Do you ever buy second hand items of any sort?

I work in an op shop so I certainly DO buy second hand items of all sorts!

I keep saying I will not buy anymore but being a hopeless spender, I just go on and on buying.

I rarely buy anything electrical though as have so many things.

It is amazing what people give away.

by Finy

Just some clothes and books. I also accept hand-me-downs.

by Vee

Yes, I find these shops fascinating and would love to know the 'story' attached to some of the items...would be very interesting as everything in there has a history.

by fran

I rarely shop in second hand shops and not done so for many years

by AJ

It is a passion of mine....I do a once a week Op Shop hunt.
Some are expensive, some medium...and last week I found downright Cheap.
Bargains galore.

They are rare, but I'm so happy that a bargain can be snapped up.
You can go to 4 different Salvo's stores and maybe only find 1-2 a good price.

Some charge $200 for a dirty old leather lounge.

It is the same with Vinnies.
You can find 1-2 selling lovely fresh furniture for $100 to $150.

Then another will be asking for something very badly worn, for $250..
There is no consistency, and it makes me very upset.

They are there to make money, but not when I also find items that are second hand, and have a chip yet they want 70% the cost of new.

The reason for this is:
Good old fashioned Greed.

It matter's not to whom you sell it too...a sale is a sale.

They need to stop worrying about the dealers who go looking.
That stinking thinking, is stopping the people who have little from buying....Because they keep the prices high.

I have spoken to so many people who just have very little.You see they are not rich, yet some of these Op Shops will keep asking for unreasonable prices.Last year I found a dirty(well made Navy woolen Jacket).They were asking for this second hand dirty Jacket $60 ! It needed dry cleaning so badly, and yes had been worn many many times.

They have an excuse for everything too.

Good old fashion charity stores know the values and the mission statement of 'what' they are supposed to be about.

Spreading A ''blessing''.
So
1.The customer gets an item they need, and can Afford.

2.The store is blessed by that sale! as it was GIVEN TO THEM FREE!

Win Win.

Until Mr Greed stepped in.

Now it's let see how much we can SQUEEZE TIGHTLY out of the People!

I am sorry to go on....but this has upset me for a long long time.

I am grateful to be able to say it in this forum.
Someone needs to tell SOME NOT all of these greedy store managers, Knock it off!!

Yes you can cover your costs, and you need to remember 'why' your in a shop selling your DONATED wares.

It was Always to help the PEOPLE.

In 2013 May 29th to be exact The Daily Telegraph wrote a article on this very thing.

A Salvo store was charging $50 for someone elses used red Blanket.

You could that day, go to K-Mart and buy one Brand New....for around $27

by jonaja

vuroz -try Save the Children.
It is NOT greed -I manage a shop and the reason prices are different is that many of the VOLUNTEERS have no idea of prices -like we found designer label clothes marked at $5 when they should be about $15!

It is virtually impossible to police pricing despite the fact that we have lists -when you are relying on volunteers, it is very difficult and it has to be run as a business or else there is no point -you have rent, electricity, phone, rates, most pay their Managers a wage, and there are tons of donations we have to pay to get rid of.....so it is not greed though I agree some are more expensive than others...

regarding the blanket -this happens to me in the shop -and I repeatedly explain to them that you can buy a new pair of (not a good brand) jeans or whatever for $10 so you cannot price these at $7 but it seems to fall on deaf ears! We have to go through every item priced by volunteers and check it -they ARE volunteers and I do not knowo how else to police it but we do have many costs as well as paid staff that the public never see.

I get your point Finy, and I did not put in any other Op Shops but the two big ones, who are the offenders.
I also know about them as I too have worked in them, for a good few years.

This in the case of the two I have spoken about, in my opinion is greed.

Taken they do have Rents to pay, electricity, and of course in some the Manager and if a big store one or two staff.
The rest are Volunteers.....

I sometimes buy second hand tools and give them to a mate of mine who collects them.

by gbrow

I used to get all my clothes from jumble sales or charity shops, if I didn't make them, but haven't for some years now. I was very happy to be given hand-me-downs for my son when he was little, I couldn't see any point in putting a baby in lovely new clothes just for him to puke or poo on them....
We give a lot of things that we don't want either to the local hospice shop or directly to a charity we support that helps refugees set up home.

by VerityG

Yes I'm happy to buy second hand items and clothes. It's a great way to save money. When I worked in the corporate world I bought all my suits from the op shop.

by Gayle Beveridge

All the time! I love second hand :D Save the planet, save money!

by meggf

Yes, I got a few items from op shops and garage sales. Sometimes you can find vintage stuffs for a cheap price. If you live in Melbourne, it might be worth a try visiting the sale by The Conscious Closet on Lonsdale St. You might dig up something nice for your wardrobe while donating for a good cause.

by annep

Definitely a big HUGE YES!!!!!!!! i ADORE second hand items,and have found many gorgeous items of all types...furniture,clothes,bric-a-brac,toys and my beloved old books!!! Aaaaah!! do not get me started,as I will go on for ever!!!!!!

by Jules

Always! Books, sometimes clothes, and often glass plates/bowls with designs on that I then paint.

by amanda

Yes!
Preservation and conservation is my priority. There is a lot of soul embedded in a second-hand object. I can't stand people who 'get rid of' stuff. My mother does and I've had to live on the streets and hide my valuables - what's left of them. There's a stupid new psychological version of keeping and collecting called 'hoarding disorder.' Basically it is a clash of values and their impositions and enforcement of a minimalist aesthetic, non-sentimentality, aversion to magic and market values created by the people, creativity and art beyond 1D mediums (i.e. installation art, and art that moves and lives as its own entity - re Harry Potter). I have an excellent immunity from the sharing and buying of second-hand goods. A second-hand piece of clothing fits forever, whereas I've found something new looks misshapen or misshapes the body after a season, and needs to be recycled. It is SO important to give stuff to second-hand markets and op shops for historical reference.

by eropl

Preservation and conservation is my priority. There is a lot of soul embedded in a second-hand object. I can't stand people who 'get rid of' stuff. My mother does and I've had to live on the streets and hide my valuables - what's left of them. There's a stupid new psychological version of keeping and collecting called 'hoarding disorder.' Basically it is a clash of values and their impositions and enforcement of a minimalist aesthetic or asceticism, non-sentimentality, and aversion to magic and market values created by the people, and to creativity and art beyond the man-made and 1D mediums (such as installation, and art that moves and lives as its own entity - re Harry Potter). I have an excellent immunity from the sharing and buying of second-hand goods. A second-hand piece of clothing fits forever, whereas I've found something new looks misshapen or misshapes the body after a season, and needs to be recycled. It is SO important to give stuff to second-hand markets and op shops for historical references and time-tripping.

by eropl

That old saying.. things ain'tlike they used to be - i love 2nd hand/charity shops, the curtains at this window I bought for $l5, i have chairs I bought and re-covered, have some very lovely pieces i bought at auctions - which used to be a bit of an obsession with me.
Now, with charity shop bus tours, vinnies charging the same for a shirt that can be bought new a k mart, unless it is something very special, a good label, i come out with a book. I used to love finding white cotton pillowcases that had been embroidered beautifully - they aren't to be found any more.
my daughter''s house is the same. We all have houses that look like an Ikea showroom now, but then, it suits our downsized lifestyles now.

by sandw

Definitely ... you know the saying, "one mans trash". Reuse and Recycle stops waste and landfill and saves money too, Win Win for all!

by brigi

I often buy second hand. Some charities still have very well priced clothing. At the end of the season some places sell a bag of clothing for $5. One local op shop is currently selling much of its clothing at 3 items for $!. Yes that's just over 33c per item.

Crockery and glassware can also be bought cheaply. I love garage sales too but don't go very often because I don't actually need much these days. I have had garage sales and found some people want things at ridiculously low prices. I have never made much money from holding a garage sale but have enjoyed the social side of it and de-cluttering before moving house was good.

Buying second hand is much better than lots of unwanted items going to land fill.

by Marie Vonow

oh yes, and especially at the flea markets

by kaye.

I have bought clothing for the grandchildren when they were young, cheaper than in the shops.
sometimes china and books if anything interesting.

by flaga

Yes, at markets and op shops - enjoy a good find.

by nancy

I buy lots of stuff second hand but you've gotta hunt to find the good items at the best prices.

by Gia

Practically everything I buy is second hand, except underwear and groceries!

by EricaL

All the time! Furniture and clothes mostly! I quite often buy kid's jeans with pretty details on them and turn them into handbags. Any clothes that need a little mending or altering are no problem as I'm a keen sewer. A lot of the time you find stuff with their original sale tag still attached! My girls are perfectly happy going op-shopping with me, too!
In 1999, we bought two houses and had them moved from Glen Waverly to our property near Gisborne. They were moved, restumped, reroofed and reclad by the one company (Golden Age Homes in Wandin, Vic), then we had it rewired and replumbed by locals. The reason I'm mentioning this is because hubby and I had to choose our houses based on floor plans so we could join them together as one big house - it really felt like we were op-shopping for houses! We really needed six bedrooms, two lounge rooms, two toilets and bathrooms. If we had built from scratch it would have cost us over $400,000; but including our country half acre, we paid around $230,000. You can't beat that!

by lefti

Used to go to Garage Sales with the kids, when they were little. They enjoyed them, & learnt the value of money!

These days in just enjoy browsing through Op Shops. If I see something I know I CAN use, I might buy it, but sometime the cost stops me. Some of their 'bargains' are way too overpriced .

by donjo

Yes - I love op shops, antique shops, garage sales etc. etc. I have found many many bargains and unusual items over the years. I have to say though that I find some op shops a bit unrealistic in their pricing as, quite often, they sell goods which can be bought brand new for the same price or cheaper. I find this ironic as most of their items are donated. Even taking into account their overheads, they are still making a profit. I used to work in a big Salvos store in Brisbane as a volunteer and, due to my knowledge of some specialised items and their value, used to price them accordingly. Nowadays the pricing seems to be very random and without a lot of knowledge of their value (or perceived value).

by norma

Yes - Recycle, recycle, recycle.
Plus you can find things no longer available in the shops.
I won't buy rubbish or damaged items or for that matter over-priced goods.
Farley

by farle

I buy baby or young children toys for my Parrots and they love them. they don't last long but i don't pay much so........

by lc212

Yes, we buy books for our grand-daughters, & the odd board games. My husband has a knack for finding small picture frames. He has now found our photos to put into them, & there sitting a couple of shelves in the living room. Last week in our local Vinnies' he found a lovely wooden high chair, that had been painted white. It's for dolls, not for babies..Last month he insisted on buying a wooden rocket ship, painted in blue, red & yellow, with a bit of grey & black.These items have to get down to Melbourne, & we can't drive down there anymore!We now have boxes & boxes of books & toys waiting to go to Melbourne!!! It would be nice to have our living room back!

by Miro

I love to go to op shops, garage sales and markets, I've come across a few good buys.

by Diana Nairn