What are your thoughts about buying secondhand?

[434Teresa]

I don't shop second hand anymore. I get all my daughter clothes at justice and I always shop clearance. I can buy her brand new clothes in way better shape for less then use clothes. I always shop with coupon and it always his way marked down on top of it. My Good friend. That use to shop at use clothing store i Took to justice and she was amaze how much you could buy when you know inn and out. She only shops at justice like me now. Last winter got my daughter about 1,000 bucks worth of justice for 60 bucks. My 3 yr old son gets all his undies socks and all clothing at gap. I won 2 royal wedding cards so I get 20 things a month for 50 percent off. I just shop a lot and have time so know all ends and outs.

We go to goodwill on the first satuday of the month when everything is 50% off..but I do like you for the most part and buy new for often I can get new clothes just as cheap with coupons, sales and clarance. BUT not everyone can drive,have a car to drive, or knows how to shop with coupons.
I am from a small town with dollar stores and walmart only for buying clothes other than second hand clothing stores. I drive 30/40 mintues one way to go shopping at the childerns place,AE, A&F and such where I can use coupons ect..I dont shop alot but I know my way around coupons and to look for sales to go with them.....just saying that no all people have a car,can drive or has someone to take them shopping that dose and knows about coupons/sales/clareance.

[Troop1379]

I LOVE going to find great stuff at second hand stores,yard sales. But I am with you I will not buy underwear,socks, hats, shoes. Our goodwill always has stuff from target with the tags still on them so I really love the GOODWILL

[Spanelli8706]

[QUOTE=ari'smom;3037142]Like I saw a used pair of Lucky jeans the other day for $25.00. But hello, you can buy them brand new at Marshall's for $40. And if you happen to find them on clearance of course, much less./QUOTE]

I get where you're coming from here. I found NEW Lucky jeans clearanced at the outlet Lucky store for $15-25, depending on style. A few days later I saw some USED Lucky jeans at Plato's Closet for $35.

[Smee]

I think I must be pretty lucky with our thrift store. I have no idea what Justice and Lucky are, but I rarely ever pay more than $1 for shirts or $5 for jeans regardless of brand. I've gotten some like new Lands End and LL Bean stuff for $4. On Mondays between noon and closing, all clothing is half price. I like that our store prices stuff across the board-- a certain price for shirts, another set price for jeans, etc. regardless of brand. Levi's cost the same as no-name jeans, usually $5.

[Gertie2u]

How are second hand shoes any worse for your feet than ill fitting shoes or high heels? I always hear that high heels are horrible for your feet and balance (and therefore back), but there is no "ew" factor to create a movement to abolish them. I see no problem with gently used shoes, and I have even found brand new in the box shoes at second hand stores.

I don't think he thought they were worse than ill fitting or horribly high heels. From what he said to me, I'd say he rated them about the same. I've found new-in-the-box shoes at our secondhand store and bought them as well. I don't see any problem with new, no matter where it is purchased.

As to pricing, my local stores just charge a flat price based on the type of item. For example, jeans of any brand, style, or degree of wear are $3. Discounts can be had because each item is tagged with a colored tag designating the week in which it was received and put out for sale. There are six colors, and each week the oldest moves down one. Thus items from the oldest week are 1/2 off, next oldest week I believe 25%, next oldest 10%, and the rest full price. Each week items from the sixth color, meaning there six weeks, are pulled off the rack and they stuff trash bags with them. Usually, these are the really ratty fit only for rags items. The trash bags are sold for $3-5 depending on what sorts of things are in them. A bag of t-shirts goes for $3 and the guy that owns the fancy car wash here in town buys them for wipe down rags. Fancy items like prom gowns, wedding dresses, and that sort of thing also have a flat price, but don't participate in the six week program as they are sort of dependent on what's going on around town. I've picked up new with tag still on them prom-type gowns for my DD's for $10 and fancy jeweled tiaras with matching necklace and earrings for $12.

As to cleanliness, I scrub or wash everything I pick up secondhand thoroughly and have never had any issues. Most things can run through a good wash and a hot dryer. When my DD's were younger and loved things like hair bows, and hats that could not always go through the wash, I would place them in a hot oven or bundle them up for 2-3 weeks in plastic and also put the sealed plastic bags out in the sun a couple of days. If there was anything to be of concern in the buggy category, it would die off long before entering our house. Occasionally a bow would have been put together with hot glue and come apart somewhat, but easy enough to just re-glue. Sometimes, if it was the hot oven option, I could just press it back together re-using the glue already on there. I actually do the same with hair bows and hats purchased new from the store as you have no idea if someone with a critter problem may have tried them on before you got there. A friend bought hats for her kids at the some tourist trap while they were on a two week vacation in their own RV. They never stayed in any hotels or spent time hanging with other kids during the trip, yet came home with a critter problem. This was when my kids were quite small, and ever since I am just extra careful.

[jkljkl]

Love thrift stores but I agree, I often find things cheaper on clearance new. I think a lot of the people who do the pricing in thrift stores just have no idea what they are doing and so much of their stuff is way over priced.

Same here.

My local Goodwill charges $8 for dresses. Some of these are from the 70s and 80s, and not chic enough to be sold in vintage stores.

A few weeks ago, I was in Goodwill and saw a dress for sale, and I had worn this exact same dress in 1985. Needless to say, it now looks very outdated and frumpy, with the dropped waist and pleated skirt. I can't imagine paying any amount of money for this.

[fencerows]

Most of the rummage sales, I look for CONSUMABLE items that I can use.. like stickers, paper items-party cups, napkins, paper party bags, unused lotions,stationary,cards, almost new or unused cleaners, party paper plates, soaps, motel items. The goal is to purchase items that I can use up and not clutter the house further. My goal is to downsize as I have my own rummage sales. As a grandma I am on the lookout for toys for use at my home. Some children's books if interesting. (Already have tons. )Also, I watch for possible nice clothes for the grandson. Also, I watch for plastic trays/containers to use for potlucks and then just discard, or use plastic trays under my plants and then discard when they crack.

Items that I have learned NOT to buy (the hard way)... hand held clothes steamers (have bought 2 and neither worked), and electric coolers(again bought two and neither worked). Should have asked for an electric plug in for the clothes steamers and should have tried the coolers in the ciggie lighter in the car.

Also, if I think an item is marked way out of bounds, I do check and see if the seller would take less. If I think the price is fair, then I buy. Some rummage sales have items marked WAY too high or items are NOT marked at all, and when one asks for the price it is WAY out of bounds.

I will never forget at one sale there was a set of used Penny's towels and the woman wanted $5 less than what they would cost NEW at Penny's, as I had recently priced them. I said I was not interested in them due to the price. She followed me to the car reporting that this was a great deal.

Also, I have found too that people will put the price stickers over some bloop on the item or conceal a lower price that they paid for the item. Beware. Unless it is a special antique, don't be fooled!

Rummage sales are a great way to stretch a dollar. Gas to get around to them is an issue. Town sales are better for gas usage.

[fungirl2727]

We go to goodwill on the first satuday of the month when everything is 50% off..but I do like you for the most part and buy new for often I can get new clothes just as cheap with coupons, sales and clarance. BUT not everyone can drive,have a car to drive, or knows how to shop with coupons.
I am from a small town with dollar stores and walmart only for buying clothes other than second hand clothing stores. I drive 30/40 mintues one way to go shopping at the childerns place,AE, A&F and such where I can use coupons ect..I dont shop alot but I know my way around coupons and to look for sales to go with them.....just saying that no all people have a car,can drive or has someone to take them shopping that dose and knows about coupons/sales/clareance.

I understand what you are talking about! Growing up I lived in a very sm town and the mall was a good hr a way. We only went shopping every couple months. I would have never had time to shop how I do now. It took me a long time to learn how I shop how I do. I got my daughter 250.00 at justice yesterday for 30 bucks for next summer. I got shirts or reg 25.00 for 2 bucks.
I still shop second hand for toys for my kids for xmas and birthdays and just to buy. I find some really nice toys there and some shoes every once in a while.