When you buy things used, do you wonder about the people who owned them before?

Oh yes I do that as well, kind of if these things could talk what kind of stories would they tell. I wonder what the person who own them was like, what did they think about it, on an on. I love wondering about things like that, it's kind of fun to do IMO.

Well if you are crazy...then so I am I. However, I don't mind falling under the 'crazy' catagory when I have seen the number of 'normal' people that strike me as really weird. Anyway, I love this topic because I am the queen of thrift stores. I absolutely love poking around in seconds stores because it fits with my recyle, reuse world view. And yes, I always wonder about the 'history' of any item that is not new. As an energy worker living with an energy based view of the world I often take the wondering one step further. Before bringing things into our home I do my best to hold it and see if it is giving off a positive or negative 'charge.' Sometimes I have been drawn to an object or item of clothing that looks appealing but when I pick it up something about where ever it came from feels 'off' and I put it down. In some spiritual teachings the ability to pick up on energies of previously held items is called psychomotry. There are many gifted mediums I have known that can 'read' an item and actually disclose its history and tell some of the circumstances around it. So I think you are absolutely sane and normal in wondering about energetic imprints contained within homes, apartments, collectibles and clothing. We are all energy/spiritual beings going through human experiences and I totally believe the 'echos' of the previous owners are there even if we are not sensitive enough to pick up on it. I think most people at one time or another have entered a place and 'felt' that it is either a happy, serene space or perhaps a little creepy without knowing why.

Dear lecanis, In my family nobody wears second hand cloth. Therefore I cannot answer your discussion. As far as a rented house is concerned, before shifting to a rented apartment/house we used to ask the landlord as to who was staying prior to our shifting. If he is good landlord he used to give information on that question otherwise, he would say it is none of your bussiness. I used to think often about my bi-cycles. I always purchase brand new bi-cycle for my use. I lost 5 brand new bi-cycles. I used to often wonder who rides my bi-cycle right now. I love bi-cycles.

If the walls could talk? I often wonder who lived in the house I use to live in or who drove my car before I had it and where did the car go. The latest thing I have been wondering was who has Abigail's parents and did they treat her well? Abigail is my cat I adopeted from Pets Mart three months ago. She had such a hard time getting to learn to trust me, now she is my cat and I am her parent. She has s scar on her lip that goes on a down her jaw and her one eye does not open all the way and the tip on one ear is cut off. The vet thinks her ear was cut off due to being spayed. The ferral spayed and neuter prgram for cats in our area was doing free spay and neutering of cats when they would do a cat they would cut the tip of the cat's ear off to let them know the cat was done already. Now what happened to Abigail with regards to her lip and her eye I do not know. She is now my girl, she is my lover girl who does lots of silly things. When we were looking to buy a home we looked at this hyome, I walked in this home and felt like it gave me a hug. I felt like we needed to live here. I love this home. I have felt confortable since the time we have moved in. I can tell you this has not always been this way with homes we have lived in. I am at home and want to stay here until we no longer can live by ourselves. LOL

If I were to buy used things, I would wonder too. But usually, I only buy new stuff. The only thing I have bought secondhand was one of my previous cars, because cars are expensive here. I remember I bought a 3-year old car, and the odometer already showed 92,000 Km travelled. For this place, this mileage was pretty high. It made me wonder what the previous owner used the car for. Was he living in the east part of the island and travelled to the other end each day? Did he often drive out of the country for work or holiday, that took him to places more than 500 Km away? The car looked in pretty good condition, so it gave me the impression the owner took great care of his car.

I think it totally depends on what it is! A car, maybe but I guess I've never really thought about it. Maybe some toys that my mother in law bought for my son at goodwill. I had a friend who bought used beds from garage sales! I don't think I would ever want to think about the people who used to own that bed, lol! Although I wouldn't buy a used bed...that's a big no-no.

Well, lecanis, you'd like my books. I'm afraid many of my books (I don't read novels: only study books) have more written in the margins than printed matter! I have a wide margin Bible and the margins are really crammed. I used to like getting a new Bible every year or two, so that I can start again, but wide margin Bibles are quite expensive and often hard to come by now. I guess reading my notes in my books would tell you a lot about me. Apart from books, I don't have anything else second hand, so I can't really relate to the rest. However, especially when driving at night, seeing myriads of lights of the houses dotted along the way, I often wonder how most people spend their lives. The same thing happens with the crowds of people passing in a shopping mall. Some seem very tired and/or unhappy. Some seem to have physical burdens. Some are arguing with their companions, while are are chatting merrily. Some respond to a smile while others just glare. No, I don't think it is crazy or even intrusive. It is merely human nature.

i often wonder that about antiques...what were the people like that owned this object? where did they get it? did they make it? buy it? that sort of thing.

I do that too. One item in particular was an old book on gardening. I envisioned an older lady (maybe somebody like Aunt Bee from The Andy Griffith Show) carefully tending her garden using the advice from the book to make her flowers more beautiful. On the darker side, I also envisioned her ruthless grandchildren who didn't give a hoot about tender memories, and gutted her house to make a buck at a yard sale. Julia ;)

I do this, too, especially if I find something that is really magnificent and someone is now getting rid of it. I found a really neat hand made table that looks quite old, and I have always wondered who made it and when and how many other people have owned it. I don't do it too much with clothing, but I also do it with books and jewelry.

I used to think about this all the time, but have stopped, so that i don't go insane! It's interesting to wonder these kind of things, but sometimes people just sell stuff because they want to upgrade!

I am the same way! That's one of the reasons why I love second hand and hand me downs. Old things have more of a story to them then new things, and it feels more of a challenge to make them your own. For instance, I have inherited an old leather jacket from my grandfather, that he had when he was my age. It's over 50 years old, quite worn down but I love it to bits. I also live in an old building that used to house nurses and doctors for a nearby hospital. It has a different feeling, and you wonder who lived here before and what they are doing now.

It depends upon the object. If it's a book, I don't really mind a few highlights here in there. In fact, I quite enjoy reading dedications and random notes on some of the pages of the book. Clothes, on the other hand, is another matter. Even if it can be washed anyway, I can't help but think of the person/s who owned it before me.

I agree you opinion in some degree.For the secondhand books,I can get some useful information.For example,I can understand some questions that I can't understand without their comment.

during my childhood i did like you, spacial y for (books comics), but not now its happens. i think you are doing this because of you are thinking very much about any think , that i can guess. thats why you write beautifully. i think you are a writer, and a big thinker. it is also happens because off secondhand things. you are not crazy man, its the nature of human beings.

I think this is quite normal..Curiosity is always a part of our human nature. I also wonder about the people that lived in a house that I have just moved into..It's quite a natural reaction isn't it? I don't feel so much about second hand clothes thoughy, mainly about houses..I don't quite know why lol.

Well, if your crazy then so am I - do the same thing and even will make up stories about the people I imagine owned the item before me. Sometimes with books though I've found it hard to read 'used' books because I spend as much time making up my previous owner as I do actually reading the book.

I have not do that like you,but it is interesting of you to wondering things like that.Maybe i will think thing like you one day.

yes i will care about the people who owned them before

Good.