As Gen Z Turns Resale Into a Side Hustle, OneStopSwap Nears 3,000 Preregistrations

Pre-launch marketplace targeting a mid-2027 U.S. launch will let users buy, sell and directly swap in one place

LOS ANGELES, Oct. 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- For a generation under growing financial pressure, the things sitting unused at home are starting to look less like clutter and more like opportunity.

One sign of the shift is visible in secondhand fashion. Bank of America Institute reported that Gen Z accounted for 41% of secondhand fashion sellers year-to-date in 2026, up from 37% in 2024. The number of Bank of America customers selling through secondhand retailers grew 16% year over year in March, while average monthly revenue per seller rose 13%.

The shift can make once-ordinary items unexpectedly valuable. In coverage published Oct. 2, the Miami Herald highlighted Gen Z's growing appetite for Y2K-era mall brands such as Forever 21, Abercrombie and Juicy Couture. Citing earlier Vogue Business reporting, the article noted one striking example: a pair of Forever 21 shorts that originally retailed for under $30 later sold for $198 on the resale market.

A separate 2026 Bank of America/Ipsos study found that 42% of Gen Z adults ages 18 to 29 report living paycheck to paycheck, while 16% said they had picked up a side hustle in the previous year.

Against that backdrop, Los Angeles-based OneStopSwap is approaching 3,000 preregistered prospective users ahead of its targeted mid-2027 U.S. launch. The peer-to-peer marketplace is being built around a simple idea: people should have more than one way to unlock the value of things they already own.

"Gen Z already understands that the things they own have value. What we think is missing is choice," said Dean Klein, Co-Founder of OneStopSwap. "Why should the only option be selling something for cash? We're building OneStopSwap so people can decide whether they want to sell something or swap it directly for something else they want."

OneStopSwap will bring buying, selling and direct item-for-item swapping into a single marketplace. While fashion has helped drive the growth of secondhand commerce, OneStopSwap is being built for a much broader marketplace, including collectibles, clothing, electronics, toys, vintage items and more. A member who wants cash can list and sell. A member who would rather preserve their cash can offer an item in exchange for something another member owns. The goal is to give users multiple ways to turn unused belongings into something useful without forcing every transaction through a traditional cash sale.

The company plans a 3% buyer platform fee and 3% seller platform fee on standard cash transactions. Direct swaps will use a flat platform fee based on item value rather than a percentage commission and the swap fee is as low as $1.99 per person. The first 5,000 preregistered Founding Members will receive six months of zero OneStopSwap platform fees on all transactions beginning at commercial launch.

"The resale behavior is already there," Klein said. "Younger consumers are already listing things, selling things and looking for ways to make their money go further. We're not trying to convince them that what they own has value. They already know that. We want to give them another option for what they can do with that value."

OneStopSwap is currently preparing its platform and plans formal beta testing with selected Founding Members ahead of its targeted mid-2027 U.S. commercial launch.

Consumers can preregister for Founding Member status at OneStopSwap.com.

About OneStopSwap

OneStopSwap is a Los Angeles-based peer-to-peer circular-commerce company developing one marketplace for buying, selling and direct item swapping. The company is targeting a mid-2027 U.S. commercial launch. Nearly 3,000 prospective users have preregistered ahead of launch.

Website: www.onestopswap.com | Instagram: @onestopswapusa

SOURCE One Stop Swap Inc.