I love buying second hand clothes. In fact, I rarely buy anything new.
Once you realise just how cheaply good quality second hand clothes can be purchased, you resent paying the full price! Here’s why I buy second hand clothes and how to find them.
It’s cheaper
Well, obviously buying second hand will be cheaper than buying brand new. Unless, that is, you buy something labelled vintage! I tend to avoid vintage clothing items, as I remember many of them from the first time round and they were ugly then.
I was a child in the seventies and mustard yellow and muddy orange polyester monstrosities have left their scars.
You can create quirky looks
Having said that, buying second hand does give you the opportunity to create unique looks. Whilst the hoards buy identikit looks from the chain stores, true fashionistas love to root round the Oxfam Shop!
Charities benefit when you buy second hand clothes
I buy a fair few items from charity shops. Although many charge a lot more now, there are still some bargains to be had. I have mentioned previously that we have a Barnado’s warehouse nearby, where they sort and sell for their other stores, as well as a £1 outlet store for the local hospice.
I pop in regularly and find loads of bargains, as well as donating many of my unwanted things.
You can afford better quality
Whereas our grandparents and the generations before them bought clothes to last, cheap, throwaway fashion is the new normal. Poor quality fashion items can be bought for a few pounds and discarded after being worn a couple of times.
For me, a better option on a tight budget is to buy better quality brands in used condition. I find good labels such as Monsoon, Coast, Per Una and Boden all the time.
Reusing is eco-friendly
Reusing rather than buying new reduces waste. As I said above, we live in a throwaway society. Buying second hand clothes extends their life and stops them being discarded as rubbish.
Reusing clothing means that fewer items have to be produced in the first place. This in turn means fewer materials and less in the way of transportation.
You can sell yours to make money
When there is a market for second hand clothes this also creates an opportunity for you to sell your old ones and make a bit of extra cash. Vinted allows you to sell for free and has become increasingly popular.
You could even source good quality second hand clothes specifically to sell on and make extra cash. There is a whole army of resellers prepared to get up early and scour the boot sales, or to spend lots of time in charity shops and nearly new sales in order to stock their reselling businesses. See my articles on selling on eBay here and here for more information.
Where to find them?
Boot sales
If you are prepared to make the effort, boot sales are by far the best and cheapest places to find good second hand clothes.
We were lucky enough in the summer to find a very well heeled family getting rid of a van load of designer and top branded stuff for 50p an item!
I have found so many amazing bargains at boot sales – I love them!
Online auction sites
I have already mentioned Vinted, but you could also explore Depop, Postmark, Gumtree, eBay, even Facebook Marketplace – there are many online auction sites these days. I use eBay and Vinted personally. They both have a huge selection of used clothing.
Charity shops
I am all for supporting charities via their shops. However, some of them charge far too much! I have seen cheap second hand Primark items for the same price as they cost new. Charity shops should make money but they also need to realise that people don’t expect to pay a lot for second hand clothes.
Having said that, the independent shop tend to provide better value, in my experience. Some charities have outlet stores, where they sort and dispose of items that have taken a while to sell, which are even cheaper.
Jumble sales
Jumble sales hardly happen at all these days. When I was a teenager there used to be one on in a church hall somewhere pretty much every Saturday. However, once in a while you will find one, and it is also worth looking out for any fundraising community event where they might have a second hand clothes stall.
Garage and yard sales
A welcome innovation for the bargain hunter in recent years has been the garage sale trail, often organised by churches and schools to raise funds. Facebook can be a good place to find these, but look out on noticeboards locally too.
If you don’t usually buy second hand clothes, maybe now is the time to try. Are you a frugal fashionista and, if so, where do you find your bargains?
Margie from Toronto says
I have to admit that I am not. We don’t seem to have as many charity shops as you do – in fact – the largest called “Goodwill” closed here in Toronto although it is still in business elsewhere. There are some consignment stores but they tend to deal in either vintage or designer resales that still cost a fortune.
I have friends who have had good luck in this area but not me. I am a chubby petite so sizing can be an issue and the few times I’ve looked most items seemed very dated. I will be checking out one of the “Value Village” shops that isn’t too far from me next week – one friend swears by it for all her lovely scarves – and I wouldn’t mind a new black purse if I found one.
Since retirement I simply don’t need as many clothes and I’ve always preferred quality over quantity so things tend to last a long time.
A few friends do participate in clothing swaps a few times per year – someone is the hostess and she invites a number of friends – provides a room for changing and everyone trades back and forth. Have you or your daughters ever tried this as an option?
shoestringjane@outlook.com says
That’s a great idea. We should!
Margaret Powling says
I have bought 2nd hand clothes, and bought from dress agencies, too, but because I’m not too slim these days I find that the larger sizes – if you can find them – aren’t as nice. But this is usual in most shops: the manufacturers seem to think that unless we’re size 10 – 14 that we are old frumps and shouldn’t expect to look good, and that ill-fitting sacks are good enough for us. I have also noticed – and this is nothing to do with buying 2nd hand – that most sleeves of jackets and coats are far too long, especially if you’ve gone up a size or two. Why do the manufacturers think that if we are larger across the bust that we have gorilla-like arms? I often see women on TV wearing jackets with the sleeves almost coming down to their finger tips. You don’t see men wearing suits with similarly long sleeves, do you?
Margaret P
Sam says
I’m newer to the second hand market, but now that I have started, especially for items like pants and skirts, I am hooked. I have not had luck with dresses and sweaters, and minimal with tops though. Too many stains in the arm pits, or they want to much for a low quality. I will keep hunting though. My daughters, who wear tiny sizes, have better luck as I think they have more options as people outgrow nice small size clothing and then clear out more so than people lose weight and clear out bigger sizes, if that makes sense.