[snuffles]

Do you?

I mean, decluttering and donating good quality items to op shops is great, but who buys them? Most of the op shops in our area seem to be overflowing with stuff. Is it just a case of moving unwanted goods from one building to another? Are you then replacing your good quality donations with further new stuff, adding to the cycle of waste??

Me - I do op shop, not as much as I probably should (ie I buy too many things new IMO). Perhaps I should create a new years resolution around this...

[CupOfCoffee]

I am playing with the idea of doing the challenge where you don't buy anything new for a period of time. I was thinking of trying for a month (I am a terrible online shopper, so it will be hard).

(Obviously food and house/beauty products can be new, I don't think I want a second hand toothbrush).

[Romeo Void]

I do, in fact I usually pick up a little something each time I do a drop off.

[PatG]

Yep, I buy second hand and pre loved. I do think there are some things there isn't much of a market for though - either because by the time they are second hand they are too far gone or because there is an oversupply of them.

There are other options apart from op shops - freecycle (people will come and collect with is good), gumtree or ebay if you think you'd like some money for the items and passing on to friends and family.

I guess if your aim is to declutter you need to think about if you are likely to want to "replace" an item with a new one - if so, why not just keep the old one. One trick is to pack up the things you are thinking of getting rid of into boxes in the garage or something and if you haven't dug it back out in X months then clearly you don't need it, and don't need to buy a replacement so it can go.

[HollyOllyOxenfre...]

I'm slowly getting back into looking for pre loved things. When DS was younger, it was just easier to jump online and order something and know it would be good quality. But I've bought a few things recently off gumtree and ebay, and I'm trying to get back into op shopping for clothes as I've always enjoyed it.

There are some things I won't buy second hand, but most things I will. I find as well that often you'll find things second hand within your budget that are better quality than what you could buy new. I recently bought a beautiful blanket box on gumtree for $75 made of recycled hardwood, an new ones I was looking at for similar prices were cheap MDF.

[Delirium]

There are some things I won't buy second hand, but most things I will. I find as well that often you'll find things second hand within your budget that are better quality than what you could buy new. I recently bought a beautiful blanket box on gumtree for $75 made of recycled hardwood, an new ones I was looking at for similar prices were cheap MDF.

I'm a student and a single mum and I buy lots of things second-hand as I have a VERY tight budget. I really appreciate it when people donate or sell good-quality stuff!

[Romeo Void]

I find as well that often you'll find things second hand within your budget that are better quality than what you could buy new. I recently bought a beautiful blanket box on gumtree for $75 made of recycled hardwood, an new ones I was looking at for similar prices were cheap MDF.

I think so to but lately I've been wondering what will fill the Op shops in a few years time as everything now seems to be cheaply made rubbish. In the early 80's I'd buy pointy toed shoes from the 60's that were still perfectly wearable after 20 years. Try get a pair of shoes that will last more than 4-5 years without crumbling now!

[vanessa71]

When I was 16, my wardrobe was almost exclusively second hand. I still have no trouble with second hand items, as long as they are in good condition.

DS and I would visit a particular op shop almost weekly and I did manage to buy some great books for DD at a very cheap price, however looking at the clothes they were trying to sell, including underwear that was not new, I can't imagine it was easy to shift. Occasionally there would be an item of good quality and it wouldn't last long.

I think when people want to feel good about donating, they should remember to donate items of reasonable quality, not stuff that clearly needs to be thrown out.

This post has been edited by vanessa71: 31/12/2012, 11:08 AM

[SarahM72]

I pretty much only buy second hand. If I bought new stuff my kids would only make it look second hand by the end of the first day anyway. In fact I usually don't buy it - I try to just find it, like on on gumtree or hard rubbish collection day.

I even buy second hand stuff for gifts. I bought a lovely vase from Vinnes the other day for an eldery lady I was visiting. I thought I should take her something although she really didn't need anything. So I couldn't bring myself to actually buy something new that was only adding more useless junk to the world. I therfore bought her the second had vase.

[Charri36]

Me !! Clothes mainly though. I used to buy other stuff apart from clothes but thankfully I don't need to now.

I have 2 fav op shops, I never walk out empty handed. I buy my clothes there as I have very very sensitive skin, the chemical residue left on clothes makes me soooo ichy, I'll try clothes on in a normal store, start getting itchy, then I'm to scared to buy, in case it's the material, rather than the chemical. I can't wear wool or elastine.

As 2nd hand clothes have already been washed so much, the chemicals are long gone, so don't irritate my skin. I don't end up hot and itchy. ( I just have to touch material and I can tell you what it's made from due to how it burns my hand.