If you shop preloved/second hand do you find it difficult to pay the prices in the shops?

[Niftythrifter]

Not necessarily financially difficult but difficult in terms of the price of new clothes even at a discount. I have just seen a jumper not too dissimilar to one I picked up for less than six pounds in a charity shop but around eight pounds difference!

Yes, I do. I would never pay new prices for the brands I like for my children.

I've bought too many things for myself though that don't fit or suit me, so unfortunately I have to buy new from cheaper places than I would like or be smart during sales.

No but I tend to avoid new clothes now for different reasons. A lot of high street clothing is actually underpriced when you consider the amount of work that is needed for even a basic garment - somebody is being exploited. That and the fact that the fabric quality is getting worse and worse in the shops puts me off. And I agree that finding stuff on Vinted etc is more fun than shopping!

Yes! I’ve shopped in charity shops or on eBay for years - out of necessity when I was young, now through choice. Paying over the odds for clothes doesn’t appeal when there are beautiful things available at a fraction of the price.

Yes, I very rarely buy anything new. I don't even like the 'new' shopping experience - picking your size out of 10 identical garments - dull.

Yep. I don't buy new from shops for anything except underpants now. Even if I want it new I'd buy new from Vinted.

I do a mixture of T K Maxx, where I've been shopping with happily for years (as well as Homesense for home stuff, and charity shops. This year I've got some amazing knitwear from charity shops - lots of merino wool, shetland wool, an alpaca cardigan and a beautiful designer beaded cardigan, as well as a great black polo neck sweater dress. I was inspired by an article about ponchos on Vogue Italia and found two - one is a vintage very heavy fuschia, red and blue tweed edged in black wool fringing and one Missoni type zigzag - fab. Weirdly I got a real Missoni shawl from T K Maxx. I think the fun is hunting things out and wearing things perhaps you wouldn't normally consider. I've got a Vrikke white embroidered wood shawl and an Evoboss cardi on order - definitely not things I would get new (the Vrikke shawl is very expensive new). I've also got some amazing tweed jackets from charity shops that provide the winter staples of my wardrobe.

wool, of course!!!!!!

I had this exact discussion with my DH. With me it's books! I buy a LOT of books, from charity shops never more than £1.50. I have a book voucher and I keep going into Waterstones and Smith's to spend it. But don't! I simply can't bear to spend £15 on a book I can get for £1 at some point. DH pointed out that it is actually a free book as I have the voucher but I still can't do it ☹️

I do but mostly because everythings made in non-stretch plastic polyester which A. Must cost a pittance to produce yet it all goes to shareholder profits and not garment worker wages. And B. Entirely selfishly, i am not a non stretch non breathable material person. These materials are made for you to wear once and stand around mostly stationary looking pretty and this annoys me no end.

I can never find what I want at a charity shop and I certainly have never found a cashmere jumper for £10. In fact, I was chatty to the woman who ran our local shop and she told me there was a group of women who would regularly go through their stock, sometimes twice a day, and buy anything of value that they would offer for sale online. This led the charity to do likewise, so anything of value they have goes online too. What is left on the rack is of little interest to me.

That's interesting Pythonese, one of my favourite charity shops has started doing the same thing. I'm not interested in taking an online punt on something I can't hold up to the light to check for holes and stains, and nor am I interested in the Shein and Boohoo that they're putting out in the shop instead.

Browsing charity shops is one of my favourite hobbies but you need time and an open mind. I'm pretty time poor at the moment.

I do buy new but it's just undies, socks and sometimes specific items like shoes. I did buy a new and expensive coat a few weeks ago but I had coveted it for a while and bought it in the Black Friday sale so got 30% off which I was very happy with. I only buy new decent quality stuff that will last. I can't be doing with chuckaway synthetic tat that will fall apart after a few wears.

I was thinking about some of the previous replies about people not buying new and therefore the second hand market becomes limited and then the retailers selling at full price will also suffer. This is where I think John Lewis has taken a step in the right direction with their Fashion Cycle scheme www.johnlewis.com/our-services/fashioncycle.

M and S also has their programme with Oxfam too which is also a step in the right direction.