How many of you will buy items from "used" stores?
@hockeygal4ever (10021)
United States
January 7, 2007 5:10pm CST
I know a lot of people refuse to purchase items from used stores. I personally don't see anything wrong with buying something at a fraction of the cost, often never used or gently used and saving some money. I do have my things I won't buy (under garments, shoes, anything 'personal', etc.) but for the most part if I can take it home and wash it or clean it off I will buy it. Actually most of the time the used stores I go to are so clean you don't really have to worry about it.
Do you buy from used stores or consignment stores?
15 people like this
94 responses
@cutepenguin (6431)
• Canada
8 Jan 07
I'd get toys, books, outerwear, gadgets, etc. at a thrift shop or a consignment store. I think this way you save some money, and it's better for the environment if people re-use stuff.
2 people like this
@Starlady0_1 (586)
• United States
8 Jan 07
I have on many occasions bought used items. My mom also does the same. I have and aunt who also does her husband use to object but they have been married over 20 years and he is use to it now. At the rate of inflation it's a great way to save and recycle all at the same time.
@kiiizu (1901)
• Estonia
16 Jan 07
It seems to me almost everyone who answered does it. Me too. Sometimes there are amazing things in used stores, actually never used. My BF got a brand new Hugo Boss suit there last summer, for $18... I had just to make trousers a bit longer. I found a very 'gently used' coat for myself, for $36, I had to make it smaller but it was worth it! etc. Sometimes I buy a sweater there for less than $1, just to rip it off and make something new of it. But of course, I would never buy underwear there! As for consingment stores - I started to think, do we have them at all? There were many but now they are all disappeared.
1 person likes this
@kiiizu (1901)
• Estonia
17 Jan 07
Our biggest chain of 'used' stores is 'Humana'- from people to people. During Soviet times the consingment stores were quite popular. Who had relatives abroad, sold there the items they sent (we did it also), and could make nice profit. Do you remember 70-ties and crimplene? ...lol! My granduncle sent it from America, and my grandmother sold it in consingment stores...
1 person likes this
@hockeygal4ever (10021)
• United States
17 Jan 07
We have a bunch of varieties of "used" stores here. We have Charity Thrift stores (goodwill, salvation army, city mission) that use the profits to fund their charity work to the community. We have used stores, they usually go by the title of "Next To New" stores or "Used" stores. And then we have very few "Consignment" style stores. The consignment stores are a lot more work for the owner I think, having to keep track of items and who makes what. To me it would be simpler to just buy the items outright and resell them but I guess the idea behind the consignment stores are that they don't put any money out for the item so therefore don't lose any money if it doesn't sell.
@squishedwonders (26)
• United States
8 Jan 07
i also dont see anything wrong with used items, i am 6 months pregnant and i see no point in buying new clothes for a kid that wont be in it very long, at all.
Sometimes yard sales and used stores carry really nice things. Yes they are used but they are donated to help someone else out in need. SO i think that it is very beneficial to buy used clothes, toys, and other items as well.
but i also have my standards, i will not buy undergarmets, and probably not any shoes.
2 people like this
@serene2 (278)
• New Zealand
22 Jan 07
Yes I love doing my shopping at secondhand shops.
They are the tops when you want something at the fraction of the cost.
It may take a while to find what you really want but its all worth it in the end when you find it.
I have no shame in visiting these places, and you can get some really quality stuff there also.
1 person likes this
@hockeygal4ever (10021)
• United States
22 Jan 07
I think my favorite thing out of them are household items.... pans, baking items, etc.
@Larrypoupard (32)
• United States
8 Jan 07
I am a book collector, and I make alot of purchases from used book stores. Most of the owners of these stores have absolutely no idea of the actual market prices for the rare books that they sell. I recently purchased a book for $3 that sells on Ebay for about $500. Wherever my wife and I go, I check to see where the used book stores are in the area.
1 person likes this
@hockeygal4ever (10021)
• United States
9 Jan 07
You guys should check out paperbackswap.com They end up costing you $1.59 per book, basically when you send a book from your own library (listing of 9 books minimum that you will send out to others when requested) you pay the postage. It's a great way to add on to your library! Cheaper then any used bookstore I've found yet.
If you do join please let them hockeygal4ever referred you. I get a point for each referral.
@katcarneo (1433)
• Philippines
8 Jan 07
Oh, me too. I have about 30 Stephen King paperbacks bought second hand for about 30-40pesos (less than a dollar) when the original price would be about 350-400 pesos (7-8 dollars). there are also so many other good reference books that came in handy when i was studying. it's a real bargain and it's nodifferent from a brand new book.
1 person likes this
@hockeygal4ever (10021)
• United States
9 Jan 07
yeah.. those are my limited items too.. anything personal!
@pendragon (3350)
• United States
8 Jan 07
There is a certain amount of charm in thrift store items, I love to peruse/shop in them, whatever you spend probably goes to a good cause as well.
1 person likes this
@hockeygal4ever (10021)
• United States
9 Jan 07
I agree... sometimes it's like a wild hunt for the kill! lol You get so thrilled when you find that special thing you just KNEW you had to have!
@kbkbooks (7022)
• Canada
9 Jan 07
Check out
http://www.friperiedavis.info
This is a second hand store that belongs to a friend of mine. She is really careful what she puts out for sale and he prices are amazing. She won't even sell undergarments, but I have purchased shoes, no problem. If you don't trust the store, spray disinfectant in them. I always wash and clean stuff I bring home too. We have kids who are hard on the furniture so we have replaced a couple couches and chairs very cheaply at this store. She has amazing prices and great quality stuff. She won't sell damaged or dirty items.
1 person likes this
@hockeygal4ever (10021)
• United States
15 Jan 07
Thanks! I'm not so sure it would be worth shipping to buy from a used store online but then I haven't really checked! lol
@starmoishe (58)
• United States
8 Jan 07
Yes, I shop at thrift stores. I think its fun. It's so different from regular department stores because they are trying to tell you what you should like and what style is in. In a thrift store you can roam around and come up with your own ideas. I also think it is good because you can recycle this way. I want my kids to understand the value of an item isn't just its fair market value, but the value that you place on it.
1 person likes this
@hockeygal4ever (10021)
• United States
9 Jan 07
Sometimes you can find things that you can no longer find in a regular department store too!
@snivelbec (135)
• United States
8 Jan 07
I absolutely will and have all my life. Goodwill, Salvation Army, consignment stores, garage sale...doesn't matter provided that the price is right and it's something I would purchase anyway, rather than something I'm hellbent on buying just 'cause of the good price. One of the best dressed women I've ever known got her stuff from thrift stores and she was a knockout.
1 person likes this
@hockeygal4ever (10021)
• United States
9 Jan 07
I agree... sometimes you'd be amazed if you only knew where people truly got those great things!
@cjsmom (1423)
• United States
8 Jan 07
My husband and I love to shop at discount and used stores; jeans are just way too expensive in my opinion. I have found some great deals for our son who is 8. We got a Winnie the Pooh coat, just beautiful, for $2.
My husband used to be known at work as the 99 cent man...lol
1 person likes this
@sweets9900 (726)
• United States
21 Jan 07
I must say 95% of my cloths come from GoodWill. I love that store. The cloths are nice and brand name. I have 3 children and I can go there and get alot of cloths for a good price. Their closets and mines are full of cloths thanks to GoodWill.
1 person likes this
@hockeygal4ever (10021)
• United States
22 Jan 07
When my kids were smaller I would often buy used items for them. They grow out of them so quickly or in my son's case, were so hard on them that it wasn't worth paying full price for something he'd have the knees ripped out of in a few weeks!
@hockeygal4ever (10021)
• United States
16 Jan 07
I agree! Why pay full price when you can get it for less? Thanks!
@dorypanda (1601)
•
8 Jan 07
I'm not sure whether a 'used store' is the same thing, but I do buy from charity shops, people take the stuff they don't want any more and donate it to the shops, then it gets cleaned and put on display for us to buy, I think my best charity shop purchase so far is a mid length leather coat, in the regular shops it's about £60, but in the charity shop, it was only £5, it didn't even look like it had been worn. I've bought presents for people when I had hardly any money, I couldn't afford to go to the big shops for Christmas or Birthday presents, so the charity shops did the job just fine, now I go into them regularly, even though I could go into the other shops, I'd prefer to help a worthy cause with my purchases.
@hockeygal4ever (10021)
• United States
15 Jan 07
Yeah, I think that's what they're called in the UK (charity shops). We have both Charity shops and used stores and also consignment stores. The difference is Charity Stores the money goes to a charity. Used stores, are privately owned and operated and the money is what the business owner keeps. The Consignment Stores, the items are shown for sale, when they're purchased the store and the person who originally owned it split the amount taken in.
@Thoroughrob (11742)
• United States
8 Jan 07
I buy things from used stores and from garage sales. You get good things if you watch.
1 person likes this
@aevinodkumaar (49)
• India
8 Jan 07
yeah.. true.. but end up spending more time watching and waiting for the right item :-)
1 person likes this
@hockeygal4ever (10021)
• United States
15 Jan 07
I buy from both! Where there's a bargain.. I'm there! lol Just, as I said, no personal items.
@Penguinsangel (3498)
• United States
7 Jan 07
I do!!
The thing that I buy the most though is books. lol
I don't often buy clothes, but I will...I just usually don't find things I want. I sometimes buy blankets, but I'd never buy sheets, I am not sure why lol
1 person likes this
@hockeygal4ever (10021)
• United States
8 Jan 07
I don't buy many books anymore, probably becaue I use my paperbackswap so much more. That ends up costing me $1.59 per book and I don't have to leave my living room and it's also tons of newer ones that have just been released. So I don't buy many books from used stores although I used to. I do buy kids' games, some cook books, and family oriented games for us though. I get a ton of great stuff! I love these places.
The blankets, I only buy from certain ones. I know there are 2 places locally that are so picky they're considered "biotchy" by a lot of people and for me that's fine! lol I prefer to know that they care about where their stuff comes from! And they smell freshly laundred ALWAYS from them. I know they put the time and effort into that. So for me it's fine. But some places I wouldn't do it.
@hockeygal4ever (10021)
• United States
9 Jan 07
I agree. I find a lot of neat household items this way.
@hockeygal4ever (10021)
• United States
7 Jan 07
I've found stuff with the original tags still on! It's amazing!!!!
