I wish I could say my passion for secondhand shopping was inspired by wanting to help the environment but the truth is I did it for the money.
It was the late 1990s and I was working at an exclusive auction house in London that required me to dress more exclusively than my budget allowed. I turned to charity stores and discovered a world that forever changed my approach to shopping.
For more than 20 years now I have bought almost nothing new. Clothes, furniture, kitchenware, electrical goods – it’s all been sourced from the secondary market and, while that decision has been great for my bank balance, it’s also been a blessing for the planet.
If you eat at the best restaurants or stay at the most luxurious hotels, you’re still using cutlery or bedding used by strangers before you. So don’t be embarrassed; here’s what I’ve learned shopping secondhand.
Change how you think about shopping
Entering the secondhand market is not the same as normal shopping. There is no guarantee you’ll find what you’re looking for straight away. It’s about changing your mindset to accommodate this, buying things ahead of time, and enjoying the search.
It’s not like I think I need a new rashie and head straight to the op shop. I’ll keep an eye out for quality items and one day it may happen to be a rashie that I can use when summer rolls around.
Sometimes it can be about rethinking whether you even need to shop. If it’s an item you’re only likely to use once or twice, it might be easier to borrow it instead.
Get to know the secondhand landscape
Some op shops are fabulous for homewares. Others may be the perfect fit for your fashion style. Take the time to identify a combination of secondhand stores that work for you and they will become your best friends.
Be a frequent visitor
Op shops and charity stores are constantly turning over stock so I will pop into my favourite places every few days to do a quick scan. It may only be for five minutes and, while I often walk out empty-handed, there are countless occasions I’ll spot something that blows me away.
The secret to sourcing ‘secondhand’ undies
I’ve lost count of how many people ask me how I buy my underwear. Yes, I buy underwear from op shops – but they have never been worn. They still have the tags on them and that’s because companies are making so much stock, and will send it to charity stores rather than landfill. It’s the same with new stockings, bathers and bras. I get to pay $5 for underwear instead of $20, the charity gets my money and the planet benefits because it’s not ending up in landfill.
Technology galore
People are amazed when they discover the tech items they can buy secondhand. You can go to Cash Converters on the high street and find a new iPhone in its original packaging because it was a gift someone didn’t want.
I’ve got a MacBook Air I bought secondhand. All my computer screens are secondhand. I’ve also bought a lot of electrical items on Facebook Marketplace – a sandwich maker, blenders, an ice-cream maker – and never had any issues with them.
Looking online
A world where we can get UberEats to deliver an icy pole or log on to Amazon and expect delivery the next day has normalised us to expect instant gratification. But there are fun ways to shop online for secondhand goods. If you love fashion, high-end Instagram accounts can direct you to amazing secondhand clothes. In my downtime I’ll hop on Facebook Marketplace to browse what’s on offer in my local area, or put in a brand name that I love to see what comes up.
Rethink gifting
When people ask how my secondhand philosophy impacts gift-giving, I direct them to this quote by the Guardian columnist George Monbiot: “Bake them a cake, write them a poem, tell them a joke, but for god’s sake stop trashing the planet to tell someone you care. All this shows is that you don’t.” Seriously, we need to rethink why we give people so many things they don’t want, let alone need. I’m more than happy to have a conversation about why I gave someone a secondhand gift or, better still, didn’t get them one at all.
Freedom to fail
I laugh when people ask whether I’ve had secondhand fails. How many people buy new things that sit in their wardrobe and are never worn? Or cheap new items that break within weeks? So many of the things I own are homewares or clothing people regretted buying. At least with a secondhand fail it’s a reasonably inexpensive mistake.
Pay it forward
Not all thrift stores are charities, so do a little research if you want your shopping to have more community benefit. While some people worry that buying at op shops prevents the needy from being able to buy those things, in my experience having enough stuff to go around is not the problem.
I am also a big op shop donator. I aim for “one in, one out”. Not only does that mean I avoid an overstocked wardrobe but I keep items in circulation.
Enjoy the journey
I get it – the thought of never buying new again seems impossible and that’s because it is. There are items you simply must to buy new (food, hygiene, medicines) and others that don’t last long enough to make it to the secondhand market (phone charging cable, anyone?).
It’s not about going without or never walking into a retail store again. It is about asking yourself before going shopping, “Do I really need it?” and if the answer is yes, “Can I get it without buying it new?” The more you do it, the more you’ll realise the answer is almost always yes.
Tamara DiMattina is the founder of Buy Nothing New Month, which runs throughout October, and TheNewJoneses.com, which documents ways households can reduce their carbon footprint
Change by Degrees offers life hacks and sustainable living tips each Saturday to help reduce your household’s carbon footprint. Got a question or tip for reducing household emissions? Email us at changebydegrees@theguardian.com
