What is so Horrible About Shopping at Secondhand Clothing Stores?
I admit I grew up in a poor family and any clothing I received rather bought new from a store, bought secondhand from a store or yard sale, or given to me, was appreciated. Even if it was secondhand, it was new to me. I do have to admit, I did hate getting family hand-me-downs, but I wore them anyway. The fear of being a social outcast because I wore secondhand clothes never occurred to me because my parents never told me wearing secondhand clothes was a bad thing, or something to make me feel embarrassed or ashamed.
As I grew older, I loved finding bargains in secondhand stores. I could and still can spend hours in them, looking at all the racks of skirts, sweaters, blouses, jeans, etc. When I married and had children of my own, I shopped at secondhand stores and yard sales. Children are hard on clothing, so I could not justify buying expensive clothing that would possibly rip, tear, or get stains that would never wash out. My children had a few good outfits for special occasions, but most of their clothing was secondhand.
When I landed a job in a business office, I knew I needed appropriate clothing. I did shop at a mall for a few new items. However, I did most of my shopping at secondhand stores and was able to buy more item than I had shopped elsewhere. The funny thing was I received more compliments on the clothing from the secondhand stores than the few pieces I had purchased new. I would tell them "Thank you", and that the specific piece of clothing was a GW (Goodwill) original.
In my realm, I have noticed that the younger generations are the ones who are shying away from secondhand shops and yard sales as opposed to the older generations. This is fine if you have the money, but for those who do not, shopping at secondhand stores may be the way to go. Some people argue that they can get new clothing at department stores like Wal-Mart and Kmart just as cheap. This may be so, but the quality of the clothing may not be as good as some you can buy at secondhand stores. I have found name brand clothing items such as Liz Claiborne, Levi Strauss, Ann Taylor, Dockers, and others at secondhand stores that have lasted for years.
Necessity no longer dictates that I need to shop in secondhand stores, but I do anyhow. I do draw the line at buying underclothing, socks and shoes at secondhand stores, preferring to buy them new.
Published by Agnes Farside - Featured Contributor in Lifestyle
Agnes loves writing on a wide range of topics, but craft and gardening articles are her favorite. She may be a 'techie' during the day, but her evenings and weekends are filled working on one of her many cr... View profile
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22 Comments
Post a CommentMore people will get a reality check, before this less than full scale depression is over with
More people will get a reality, before the less than full scale depression is over with.
I recently shopped at a Thrift store in San Francisco.
I found dirty white Vans in amazing condition for $2!
I would think that in this economy more people would consider shopping at secondhand shops. I have noticed over the years that even at yard sales people do not buy clothing like they used to, even children's clothes.
I don't mind shopping at a secondhand shop as long as clothing items are sorted by size; however, I will not spend much time there if I have to search through a jumble of items that are not so organized. Same with a yard sale.
Retro clothing is big among youth where I live. The 2nd clothing has hefty price tags. An angel blouse for instance was so threadbare I would not consider spending $20.00 for it. At Goodwill for a buck I would have grabbed it. There are other shops that sell Nice As New clothing. They are picky in what they take as donations and their price tags are even higher than at the retro shops. Zona Z says thank you.
Some of my favorite articles of clothing came from 2nd hand shops. When I could get jeans for a dollar, I would buy five pair to try on at home. If I decided I did not like them I donated them back. It was only a buck, right. Now they have raised prices and I often leave empty handed. If I can get a new item for a few dollars more, might as well buy new.
My clothes were hand-me-downs for a well-to-do cousin, so I didn't mind. I knew my own parents could never afford anything that nice for me. I've also shopped at second hand stores as an adult, though I must admit it's more for the recylcing concept that saving money. Still, the clothes I chose were in excellent condition and cost only a fraction of what it would have cost to buy in department store.
My daughter shopped at thrift stores until the kids went to school. She got a whole summer or winder wardrobe for each kid for $60-$100, and the many of the clothes were designer brands and in excellent condition. The trick is to find thrift stores in upscale neighborhoods.
I have stumbled across some great finds that ended up lasting me years!
I volunteer in a non-profit Thrift Store and most of the stuff we have is barely used and sometimes new anyway. It's not your grandmother's thrift or secondhand stores anymore. I agree, second hand stores can save you a bundle of $$$. cheers :)