Anyone who knows me a little knows that I am a regular at the local thrift shops. Marktplaats is also my favorite. The furniture in my house, the clothes I wear and my daughter's wardrobe? It is a mix of new and second-hand, with the emphasis on second-hand. I think it's very important to buy second-hand stuff. I would like to explain to you why and tell you how I approach thrift shopping (nice word isn't it, thrift shopping, should be in the dictionary 😉 ).
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My purse that is! It's only been a few years since I started to consciously buy second-hand stuff. It started when I worked at a hardware store and I regularly talked to customers about their DIY projects. Some of those customers took old cabinets to the store to show what they were doing. For example, a customer once showed a box that she had bought for five euros. She bought a tenner can of paint, some more brushes and other props, and had a brand new cabinet for only twenty-five euros.
When I went looking for a bookcase, I decided to try my luck on Marktplaats. I found a closet for twenty-five euros and refurbished it for fifteen euros. I started calculating what I had saved with these second-hand items. Comparable cabinets were more than twice as expensive at the well-known Swedish furniture giant! Since then, I often look first on Marktplaats for more expensive purchases. If I can't find what I'm looking for, I can always go to the specialist shops.
In 2011, I was in the Dominican Republic, where I visited a garbage dump. I was amazed at what people threw away, and that in a very poor region. I realized that when poor people throw away so much stuff, it must be much worse for rich people like us. That is why I started to look more consciously at, for example, clothing. I am and remain a woman of course, so that's why I like to buy something new every now and then. However, I often buy that 'new' from the second-hand stuff.
For example, I regularly have something new in the closet, but I do extend the way from a piece of clothing to the garbage dump. Conversely, I also make sure that my old clothes do not end up in the bin, but I sell them or donate them to the thrift store. If we all did that, the burden on the environment would be much less. This does not only apply to clothing, but to all your useful items.
I don't know how it is arranged elsewhere in the country, but almost all thrift stores in my area serve a social purpose. Either money is collected for the shelter of polluted birds, or money is collected for aid transport to Romania or something of a similar nature. I also like that very much. This way I know that my purchase is not only good for myself, but also for others. Moreover, the thrift shops in my area often employ people who are at a distance from the labor market. That also makes a purchase a lot more pleasant.
As mentioned, I will look for suppliers via Marktplaats for more expensive objects (such as when my daughter arrived last year) such as furniture and electronics. I often buy clothes in thrift stores, but also at second-hand clothing fairs. I also occasionally visit flea markets, where it is always a hit that you come across. I also sell used stuff. I did that fanatically for a while via Marktplaats, but I found that (for smaller items) a bit too much work. Now I only place even larger second-hand items (such as the car) on Marktplaats, and I save smaller items for the annual garage sale that is organized in my village.
By the way, did you already know about the existence of giveaway shops? We recently wrote a nice article about it! And you can buy or sell children's clothing very nicely via the Reshopper app that we tested in the area.
Are you also an avid thrift shopper? What is your best thrift find?
