A sign announces that a Goodwill store is open in Santa Monica, California. Savings are hot and Goodwill’s dig-ins are all the rage again. Goods still carry a stigma for some. It shouldn’t. Second-hand gifts are better for your wallet, your community, and the environment. Buying a sweatshirt, jacket, or thrifty vase prevents it from landing in a pile in the landfill.
AP File Photo
Savings are fashionable and goodwill discoveries are back in fashion. But while we’re thrilled to find the best t-shirt for our wardrobe, offering second-hand items still carries a stigma for some.
should not
Second-hand gifts are for your wallet, your community, and the environment.
“The planet is drowning excessively,” says Lauren Bravo, 34, based in London, of “How to Break Up With Fast Fashion. “”It is more sustainable to buy things that already exist in the world than to go higher, more, more to demand. “
Not convinced? Here are 4 wonderful benefits of second-hand gifts, along with some tips and concepts for you to keep a gift this holiday season.
The case of second-hand gifts
1. ES BETTER FOR THE ENVIRONMENT: Pop-up fashion and fast furniture generate a lot of waste. In 2018 alone, only about 21 million tons of textile, furniture and furniture waste ended up in landfills, according to the latest recent knowledge released through the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Buying a sweatshirt, jacket, vase, looking table, or any other second-hand item prevents it from landing in a pile at the landfill or on a foreign shore (where much of our donated clothing ends up). Most second-hand purchases are also done locally, saving you many of the environmental effects of packing and shipping items.
2. LA OPPORTUNITY IS CHEAPER: You may have noticed, but everything is more expensive now (inflation hit a 40-year high in September). Even with emerging prices, buying second-hand is almost less expensive than buying new.
This recently won a set of 8 vintage cocktail glasses, which my parents got for 50 cents each at a local thrift store. (Yes, they left the value tags. ) A similar Anthropology game is selling lately at $56 for a set of four.
And Bravo says buying groceries at thrift stores allows him to offer higher-quality items.
“I can buy more expensive brands for other people if I buy second-hand things,” he says. “And, frankly, occasionally they’re still new to their box. “
3. YOU SUPPORT SMALL BUSINESSES: Vintage department stores and thrift stores are almost small businesses, and depend on your help this holiday season.
In fact, 73% of small business owners say holiday sales like Black Friday and Small Business Saturday are for the good fortune of their businesses, according to a new NerdWallet survey of more than 3,000 American adults (including more than 900 small business owners) conducted online via The Harris Poll from October 3-5, 2022.
Money spent on small local department stores stays online, supporting jobs and other businesses. Popular second-hand nonprofit retail outlets like Goodwill and Habitat for Humanity ReStore also give back to the local network in many other ways. Sales of parts purchased from Habitat ReStores, e. g. assistance in building and rehabilitating homes for local families.
4. SAVINGS GIFTS HAVE A STORY: There may be something special about a book, purse, or piece of clothing that once belonged to someone else. The object has lived another life and literally has the notes to convert it.
“My wife bought me an e-book of love poems at a second-hand electronic bookstore, where the former owner (of the e-book) and his spouse wrote notes to each other,” says Michael Morris, 45, who lives in Brooklyn and has an online page. about the lifestyle of men. ” It’s an e-book of love poems with a genuine love story in the margins, and it’s incredibly moving. It is one of my most valuable possessions.
Tips for second-hand gifts
Notice to last-minute shoppers: Second-hand gifts work best when you have time to find the most productive item. So start your vacation shopping for groceries now. Or better yet, spend the hunt for second-hand gifts the year.
Thrift stores, antique boutiques, thrift bookstores and Goodwill are places to look for second-hand gifts, but real estate sales can also bring treasures, says Richard Clews, 55, a Boston-based founder of retail and e-commerce. .
“Real estate sales are the gold mine for me,” says Clews. “You can combine such lovely items that have history, care and wisdom into something meaningful. “
Neighborhood mailing lists, Facebook marketplace, and Buy Nothing teams can also bring treasures, especially if there are kids on your gift list. Like new for a few bucks, or better yet, for free.
While toddlers rarely laugh at a slightly scratched toy, it’s more productive to show others on your gift list that you have an idea about your gift. This is the case, but it is especially true with second-hand gifts.
“They have to show that you had the user in mind, that you know them, that you love them and that you’ve discovered something they’d appreciate,” Morris says. You can locate an amazing second-hand gift. “
Kelsey Sheehy is one on NerdWallet. Email: ksheehynerdwallet. com. Twitter: kelseylsheehy.