said the success of the business "saved [her] life."

Wells also addressed concerns that she was contributing to the depletion of goods for low-income shoppers.

"Where I live, there are 20 Goodwills," she wrote. "All overflowing, all restocking hourly, and all sending truckloads of excess clothing to the bins."

She believes that vintage dealing can provide more job opportunities and it's ultimately good for the environment.

"Reselling pushes circular fashion, sustainable consumption, and helps low-income individuals earn a living wage off of endless clothing," she wrote.