As I’ve said on Instagram, I’ve been thrifting since been thrifting since been thrifting. I don’t plan on stopping shopping second hand any time soon. Here are the reasons why I’ll keep thrifting and buying used, and the reasons why you should, too!
Using old things, making old things new (hint hint, the name of this blog), shopping second hand. However you word it, being thrifty is more than a cute trend. Before the industrial revolution, reuse was just the way of life. There was no fancy wording to it – it was just a necessary part of life in order to survive because new items were often unaffordable and scarce.
We don’t need to develop a mindset of scarcity, but these it seems days we really need a constant reminder that there is not an infinite supply of materials that exists for us to live in such a throw away culture. We also have to remember that there is no such thing as “throwing away,” and that most of what we discard becomes pollution. So, I present to you many many reasons as to why you should, and why I do, shop second hand.
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25 Reasons to Shop Second Hand
1. Save money because even extremely useful used items are cheaper than their new counterparts.
2. Find unique items that are one of a kind.
3. Find items that are extremely rare – for example, popular clothes, out of print books, and decor that was popular 3 decades ago.
4. Collect vintage items that are made of better materials and qualities than modern items, thus making them last longer (even in their old age).
5. Build a diverse capsule wardrobe with affordable items.
6. Reusing, repairing, regifting, remaking, and recovering materials (clothes, home decor, electronics, and whatever else you buy second hand) is more sustainable than buying new items.
Related post – The 8 Rs of a Circular Economy
7. For the joy of upcycling new to you items, like this upcycled dress or this updated dresser.
8. You can find a plethora of brands all in one store.
9. Because sometimes it is easier to donate things that you purchased second hand than it is to donate items that you purchased new.
10. Second hand shops are often small businesses or non-profits, so purchasing from them helps your immediate community. The same can be said for buying second hand at a garage sale or on the Facebook Marketplace – the money goes to people in your community.
11. So you can say, “THRIFTED IT!” (even when they didn’t ask) and encourage other people to consider thrifting for cute things like the ones you have told them about.
12. You can be one of the first to get your hands on the original old trends that are coming back into popular style.
13. Because everyone else is doing it… hear me out here. Vogue has articles about it. Walmart is teaming up with thredUP to make it happen with their brand. I’m not encouraging you to follow blindly and not think for yourself, but there is something to be said when major brands are talking about and adopting sustainable models of selling used clothes, as well.
14. To find authentic clothes from different decades.
15. DIY cosplay & Halloween costumes.
16. To be able to have more of something that you’d normally have to limit due to price. Example – seasonal decor. Also, do this within reason. It’s not smart to overbuy, even if it’s cheap and/or used.
17. For the thrill of the search – you might go thrifting with the goal to find a blouse but find a pair of the best fitting jeans you’ve ever owned, instead.
18. To resell valuable items that were donated that you find for super cheap prices, thus you can make a decent profit on them. Shop my finds on Poshmark.
Related post – Buy Less, Choose Well, Make it Last
19. To dress like your elders did when they were your age. Respect their style, they were CUTE!
20. To get out of the routine of having to keep up with fast fashion trends.
21. To shop multiple seasons in one spot, because when the retail stores have gotten rid of a certain season’s clothes, thrift stores may still have those items on the racks and shelves.
22. “New inventory every week!” That’s what the signs say. If you thrift often enough, you’ll find that some clothes tend to stay for a while, but there are, indeed, hundreds or thousands of new things to choose from each week. If you follow my Thrift Like a Pro tips, you’ll be privy to just when those new finds are “released” or put out on the floor for you to buy.
23. Shop for your entire family in one store!
24. To stock up on a whole season of clothes for kids all at once.
25. For gifts that are truly special.
Outfit details:
- blouse recently thrifted on half price day – $2.50
- shorts thrifted as vintage jeans & transformed into cut-off shorts – probably about $5
- belt was purchased new about 7 years ago
What are the reasons why YOU shop second hand? Share your reasons in the comments.
To be honest, I used to be embarrassed/afraid to share how much I love thrifting! Not anymore! I love the thrill of the search and not knowing what treasures I may find. Thank you so much for sharing this post. There are so many reasons to shop second hand!
Folks used to tease people about it, I’m glad people don’t really do that too much anymore. Keep thrifting!!! 💚
Shopping second-hand is preferred because it keeps your money local. Everyone works hard at purchasing local, non-Chinese products, but it’s difficult. Opting for second-hand gives us many more options for the same amount of money. Plus buying used goods also adds sustainability to the planet by reducing several types of resources and wastes. Keep on adding such informative articles.
Thrifting is definitely great for circulating dollars within our own communities!
Where I live you’ll find far more people in second hand shops than in the high street boutiques.
Problem is demand far outweighs supply and what is left is smelly, weird and ill-fitting. Everybody wants to be eco-conscious (very few people in Sweden aspire to or admire the Kardashian lifestyle) but it’s not an easy accomplishment at all.