What's the most clever / your favorite item you've bought second hand?
By AmberLynn
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104615)
United States
February 25, 2021 5:08pm CST
Second hand or in other words, not original owner of.
I'm a member of a facebook group called "Weird secondhand things I just had to share." I don't see a lot of posts from the group anymore, but there are some pretty strange things out there.
It made me want to ask the above question. So, What item have you bought second hand that you loved the most?
For me? Though it's not clever it is unique, it's my yellow and orange retro 1970's crocheted afghan I bought from ebay. I've shared a photo here once upon a time.
17 people like this
18 responses
@spiderdust (14756)
• San Jose, California
25 Feb 21
I'm in that group too!
I have an electric organ that I purchased for $20 at Savers. I also found a handmade wooden rocking horse at Goodwill for $7. We gave it to my son for his 1st birthday a few years ago.
4 people like this
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104615)
• United States
26 Feb 21
That rocking horse is in excellent condition too! It's great you found it there as someone could have easily sold it.
I wish we had a savers here. I keep hearing that it's an excellent store.
1 person likes this
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104615)
• United States
26 Feb 21
@spiderdust I had to look. There are some, but the closest one has closed down.
@spiderdust (14756)
• San Jose, California
26 Feb 21
@ScribbledAdNauseum Do you have Value Village? It's the same company.
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@ScribbledAdNauseum (104615)
• United States
26 Feb 21
That is an awesome find! Whoever donated it could have easily sold it for a good chunk of change.
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@CarolDM (203396)
• Nashville, Tennessee
26 Feb 21
@ScribbledAdNauseum Yes they could have for sure. I love it, one of my favorites now.
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@ScribbledAdNauseum (104615)
• United States
26 Feb 21
I grew up with second hand items. We didn't often go to the thrift store to buy things (my grandparents bought the majority of my clothes ), but I always ended up with the cast offs of my older siblings and cousins.
1 person likes this
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104615)
• United States
26 Feb 21
@LadyDuck My sister has always been skinnier than I, but I have been able to wear her clothes in the past. Mostly jackets that she wore larger anyway.
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@LadyDuck (502812)
• Italy
26 Feb 21
@ScribbledAdNauseum I am older than my brother, but I wore a few things from him, because he has always been A LOT bigger than I am.
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@Hannihar (130150)
• Israel
26 Feb 21
By AmberLynn
@ScribbledAdNauseum
Thank you for sharing that with us. I used to work at a Thrift Shop, known as a 2nd hand store, and if something came in when I was working I had first choice to it. Well, a very nice downcoat came in and I bought it. It was in really good shape and I still have it. It is big on me now but still love it.
1 person likes this
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104615)
• United States
26 Feb 21
That is great! I am not sure if the thrift shop workers can do that here. A friend of mine used to work for goodwill so maybe she will know.
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@ScribbledAdNauseum (104615)
• United States
26 Feb 21
@Hannihar Oh wow. Was this a small thrift store or something that had multiple locations?
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@Hannihar (130150)
• Israel
26 Feb 21
@ScribbledAdNauseum
I only know how it was for me. There were only 3 paid employees. I was one of the three. The others were volunteers.
1 person likes this
@MommyOfEli2013 (89920)
• Rupert, Idaho
26 Feb 21
Sounds like a nice buy! Hmm....I am not sure to be honest. We did get a nice side table from one and my husband uses it as a computer desk, lol
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@ScribbledAdNauseum (104615)
• United States
26 Feb 21
One of the first things I look at when going into goodwill's is what they have furniture wise. I don't ever plan to buy anything upholstered from them, but I wouldn't mind buying a nice desk chair or something like that.
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@ScribbledAdNauseum (104615)
• United States
26 Feb 21
@MommyOfEli2013 Did I ever tell you about the time my friends and I picked up a chair from the side of the road?
I had this nagging feeling like i'd seen it before. Another friend (the same one that owned the dog from our other discussion) walked in and goes "Oh sh!t, you guys got our chair!" They had put it down to the dumpsters in our community a few years ago and it traveled around the community before it made it's way to us. 
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@MommyOfEli2013 (89920)
• Rupert, Idaho
26 Feb 21
@ScribbledAdNauseum Oh yeah, I understand...I don't think I would buy anything upholstered either...but other kind of furniture/stuff is fun to look at. We got our old couch from one of the thrift stores...well actually my grandparents got it for us from one since we didn't have any furniture LOL. That'd be good if you could find a nice desk chair from one then!
1 person likes this
@Michellekidwell (29953)
• Sonora, California
25 Feb 21
I buy a lot of stuff second hand, but my favorite second hand items were passed down to me, a retro stereo cabinet my Mom bought in 1969, the book case my Grandfather built in 1954,:and another one that Jill gave to me, but I did get my iPad Pro second hand, and I love it!
1 person likes this
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104615)
• United States
26 Feb 21
I love second hand electronics too. I have an Kindle that I bought second hand and because I had vouchers, I got it for free.
I like the hand me down type of stuff too. My mom's jewelry box is one of my favorites. It looks like a little dresser.
1 person likes this
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104615)
• United States
27 Feb 21
@Michellekidwell Oh me too! The thrift store here has lots of nice quality electronics to choose from to.
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@Michellekidwell (29953)
• Sonora, California
27 Feb 21
@ScribbledAdNauseum I love the radio cabinet, and the book case, most of my electronics are either second hand or refurbished, love saving money that way...
1 person likes this
@snowy22315 (209173)
• United States
26 Feb 21
I bought a riding lawnmower that was great while it lasted.
1 person likes this
@snowy22315 (209173)
• United States
26 Feb 21
@ScribbledAdNauseum The guy I bought it from obviously had pride in his work. He delivered it and picked up the old one too wish I had his number darn it!
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@ScribbledAdNauseum (104615)
• United States
26 Feb 21
@snowy22315 Oh that's a really nice gesture, for him to deliver and pick up the old one. Can't find him elsewhere?
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@ScribbledAdNauseum (104615)
• United States
26 Feb 21
I think you must have lucked out. A friend of mine bought one second hand (riding mower) and it's been nothing but trouble / more expense. I think it was a John deere too.
1 person likes this
@lady1993 (27221)
• Philippines
27 Feb 21
@ScribbledAdNauseum Ooh i love clearance sales too~ but they are still kind of expensive for me. The one i bought wasn't actually a laptop bag, it's like a normal backpack, but the material was thick enough. 
The one i bought wasn't actually a laptop bag, it's like a normal backpack, but the material was thick enough. 1 person likes this
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104615)
• United States
27 Feb 21
@lady1993 Oh yes, even on the clearance aisle I pick through and get the cheapest thing at the best quality.
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@ScribbledAdNauseum (104615)
• United States
26 Feb 21
That is a great price! New laptop bags can be so pricey!
A friend of mine likes to buy backpacks when they go on clearance and she found one that was nice for her laptop. It had a lot of compartments and the material was thick and cushioned.
1 person likes this
@DaddyEvil (174707)
• United States
26 Feb 21
Hmmm... I can't think of anything we've gotten secondhand in years... We had to downsize when we moved from our old house to this one, so sent everything to a thrift shop here.
Edit to add: Oh, yes, I forgot about a 'treasure chest' a friend gave me. Her son had broken a hinge on it so it didn't close right. I fixed the hinge and keep... uhm... 
never mind what I keep in it now
. I will tell you I keep it locked, though.
never mind what I keep in it now. I will tell you I keep it locked, though.1 person likes this
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104615)
• United States
26 Feb 21
Good Idea to keep it locked!
I once found a WWII chest at the "big goodwill" here. That kind of broke my heart.
1 person likes this
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104615)
• United States
26 Feb 21
@DaddyEvil Yeah, pretty sure that's what it was.
Because I felt like that should have stayed in the family or been donated to a place where veterans could benefit from it's sell.
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@DaddyEvil (174707)
• United States
26 Feb 21
@ScribbledAdNauseum Do you mean a military foot locker? Why would that break your heart?
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@ScribbledAdNauseum (104615)
• United States
26 Feb 21
I love just browsing at the thrift store to find unique items!
1 person likes this
@paigea (36143)
• Canada
26 Feb 21
My favourite light jacket is from a thrift shop.
Some other favourite clothes are from garage sales.
I love my canister set on the counter that came from a thrift shop. I don't really buy much from thrift shops or garage sales. But I have a few great finds.
1 person likes this
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104615)
• United States
26 Feb 21
Thrift stores can have some pretty nice name brand things if you know where to look. There's a thrift store somewhat close to a few rich neighborhoods that always have the nicest clothes.
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@ScribbledAdNauseum (104615)
• United States
26 Feb 21
@paigea The thrift stores around me are also more expensive than ones other places. I think I may have told you before, a few years ago I dated a man who did ebay as a living. He went to all the different thrift stores and said the ones in my area were the most expensive he'd seen.
@paigea (36143)
• Canada
26 Feb 21
@ScribbledAdNauseum When we visit family in New Brunswick we discovered Thrift shops with high end clothes. Here, it is just luck.
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@Deepizzaguy (122313)
• Lake Charles, Louisiana
25 Feb 21
I would say a lamp that I bought at Goodwill a few years ago.
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@ScribbledAdNauseum (104615)
• United States
25 Feb 21
I've seen lots of weird but nice quality lamps over the years at goodwill. Out of all the home furnishings, lamps seem to be in abundance at the goodwill's near me.
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@Deepizzaguy (122313)
• Lake Charles, Louisiana
26 Feb 21
@ScribbledAdNauseum That is true.
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@LindaOHio (222806)
• United States
26 Feb 21
My husband bought a lamp at Goodwill; but I don't think I've ever made a purchase there...I did buy a Fiesta vase for 25 cents at a garage sale that was worth several hundred dollars.
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@ScribbledAdNauseum (104615)
• United States
26 Feb 21
@LindaOHio It would probably net you a pretty penny.
I love Avon ruby red (I think it's also called capecod?) glassware. Don't own any though, but you can find it at goodwill's sometimes.
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@ScribbledAdNauseum (104615)
• United States
26 Feb 21
My best friend's mom loved collecting fiesta ware. Her husband would buy her a new piece for Christmas every year. My friend has all of that fiesta wear now. It's gorgeous stuff.
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@LindaOHio (222806)
• United States
26 Feb 21
@ScribbledAdNauseum I still have the vase. Haven't sold it yet. I picked it up in the 70s.
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@ScribbledAdNauseum (104615)
• United States
26 Feb 21
Does it make a unique sound or is it the familiar chime?
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@ScribbledAdNauseum (104615)
• United States
27 Feb 21
I am glad! My laptop is secondhand too, but given to me by someone i knew and could trust to give me a good piece of technology.
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@kaylachan (84892)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
25 Feb 21
I don't typically buy used or second-hand items. I tend to go for new. I have to admit, I did buy an open box laptop, and it did quite well up until I had to upgrade to windows 10. Finally got it to behave itself, now it's starting to show hardwear wear and tear.
1 person likes this
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104615)
• United States
26 Feb 21
I have a second hand laptop but I got it from a relative who knows how to take care of his tech. I get weary about buying laptops second hand because I did that one and it broke so easily.
@Tina30219 (82978)
• Onaway, Michigan
26 Feb 21
Nothing really to brag about but the item I bought was a dress to be used for a Halloween costume I as being a zombie hooker I will have to look for the picture and send it to you so you can see it.
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104615)
• United States
26 Feb 21
There is one thrift store that I frequent. It's a media thrift store and they sell a lot of books, including lots of manuals like the one you mentioned.
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