I have absolutely no qualms at all about buying secondhand clothes. I would stop at undies, but everything else is fair game, for me.
Part of the reason why I like buying second stuff is that it's cheaper. But a main reason is because I have a bit of a moral issue buying new stuff that's made in China etc just because of how cheaply the people who are actually making the clothes get paid. I struggle with it. In a perfect world I suppose I would make my own clothes. But I can't.
And so buying them secondhand feels to me like at least I'm not entering into that whole deal because someone has already bought this item. I'm just giving it another chance at life. And I also don't want to buy into the "keep consuming keep consuming" method of trying to save the economy from nose-diving, because perhaps that is what the economy needs to do so that we will stop bowing down to worship it.
But I don't quite agree with my logic here when it comes to the whole made in China thing because isn't all I'm doing buying one less item from people who need a job anyway? It's like the same qualms I have with imposing sanctions on misbehaving governments. Aren't you just starving the little people in the long run?
I don't know if there are any easy answers to all of this stuff.
So as for being a good little non-consumer, lately I have gone EBay mad. I have purchased a dress and a skirt and some tops and some shoes and some CDs. And a mate is going to give me his old set-top box he doesn't have a use for anymore, and another mate just gave me his old i-River because he is upgrading to an i-Pod.
And I am grateful to my friends who think of me, and I have no hesitation in accepting their secondhand offers because I like having other people's old stuff, and I like not having to buy my own, but gee, I have a whole lot more ... stuff than I did a few weeks ago.
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I, too, am a gleeful purchaser of second hand stuff.
ReplyDeleteI'll have to take you to my favourite op shop sometime... :-)
Us too... everything apart from shoes and undies. We have very good charity shops locally - being in a fairly affluent part of the country the stock is excellent!
ReplyDeleteI, too, shop lots or resale. I could never get the cute stuff I buy at full retail. It's tremendous fun, because I never know what I'll find. But like anyone, I won't do undies.
ReplyDeleteRule of buying secondhand: Don't buy it unless you love it. Don't buy it just because it's cheap. I have this problem from time to time and end up with mounds of things I'll never wear.
Heather - cool :) You're on. I will never pass up the opportunity to shop at an opportunity shop :)
ReplyDeleteMike - I keep thinking I will go to our richest suburbs and shop in their op shops :) But then, only if I can get stuff that doesn't have D&G emblazoned all over it, or whatever :)
Erin - yes, I wonder if anyone does undies? That's what I love about it as well, the not knowing wht you'll get. When you find something that fits in every way, it feels like a godsend - which is where your good rule comes in, 'cause I spose sometimes it feels like 2 out of 3 aint bad - it's perfect in every way except for the minor problem that its just a bit too tight across the boobs, or because you know it's actually an expensive item of clothing, or whatever. I agree.
Yes because if it's cheap and cute BUT just doesn't quite fit right, even if it will look wonderful 5 pounds from now (that same 5 pounds that never seems to go anywhere)...then it will just sit in my closet until I donate it.
ReplyDeleteI'm learning to be more careful...