What do you think of second hand items?

That’s how I get all my socks.

I always loved going to flea markets and second hand shops. It's good for the environment, good for my wallet and my place doesn't look like I have ordinary taste.

I like and value second hand, vintage, and antique. However I respect that other people find this creepy and apparently their number is growing. It seems younger generations across Europe and North America don't want heirlooms from their parents. And don't buy old items. The market for many kinds of quality vintage merchandise has collapsed. This includes well crafted attractive high quality wood antiques if they are not star pieces. And even some "luxury" antiques markets have bottomed out.

I like second-hand items but use them sparingly. A whole room decked out in second-hand furniture tends to look shabby as does a whole outfit. Better to have just one or two items items, e.g., a vintage lamp or watch, to add flair and mix things up.

My feelings of creepiness of second hand items, I believe is because of me being the second son. Much of my childhood nearly everything I had was my brothers hand me downs. His clothes, his toys, pretty much everything I got were things he had first and my brother made a point of always making sure that I knew everything was his first. I remember when I got my first brand new bike one Christmas, I kept asking if it was really mine, the concept was just so foreign to me. Now I just prefer to only have things that no one except me has ever owned.

Even my pianah in the parlor daddy bought for ten cents on the dollah

I'm so sick of the Pottery Barn approach to life where everything looks clean and white and gray and wrinkle free. It's nice to be clean but where's the history, where's the quirkiness, where's the individuality, where's the art?

If it weren't for second-hand clothing, I'd be walking around naked. And nobody wants that.

Love. I like nice old things.

My entire wardrobe is thrifted (not undergarments!) It’s mostly contemporary items but I have some beautiful vintage things. Since my taste is preppy classic, it doesn’t matter. Denim, tweed, really good cashmere; these things age well and I don’t care to chase trends.

The words "second hand" don't have much lure. I can see why such terms call up visions of bed bug infestations or unpleasant associations, but, if you have a Picasso, for instance, you have "used goods" in your house (unless you're old enough to have acquired it directly from the artist himself.). The art market turns on the prestige that former owners give to a work of art and provenance counts, a lot sometimes. The same with furniture and decorative arts: the pieces of really extraordinary quality are associated with key collections, or they are valuable because they are new discoveries, a centuries neglected thing stuck away in an attic or hung so high in a dark spot that no one took notice of what they assumed was a bad copy. Established provenance and its counterpoint "fresh to the market" are strong selling points.

Most people have a cut-off point: furniture? upholstered furniture? dinnerware? silverware? old blankets and bedding? clothing? topcoats? underwear? For most there's a point where personal effects become too personal.

I've never lived in a new house and probably never will. They can be interesting, sometimes beautiful even, but they don't have the pull that older houses do. All told I've never bought enough new furniture in my life to fill a room. I buy both "second hand" at auction. The art I buy is mostly old, but with some big modern pieces bought new. Rugs are bought old, with the exception of doormats, say. Books I will buy used if I can find in good condition, and often the books I buy have not been in print for ages. Silverware is old and a handful of everyday stainless new, china and glassware a mix of old and new. Lamps are a mix of old and new. Cars? Bicycles? Used, used.

On the other hand, appliances and electronics, clothes (with rare exception), linens, towels, these sorts of things I buy new.

I like things for their inherent beauty but also for a certain patina and provenance they carry, someone once very luxurious that went far down the rungs of popularity, ended up in a maid's room above a kitchen somewhere or in a bar and then found its way back into grace and up the ladder again, in and out of favor across a long period of time.

I don't like those crowded with kitsch Hollywood starlet looking digs with stacks of Fiestaware and Bakelite and big cabbage rose florals and antimacassars and snoods. I'm not a goth chick with a romantic streak.

I'm not one of those "old-timey" people. I don't spend my days thinking that everything was better in some romantic vision of the past. I certainly don't want to live in the past, but I prefer to surrounded by (mostly) old things in an old house but in a modern arrangement, not a recreation of anything.

Victorian style wars were replaced by the severe Modernist aesthetic's strict rules. I think the eclecticism that followed it exhausted and confused a lot of people. Chromophobic consumers want objects without provenance, history or patina. It's about obliterating the past.

I love it, because I find things that might have been unique that just aren't in production any longer.

[quote]if you have a Picasso, for instance, you have "used goods" in your house (unless you're old enough to have acquired it directly from the artist himself.).

You do realize who is the Datalounge majority, no?

There are always items with good design from every decade. Everything that is more than 1 year old loses an extreme amount of value - just like cars.

Buying new is (usually) the most expensive option. It's easy to buy and decorate with all new stuff - the looks on HGTV can be thrown together by any teenager at this point.

To really have style, you need to have some color and eclectic pieces. They don't have to be what we would consider old-grandma antiques. And I rarely think that 2nd hand sofas are ever a good investment. Most seating should be new.

However, it takes a LOT of time and searching to find good quality used stuff, which is why I think most people just go the 100% new route.

R14, for some of us, the hunt is part of the pleasure.

But I do understand the disdain that some have for secondhand things.

No one says they are "creepy." That is such a weird statement to make even if you are trying to set up a thread for comment.

I love thrift shopping! I like the bargains, the interesting stuff you don't find in mainstream stores,and the fact that I'm giving my money to local charity stores raI'ther than the mainstream fashion industry that relies on the cheap labor of 3rd world women and children. That's worth sorting through a lot of worthless crap for.

And one of the local charity stores has scads and scads of women's shoes, I've overheard several women say that it's like the "town shoe exchange", where every female in town comes to swap out shoes.

Love me some true vintage goodies. Don't mind if anything is 'pre-owned'. I think of it as giving some pieces (and clothing) a good home! However, one source I won't touch is items in a pawn shop. Might not make sense, but I believe taking advantage of people who had to pawn their stuff for much needed money and in most cases not being able to 'redeem' it bring very bad karma. And yes, I realize a lot of the pawned stuff went to gambling, but still - that's a whole other form of sadness.

all of the cocks and asses i've had have been previously used.

R15 - well, the hunt has also become much more difficult the past 20-25 years. There are a lot of people scouring second-hand stores for finds and then flipping them on Chairish for outrageous prices.

Check out these - the prices are eye-watering and, mainly, unjustified. Same goes for their furniture.

It seems (to me at least) that finding really good, quality items are much more difficult now. And people want top/unreasonable prices.

If they are clean and usable, they are clean and usable. I couldn't care less about what other people think as long as I use them in my house and on my body.

R21 has stated her boundaries.

Love second hand items - for furniture and decoration. The only way to find truly unique pieces for decorating. A house with only new things is almost guaranteed to be soulless. World Market has some interesting pieces though.

I won't go to thrift shops. The kooky/prickly owner withe the red jello colored half-specs, the stink that won't Febreeze out of old upholstered furniture and clothes, the blood clot of old grannies pulling through linens with pansies embroidered on the edges, the nicotine glaze on hard surfaces that it will take a razor blade to scrape off, the moldy smell of old books (once stored in a basement they should pretty much be through out), the glaring buzzy lighting, the sadness of trying to hawk landfill quality goods...most thrift shops are stinky places with nothing I would want at any price. I'm glad they exist, but they're not for me. And calling the place "Upscale Resale" doesn't help.

An antique shop I can size up in seconds, usually without putting a foot in the door. Auctions are what I prefer, and I follow what shows up in lots on online registered searches, but even the low end sales and the local single estate auctions are interesting even of there's nothing to be bought.

Every ody has their preferred slice of the market they like to haunt, and their own prejudices about what's too lowly or too posh or too inflated in price.

R24 - lol - that's a pretty accurate description!

Estate auctions are pretty good.

"Every ody has their preferred slice of the market they like to haunt"

Well said! My taste is too casual and eccentric for antique stores, I'm more likely to find the sort of thing I like at thrift stores than anywhere else, so that's where I go.

And yes, if you buy anything at a thrift store, DO clean it when you get home! Any clothes I buy get laundered before they're worn, shoes get sprayed with disinfectant, other items get thoroughly cleaned. Some second-hand stores dilligently clean everything before putting it on the rack, others definitely do not.

I draw the line at tampons.

china, some furniture (never ever sofas), watches all yes, would buy at a second hand or vintage or antique store. Clothes, never. I'm far too squeamish. Though I did find a leather coat at a second hand sale that is incredible.

I like the style of older items. Things were more imaginative and intricately-fashioned. Everything seems so stream-lined and bland anymore.

I bought my sister a vintage necklace on Ebay with six running horses in it. The detail is amazing; you can see muscles and hooves.

Unless you want to consume the entire planet in a few decades you can't have everything "new".

[quote]I don't like those crowded with kitsch Hollywood starlet looking digs with stacks of Fiestaware and Bakelite and big cabbage rose florals and antimacassars and snoods.

I'd be fascinated to see how a Hollywood starlet works snoods into her decorating scheme, r10. Do you have a link?

[quote] I bought my sister a vintage necklace on Ebay with six running horses in it.

That must’ve been one huge necklace.

She likes chunky jewelry. But the horses were tiny, and I was impressed that someone made the effort to make them as detailed as possible.

Oh, bless your heart, r33.

Just, well just bless it.

"Those crowded with kitsch Hollywood starlet looking digs "

Oh Dear

good lord, why would I want to pay full price for something I can't take with me the I die..

.All my LVs are authentic but preowned and I just bought myself a vintage Rolex from the 1980s and didn't have to spend $5000 plus for it, just $1300

I love nice things but don't have the money to buy unless some bored rich person tires of it and I can get it cheap....cheap prices, not cheap crap

Jesus r20 that stuff looks like the rap our local Home Goods store sells for 1/16 of the price

Extremely durable dishes that can be autoclaved or sanitized, sure. Furniture? No, because of bedbugs. In college I wore some used clothes. I was so broke!

I did buy a copy of a favorite sweater online from eBay once, but had it dry cleaned before bringing it into my home.

Second hand stuff is fine except for kitchen items. Older stuff does tend to be nicer than the crap they sell in all these trendy chain stores.

I always buy blue jeans in thrift stores, usually under five dollars. To pay hundreds of dollars for a pair of jeans that look like they were bought in a thrift story is the definition of insanity.

And what am I, chopped liver?

I buy everything new

Antiques I love.

Purchased 19th century French rosewood double bed, a large handwoven Tabriz carpet, a 200 piece Mason full service set at auction earlier this week. Magnificent stuff, top quality.

Someone once treasured them and I’ll enjoy and do likewise. I don’t think IKEA goods will be around In 15 years let alone 150.

R36 - Good for you. I agree - you can get some great, lightly-used high-end luggage from rich people who are tired of it.

I got a great LV weekend bag that's vintage and is one of their unique designs - i.e. not the tired basic-bitch brown and beige with the LV all over it. It's beautiful and doesn't have the LV emblem all over the place. It's there, but you have to hunt for it.

Glad I didn't pay $2000 for it new.

I think for those of us who were teenagers in the 80's when new-wave and punk fashions were in, a lot of us shopped at second hand stores and got over the stigma of it.

My mom was thrilled when my back-to-school clothing expenses were all of $50 from Goodwill. Of course, she didn't love what I did with the clothes, but I grew out of it. At least it was temporary and not permanent like gauges and tattoos.

One of the most environmentally friendly ways to shop is to buy second-hand. You've bypassed the production and shipping costs of a new item, and you have something that someone didn't put into the landfill. During COVID quarantine I had to furnish a house because my previous house was severely damaged in a fire. There were no stores open, so I had to buy carpets, lamps, couch on craigslist. Most of what I bought was quite clean and in very good shape. It was weird though - I'd meet people at the front door masked and back up as they shoved the item in my direction to give me a chance to inspect it.

I bought some new dishes today. New to me, that is. On eBay. Ones I collect. I wouldn't've bought them if this thread hadn't been here. It got me to obsessing about second hand items.

I bought a 35 year old bottle of perfume today. They don't make em like that anymore so I couldn't buy it new.

Secondhand can be fun for the experience of the hunt, trying to find a rare treasure among the junk. I’ve found some amazing items on the RealReal. For those of you who are squeamish, search with the key word “pristine” or “with tags” and you’ll find some good stuff.

That's how my dishes were described, r49: 'looks unused.'

OP gets a quarter for every thread she starts.

No matter how stupid.

Poor people problems

When I was a kid wanted everything modern. Then one day I was invited to my friends moms house who had her home decked out in vintage items including fabrics and lamps. After that I was hooked.

I've had a love affair with vintage flea markets ever since. Love the details, colors, overall design of vintage objects and furnishings. Also came to appreciate things that had a history to them. The opposite of how I felt as a kid/teen.

R52 - tell that to Christie's you uneducated fool. Stop putting on airs.

Well, I never.

Only the Poors buy those filthy rags

OH, SECOND hand!!!

It's the very nature of some items that they will have been used by someone else at some point. It's not really possible to get mint condition coins from earlier eras, for example. I'm a little leery of buying second hand clothes, unless we're talking about an Hermes scarf. But I'm happy buying second hand furniture, jewelry, china, paintings, perfume and things like that.

I don't have the patience to look through thrift or antique stores for hidden gems. The only items I've purchased used are books and vinyl records.

[quote] To pay hundreds of dollars for a pair of jeans

Well there’s your problem. The fuck spends hundredS of dollars on jeans?

Oh, hell no!

[quote]The fuck spends hundredS of dollars on jeans?

I have a friend who buys ridiculously expensive clothing, including at least one pair that cost $300. And he's the worst-dressed person I know. He pays no attention to coordinating a wardrobe. I do what I can to help him select nice things, but I have no say in which items he combines when he gets dressed. Last night, he was a study in Crayola Red, Ultramarine Blue, and two clashy shirts, one plaid, the other striped.

[quote]Only the Poors

[quote]Poor people problems

No, a "not made anymore, but I like it, so I have to buy it second-hand" problem.

[quote] Last night, he was a study in Crayola Red, Ultramarine Blue, and two clashy shirts, one plaid, the other striped.

Oooh I like you.

Come sit by me.

If my friends show up in tacky old jeans, they must pull them down.

They’re haunted.

Who's your friend in the middle, r63?

Some neighborhoods have really good thrift stores. The Goodwill on Fillmore (San Francisco) has (or used to have) good stuff. It helps to go often so that you're there when they bring out "new" stuff. It also helps to be focused on what, exactly, you're looking for (what color, what size, etc.). If you're a newbie and you're just browsing, it can feel like you're looking for a needle in a haystack.

r44 Ebay sellers from Japan practically give away designer crap. I've gotten almost all my LV from there and have never gotten a fake. When I get bored of them, I send the to the Real Real online consignment and make more on them the I originally paid.

I just can't see spending full price on anything knowing there are so many reliable source that will sell preowned for a 1/4 of the new price or even less. I love knowing I got a bargain...who cares if someone can afford full price..oh, zi would never, ever buy sofas or anything like that for fear of bed bugs

Yes, I've heard about people buying 2nd hand designer stuff from Japan. Supposedly, you're more likely to buy something authentic from a seller in Japan. I won't say it's cheap, because I've looked on eBay, but I would say it's competitively-priced (stuff from sellers in Japan).

R52 this now poor person (me) found a $5 vase in Salvation Army and flipped t for $1500.... not only are we poor and have no problem shopping at thrifts, but we are smart, too...Snobby pretentiousness has no place in our lives at this point

r68 ...it's not "cheap" but if you know your values, they usually sell LV much much cheaper and when they describe their items, they are very honest. More often than not, the bags and wallets come in so much better than described

This thread inspired me to risk my life and browse Goodwill today. Everything was awful. There was a copy of Small Sacrifices that I was tempted to purchase, but put it back on the shelf. HOW do you people find hidden gems? WHAT is your secret?

[quote] HOW do you people find hidden gems? WHAT is your secret?

It's like I said above, you have to go to the right Goodwill store. Some stores have better stuff than others. You can't just browse randomly. You have to think about something specific you want and zero in on that thing.

I love having all my bling on my second hand. It frees me up to do many Moroccan things with my first hand!

R71, the best second-hand stuff is found in wealthy towns where rich people donate little-used quality goods, and well-to-do older ladies have nothing better to do but volunteer at little charity shops. If you can find a good rich-lady shop, and can put up with the slowest service on earth (rich little old ladies have no reason to be efficient), you can find some excellent stuff for a fraction of retail.

Other secrets include: Find the good stores in your area, and visit them frequently to keep an eye on the changing stock. Don't even bother with the clothes if they aren't organized by size, having to go through all sizes is more trouble than it's worth. Narrow your focus as much as possible. Learn to eyeball clothes on the rack - for instance I have long legs, so when I go along the pants rack, i only peek at the pants than hang down further than most. If you can't rule out clothes on the rack, learn to check the fit by holding clothing up to your body and checking the seam spacing against what you're wearing.

The proportion of stuff you want is much lower in a thrift store than in a good store, particularly if it's a Goodwill or Salvation Army and not a rich-lady shop. Learn to reject unsuitable stuff quickly and accurately, so you making time for those frequent visits is easy.

R71, the best second-hand stuff is found in wealthy towns where rich people donate little-used quality goods, and well-to-do older ladies have nothing better to do but volunteer at little charity shops. If you can find a good rich-lady shop, and can put up with the slowest service on earth (rich little old ladies have no reason to be efficient), you can find some excellent stuff for a fraction of retail.

Other secrets include: Find the good stores in your area, and visit them frequently to keep an eye on the changing stock. Don't even bother with the clothes if they aren't organized by size, having to go through all sizes is more trouble than it's worth. Narrow your focus as much as possible. Learn to eyeball clothes on the rack - for instance I have long legs, so when I go along the pants rack, i only peek at the pants than hang down further than most. If you can't rule out clothes on the rack, learn to check the fit by holding clothing up to your body and checking the seam spacing against what you're wearing.

The proportion of stuff you want is much lower in a thrift store than in a good store, particularly if it's a Goodwill or Salvation Army and not a rich-lady shop. Learn to reject unsuitable stuff quickly and accurately, so you making time for those frequent visits is easy.

Well fuck. It was the Datalounge that posted that twice, not me.