Second-Hand is Not Always Second-Best

There are many ways to buy used clothing these days. Second-hand stores, consignment shops, garage sales, and online Facebook market platforms, just to name a few. I have enjoyed shopping at second-hand stores ever since I was in college. Where I lived at that time, there were numerous second-hand stores, from Goodwill, to the Salvation Army, to Plato’s Closet, and more! I have never been a huge shopper, but there is this feeling of satisfaction I get when I can find a good deal on a new-to-me item. And that’s just it. It may not be brand new, but it’s new to me.

In a world filled with advertisements, consumerism, and trends, shopping second-hand may not be the first choice for many who are lured by the trends, the consumerism, and desire to keep up with the advertisements. I’ll be the first to admit, I see something being promoted and I right away ask myself, “Could I use that?” That’s how easy it is to get into the consumerism mindset. Not that I buy every piece of clothing second-hand, but it does make me re-think why I buy something and even what I buy. I do not want to fall into the very trap that our consumerism mindsets beg us to step into.

So why buy second-hand?

Satisfies the desire to shop

There is something about bringing something new into the home. Whether it be a new shirt, a new pillow for the couch, or even simply new pens to write with. It’s easy to feel a sense of satisfaction and thrill in buying something. But who says it has to be “new”? Stepping into a store, it’s like it’s a blank slate. The options seem endless, and you can’t wait to check it all out. Well, what if you satisfied that desire to shop at a local thrift store? Where all of the money stays locally? Where the desire to get something “new” can be satisfied with getting something “old”?

Affordable

I am not one to spend a lot of money on clothes. Though when I do shop, some of my most favorite gems I have found, are from a second-hand store. For instance, our daughter LOVES polly pockets. Talk about vintage, eh? Well I wasn’t about to go to the store and just buy them. That’s a great birthday idea, I thought! Then one day when we went to a local thrift store, and lo and behold, she found a house with a 2-gallon zip-lock bag chock full of polly pockets for $8.00. I thought okay…sold. Almost all of the games we own for our daughter, were bought second-hand for $1-$2. They work just as well as if they were new. And clothing? Almost all of Mazy’s clothes are hand-me-downs from someone. Do I enjoy buying new clothes for her? Absolutely! But is it affordable for us to buy everything new for one kid? I’m just not sure that’s the best way to be a good steward of our money. To her, they are new and she loves them as if they were new.

When I step into a thrift store, the places I often peruse through are puzzles, since I can’t justify buying brand new ones, kid’s toys, kid’s games, shoes, outdoor equipment, and furniture. Sometimes I will check out books and kitchen gadgets, but I just find it fascinating to see what is all out there! Now the key is to not buy something that you don’t need! Don’t buy something just because it’s a good deal!

Choose your own style

One thing I have learned to appreciate about thrift stores is the lack of advertising. When you walk into a store, what they sell, tells you what you should wear. For instance, if you walk into a name-brand store, their styles are telling you what is in and what you should buy to be trendy. Have you ever thought about that? But when you walk into a thrift store, you will find every style of clothing under the sun! If you want mom jeans? They will have them. If you want a sweater vest? You bet, it will be there. If you want a team sweatshirt? There will likely be an option. Need a “new” dress? Look along the walls. And the best part? You can choose your own style.

This sounds ridiculous in a way, doesn’t it? I mean, shouldn’t we all always be able to choose our own styles? But again, in a “normal” store, they are telling you what you should buy, instead of you walking in, wanting to choose your own. And we need to ask ourselves daily, if we are allowing ourselves to fall into the trap or not. BE YOU!

Reduce, reuse, recycle

Do you have numerous items of clothing hanging in your closet, unused? Have you considered putting them in a bag and donating them? It may sound like an extra chore, but that feeling of reducing is extremely satisfying, isn’t it? Not only that, someone else can “reuse” what you no longer use. When our daughter mentions that she doesn’t play with something anymore, I take that time to ask her if someone else would use it more than she does. Often times, her answer is yes. I think for a 4-year-old, it’s hard to give up your things, but when you can help them understand that it will still be used, and just re-used, eases the angst.

Not only are you reducing and reusing, but you are also recycling. Why always buy new? Using something that someone else has used in the past – there is not a thing wrong with that. When we can recycle it to and through another person, that sense of satisfaction comes back in being able to help someone else out.

Secondhand is not always second-best. What do you enjoy most about thrift shops? What do you search for the most? What has the best item or deal you have found at a thrift store?