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?

Since I started getting most of my clothes from charity shops my wardrobe has become much more interesting and varied. And higher quality/better labels.

I agree with PP who have said it is harder when you don't have a choice but to buy second hand. It's really hard to find what you are looking for sometimes.

This only really works if you live in an area with lots of charity shops with a good selection. I’m not paying a fiver for a primark top that was only six quid to start with.

Plus, I live rurally and if you count petrol to even go and get small stuff it’s expensive. I drive a small car so anything bigger than a tele I need a van and driver which makes it expensive

I clothe the kids mainly in second hand, and lots of my wardrobe is second hand. I do buy some things new though - work dresses and such - but I am another than wears things to rags before I let them go. Anything that no longer fits but didn’t get into that state is donated.

Most of our furniture is second hand (my favourite is the solid wood table for £40).

But I don’t think recycling is what will fix the impact we have. For real impact people need to reduce and reuse first. First only but good quality and properly made clothes- many modern clothes will fall apart quickly as they are badly stitched fast fashion. Don’t throw away the bike - repair it. Hem dropped? Sew it back up. Lost weight? Take the dress in. Put on weight? Add darts in the side.

I've not voted, as it will skew your results.
I sort of agree with you, but I'd rather buy new, and use what I buy.
I will pass on second hand clothes the kids grow out of, but very little else gets disposed of before it is worn out or broken, so I'm quite comfortable buying new and using it for the duration if its life.
FWIW, we packed up our life (excluding furniture) and it was 8 suitcases and 9 large boxes. Not everyone has mountains of stuff.

@Longestfewdaysupcoming

This only really works if you live in an area with lots of charity shops with a good selection. I’m not paying a fiver for a primark top that was only six quid to start with.

Plus, I live rurally and if you count petrol to even go and get small stuff it’s expensive. I drive a small car so anything bigger than a tele I need a van and driver which makes it expensive

Plus if you have the time to go trawling and wait until what you need comes up.

I can go to Ikea at any time and have the item in my house straight away. If I wanted a furniture item from a charity shop or auction, it would probably take several visits to find something suitable, especially as I want modern, not old fashioned.

And even though just about everything we have comes from Ikea, it's not like we're replacing things all the time. Our wardrobes, bedframe, bookcases and a lot of other things are 15 to 20 years old with no sign of wearing out.

Buying second hand probably works a lot better if you like shopping. To me, it sounds like a good way to make a boring chore even more boring and time consuming.

@HasaDigaEebowai

Wood bleach is really easy. Particularly if the furniture is solid rather than veneered. Light sand, whack it on with a paint brush, repeat once it’s dry if you want it lighter, wash over with water and a rag and then finish with a wax or other finish according to taste (or leave raw but then you risk ring marks etc). It’s really cheap too, google oxalic acid.

Thanks 👍 I already use oxalic acid to get water marks out of a worktop. Is it safe on antiques? These are oak furniture actually made by DHs grandma circa 1910.

To give you an example

I need a new kitchen table. I’ve finally done my house up, and the one I have is falling apart and was given to me by a friend. The chairs done match, half of them are wobbly and the top of the table is all scratched as well as the table itself being wobbly.

I don’t have a garage (live in a terrace) and I have no tools.

How do I fix and renovate that table? If I pay someone to do it it will cost the price of a new one and not be what I want which is an extending table and matching chairs.

I’ve watched Facebook and gumtree for the last 6 months and not seen anything I want.

So I’ll buy new.

There's a time element to this too. If my kids needs a pe shirt or trainers I just need to go to the shops and get something. I haven't got time to go to 7 charity shops for something specific, I need to just go to where I know I can get it.

I hate buying clothes on line as I always want to try stuff on. I've hardly bought anything this year!

I did get a second hand dishwasher when ours packed up! I'll happily buy second hand furniture. We've still got stuff people gave us when we first moved in together like 15 years ago.

I check on eBay first for everything except for pretty much underwear, pjs. If it’s impossible to find what I need then I’ll reluctantly buy new. We do need to massively reduce our consumption OP you’re not wrong.,

Yanbu op, it's a huge problem.

I buy a mix of stuff and that’s what I’ll continue to do. When I do buy something new it lasts me literally years because I buy stuff that lasts. For example I bought myself a decent, sturdy wardrobe and chest of drawers nearly 30 years ago. I still use them now and they will probably last until I die! I tend to steer away from places like Ikea as a lot of self assembly stuff does just fall apart over time. I’ve also bought antique furniture, so that obviously has been used before. If you buy something you love then you will keep it. The problem is the fast turnover nowadays. People buying things then discarding them a year or two later.

I do hate how a lot of electronic items/appliances now have a short life. We had the same TV all through my childhood and when it broke we had the TV repair man round. Now it’s often cheaper to just get rid of it and replace. That’s something I have no control over.

I do buy most of DC uniform new as there isnt the volume of second hand items to buy. DD has had a pe skort 2nd hand and i passed on her pe top but her blazer was in no fit state to pass on after 2 years. I think I might have sold the skirts though.

Dd is nearly 15 and likes buying and selling on depop, and her and friends love going to boot fairs. I buy a lot of my own stuff 2nd hand but I dont think DH would.
Weve bought furniture from fb pages before and are planning on passing on DS high sleeper when he has finished with it (we got it from fb to start with!)

We have an Ercol dining table and side table that were DH parents that are from the 60’s and a cabinet that is from the 30’s that was his Granny’s. I have two carver chairs that were my Granny’s from about 1900. I bought an old bedside cabinet as a hall table. I also have a filing cabinet and bookcase that my workplace were throwing away.

I actually hate shopping especially for clothes When I buy clothes I buy quite expensive will last for ages classic stuff. I just lent DS GF a black dress for a funeral. I think it’s about 10 years old. I have bought secondhand clothes before. Best Buy a Karen Miller dress for a fiver that I wore about 5 times but then sold to a dress agency. Was a few years ago. I also buy clothes to cut up for the material, I was lining a medal case and needed black velvet, I bought a skirt for a pound of good quality velvet, I needed less than half a metre.

We buy second hand wherever possible or from ethical brands new. I also look after my things (eg leather goods are cleaned and conditioned regularly) and sell on things that no longer fit or I no longer like.

I have saved searches on eBay for things I am after and have got vivobarefoot trainers like new condition for way less than half new cost.

@NeverForgetYourDreams

But there wouldn't be any second hand stuff if people didn't buy it new in the first place.......

Nope.

Most people who sell stuff on, seem to think they can ask for 90% of the original price, even though it is clearly 50 years old and knackered. I only use second hand stuff if I can verify where it came from, which usually means it's from friends and family who are generally nice enough not to charge me for it (and I do the same for them). I don't want things covered in pet hair or smoke thank you very much.

The answer is to buy less in the first place. My parents have IKEA furniture that's 30 years old and still in excellent condition, so it can be done even on a budget.

I tend to steer away from places like Ikea as a lot of self assembly stuff does just fall apart over time

It really doesn't

I don’t buy anything second hand, never have.

Disclaimer: I wear/use things for years (decades even). I’m wearing the same clothes I had over 15 years ago, the same duvet covers I had when I was 30. Our coffee table is from 1974. My dressing gown my mum got me in 1993. My favourite saucepans are from my ‘bottom drawer’ in the 80s.

I'm often surprised at some items on our local fb pages - there are regularly expensive sofas/items of furniture that are less than a year old that people are selling because they changed decor, or think it doesnt really suit the room. I'm always amazed at how much money someone would spend on something they will have 3 months (in some cases) and then sell on at a huge loss, but it's great if you're looking for a bargain!

I dont want to buy 2and hand as ime people sell stuff that is knackered anyway. I buy things when I need though and keep things until they wear out. Would never RIP out kitchens or bathrooms if they go out of date etc

I have been buying 2nd hand since my teens, Back then many people had a real 'Yuk' reaction and my mum used to always say 'Someone could have died in that'

But I have always thought that not only does it save money, but you can also afford much better quality that lasts longer. For example, I now have about 5 cashmere cardigans and jumpers that are so beautiful and never seem to ball or age. One of them is 20 years old. They were all bought 2nd hand for about £20 to £30

I still use a saucepan that belonged to my nan from the 50s

I had all my baby equipment from my brother ( except pray, local second hand) which was great.
I buy from eBay, set brands and works well, tho do stop at underwear and socks.
Mu sons largely had new clothes as I wasn’t into charity shops years ago

I really struggle to buy clothes new now - the prices make me cringe! Most of my wardrobe is high quality second hand. However, it does take time and I don't currently have a lot of usuable outfits (post lockdown).

It's become tricky now as I can't quite bring myself to pay more than a couple of pounds for anything because I'm sure I can get it for less!

I also like 2nd hand because I don't want the same as everyone else.