A secondhand gifts ONLY Christmas

[SweetRascal]

For cost and the environment, I've decided to do a secondhand gifts only Christmas, with the obvious exception of food items.

But some people can be a bit funny about things that aren't new. I'm wondering what some members of my family will really think (although I'm sure they'll be polite and gracious).

I look carefully round charity shops, boot sales and Facebook marketplace. I wouldn't buy just anything but love a spontaneous find that I think someone would like.

My children couldn't care less if something is new but adults can be a bit different. Having said that, I'm still going to do secondhand only despite what they may think. It will save money and I feel like it's one way forward for the environment.

However, I am interested what people think about this?

I think it depends on the circumstances.

I've been buying my 7yo a lot of clothes from Vinted, and I've got some great stuff from brands that I wouldn't go anywhere near - for example, I bought her a Monsoon party dress for £3, and a pair of Ugg boots for £20.

I've also just bought her a massive set of The Descendents dolls on Ebay as she's just discovered the franchise on Disney+. These dolls literally aren't available in the shops anymore, and the only ones we could find 'new in box' were about $35 and then $65 for postage from the US which was crazy, so this has been an ideal solution to be able to get her 7 dolls for £30! Then, in a year or so when she's outgrown them, I'll re-sell them on eBay again.

There's loads of stuff on freecycle as well that are also good gift options, and I've just picked up a huge wall unit for my office that fits perfectly, just needs a slight lick of paint to modernise it with my decor.

I'm not making a conscious decision to shop second hand at the moment, but every little bit helps

Tbh I would be a bit gutted to get a second hand gift but it would depend if it was something I really wanted / rare. It still has got a stigma about it

Genuine question, how would you know if it was secondhand?

How many people regift things that they've been given? What if it is in the box and in immaculate condition? You wouldn't necessarily know that it was secondhand.

WOuld you be upset even if it was something you actually wanted?

I think part of the problem is the image of second hand gifts brings up visuals of battered boxes/jigsaws left over from the 80s, things that no one wants etc but it's not always true

@Herbie0987 restaurant vouchers for adults is a great idea.

I wonder if that stigma is only in certain communities though?

This isn't a new thing, we've been taught the reduce, reuse, recycle thing since the 80s at least.

Well that did fuck all and now it's all us younger ones being told to buckle up and stop travelling and stop buying things and stop this and that.

I can totally understand why people are fed up and don't.

I tend to go consumables first for adults (mostly food and drink). But very keen on second hand if still good condition, would be quite happy to receive second hand gift!

You know it's second hand because it's open or used.
Unused items are really not second hand

Yellowtreehouse I don't have an issue with you buying everything new if that suits you. Just putting stuff in landfill though that could be repaired or used by someone else is an environmental issue.

If no one bought new there would be no secondhand stuff for others to buy. But that relies on the original purchasers giving/ selling stuff on.

There must be somewhere you could give a lot of stuff easily. We have give or take events near us. Charity shops, clothing bins etc. just advertise it on Facebook for free.

I'm saving boxes at the moment for the local primary school. I was putting them out with the recycling but apparently the kids make stuff out of them. I don't think it'd take much effort once you had a system going.

@thebellagio

I think most people can tell if something is new, especially clothing.
As I said I would consider something if it was something I really wanted and isn't available any more. Its my personal preference to have new.

@Kendodd yes it could be.

@cupofdecaf No. I’m not saving things/putting them aside/going out of my way to go to charity shops.

If I’m done with something it’s going in the bin. I have neither the time nor the inclination to be faffing about.

Do you not even recycle?

No, I don’t recycle. I’m not sorting through my rubbish.

You ask that as if you find it weird that somebody doesn’t wear vintage clothing or buy antique furniture. I can say no to both and I don’t think I am remotely unusual.

And will you only live in a brand new house?
My FIL always bought new houses and cars although he did always do his recycling and would pass old things on to charity.

It is proper twatty behaviour not to sort rubbish, but some people are intractable.

That was @YellowTreeHouse btw

I'd hate this. I'd rather just not get a present

@YellowTreeHouse you sound very odd. I have 2 bins in my kitchen. One for rubbish on my council's recycling list, one for non recycling. I don't have to sort through my rubbish at all. Just put it in the relevant bin.
(Unfortunately it rarely actually gets recycled because the outside bins are communal and people keep contaminating the bin with their non recyclable crap....but that's a whole other story 😕)

Make sure it's spotless

@Kendodd Yes, our house is a new build.

@carefulcalculator I think it’s proper twatty behaviour to drink/smoke/talk loudly/walk slowly/vape but there you go we all have to put up with each other.

This seems rather an extreme attitude to second hand. I can understand people not wanting to wear second hand clothes, for example. But to be opposed to second hand books, or a vintage vase etc. and to 'not allow' your family members to have anything second hand seems strange.

Is this a reaction to your childhood? Did you grow up in poverty and were forced to wear hand-me-downs?

Who is doing the other things you mention? They have nothing to do with me. Your laziness about recycling is not OK, no point engaging in whataboutery (espacially about irrelevant things like talking).

People talking and walking slowly might be annoying but their actions are not having an impact on society as a whole.

People who are petulantly refusing to recycle their waste and chucking perfectly good things into landfill are affecting our society as a whole.