15 reasons to buy, borrow or be given second hand items

  1. The items are likely to be cheaper than if you bought them new
  2. If you buy from a charity shop your money will go to a good cause
  3. You will help to prevent perfectly good items going into landfill
  4. Reuse is more environmentally friendly than recycling as there is a carbon cost to recycling.
  5. You are helping someone to declutter without feeling wasteful
  6. You may be able to find something original and quirky that you couldn’t find elsewhere
  7. You may be able buy something much nicer than you could afford if you bought it new
  8. You may be able to buy more items than you could afford if you bought them new
  9. You could give someone a second hand gift and then the rest of the money you would have spent on something new (particularly good for young children, as they can have a present and some money towards their savings).
  10. If it is something you just want to use for a short time e.g. over the holiday period (e.g. a set of crystal glasses), but you don’t have room to store all year round, you can sell it on again at a similar price after the holiday period / give them back to their owner.
  11. If you see something you like it is there and in stock.  For example if you see a table and chairs you like, it is in stock and can be delivered or picked up very quickly, whereas if you ordered a new table and chair set, you might have a long wait.
  12. If you have an eye for antiques, you may find something selling for a price far below it’s market value.
  13. If the item(s) gets broken or damaged you won’t be too upset (as long as it isn’t being borrowed!) which is great if you have small children or lively pets.
  14. You don’t have to borrow or save up for a long time to be able to afford the items.
  15. You may be able to complete a set, which can no longer be bought new for example there are lots of websites selling discontinued crockery e.g. China Search
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Comments

  1. "Reuse is more environmentally friendly than recycling as there is a carbon cost to recycling."

    This is something that not many people think of. And hopefully when the repurposed item is no longer wanted it will be reused &/or recycled then.

  2. Very good points, particularly the one about not being so upset about something second hand getting damaged. I've got an old pine dining table from ebay and I reckon the more knocks and marks it gets the better it looks (just as well with a toddler on the loose!)

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