To think we all need to learn to love second hand

[Ravenspeckingontheroof]

Second hand almost everything? Go onto eBay; there are 92000 used size 10 tops for sale, 4500 used travel systems, 1700 used Bluetooth speakers. Go to your local recycling centre and watch people throw perfectly useable furniture away.
We are literally drowning in cast offs many of which will go to landfill, but which are perfectly useable.
I’d say about 1/3 of my wardrobe is preloved and maybe 10% of our household furniture. I love going and choosing new things. But I think choosing preloved needs to become a first choice, and we should be incentivised to do so.
But if I walk down any high street, read any magazine, pick up my phone I am bombarded with ads for all the new things I ‘need’. Every single shop is rammed with more stuff to buy. Our society depends on us buying more stuff. How do we fix this?

Most of my furniture is second hand though

CorianderBee
You will find better stuff in better areas, little affluent villages are great and some seaside towns. I do understand where your coming from, primark is everywhere and it's not worth buying as probably cheaper new.

@Ddot

CorianderBee You will find better stuff in better areas, little affluent villages are great and some seaside towns. I do understand where your coming from, primark is everywhere and it's not worth buying as probably cheaper new.

I think this works in some parts of the country but not others. I suppose there are plenty of "little affluent villages" in the Home Counties but where I live, the villages are rural farming folk, they're not full of people wearing Boden and Seasalt, and the nearest seaside town is a 90 minute drive away in north Wales. There are loads of charity shops near me, and I have browsed them on occasion but I do get fed up of spending 3 hours browsing though worn out, overpriced Primark tat to drop on one pair of nice trousers that are almost, but not quite, my size. There's not a lot of 36" leg trousers in charity shops, believe me. Having said that I am on several Facebook Buy/sell/swap groups for specific brands which do fit and are decent quality, and I tend to buy probably half my clothes from there. The rest I buy in the Next sale.

YANBU, I love vintage clothing and I'm lucky that my nearest city has lots of great vintage stores. I draw the line at second hand pants though!

@randomsabreuse

My children are still in the trash everything with stains (usually sliding in mud or dropped food with a side helping of pen). Or running too fast and sliding on knees or sliding down rocks on their behinds. Adventurous kids...

Most of their clothes are trashed before they get outgrown (both slim) and I hand down between them.

Something more expensive isn't immune from pizza or stains or properly ingrained mud and we have very little need for "smart" clothes!

This is very true. No trousers survive my 9 year ds very well. A lot of kids clothes get stained beyound fixing dispite the quality of make. Even white things can only bleached as long as they are in and out of constant wear.

I volunteer in a charity shop and the amount of baby clothes that have been washed pristine, put in the loft then donated and the stains reappear must be at least 70% going into the rag bag.

You will find better stuff in better areas, little affluent villages are great and some seaside towns.

I find that the best ones are hospice shops in affluent villages or small towns, dress agencies in small towns, and grotty charity shops in rough areas.

More affluent areas seem to charge more.
Having said that, if there is an affluent town near you that doesn't have a decent shopping centre, the charity shops are usually good.

I live in a rough town and the charity shops are goldmines for finds and as cheap as anything. You need to rummage.

Thanks to this thread I bought new clothes I needed off eBay. Most of it has already arrived, it fits, is cheap, some of it almost brand new! Thanks op!

If you know the brand fits ebay is a great option, if your not sure ask for measurements. I have bought lots of boden stuff because I know it fits me and washes well. I even tried some dr marten sandals in the store but couldnt afford them so I ebayed for a week and up popped a pair, apparently too small for the lady so only worn once for an hour 😁 I washed em and loves em

I've had a few hits and misses with Ebay as regards fit, but with something like DMs I relist them.

We have a very expensive charity shop, which sells a lot of designer gear. That said we also have a lot that sell at reasonable prices, plus one that although isn't full of great finds you can sometimes catch a treat, that's the one I take my old things to (£3 buy one get one free) I got a new M&S dress and a top all for 3pound