I have continued a legacy that my dad started: garbage-picking. Well, not garbage-picking per se; rather, a delight in secondhand items.
My dad would take pleasure in shamelessly sifting through curbside items, dressed in the blue jumpsuit he wore when doing dirty work and car repairs. Most times, he took home electronic items like computers and radios, as he was a ham radio operator. My fondest memory of his garbage-picking skills is the Easy Bake Oven he procured for me as a young girl. Knowing it would be a great “just-because” gift, he brought it home, cleaned it up, and repaired it before giving it to me.
I don’t think most of us kept using those Easy Bake Ovens once we learned how loooong it took to bake such a tiny treat. But the love behind my dad’s action remains and always will, as I’ve been given a deep appreciation for thriftiness and my dad’s giving nature.
Over the years, I’ve developed even more of a liking of thrift store/secondhand items, especially in my decor. Thrifted items are great for cost-conscious shoppers, but provide more benefits than just saving money.
Read along to learn these benefits & to check out my secondhand finds and reincarnations.
1. Secondhand items help provide a greener way of living. When you buy a used item, no additional energy is expended to fulfill the need for that product. Repurposing and upcycling items also removes this need to create additional product.
An example of this is with the decor I created with a glass vase and shells. The shells were actually given to me by my grandmother; she bought these 35 years ago while vacationing in Hawaii. Instead of purchasing brand new decorative fillers like rocks, glass marbles, sand, etc., I repurposed the shells by inserting the necklaces into the vase.
This vignette is part of my bedroom makeover into a beachy, Zen haven. For more pics & details on this makeover, click here.
Most thrifted items are not packaged, which reduces waste and the need to manufacture packaging. Also, when an item receives a new owner, space is now saved in our landfills by not being garbage (which is also a great reason to donate items!).
2. There’s less of an investment with a used item vs. a new item. Say there’s a T-shirt refashioning project you’d like to try. By buying a used T-shirt to test out this project, there’s a decreased risk factor. If after finishing, you decide this wasn’t your cup of tea or if it didn’t turn how you’d like, no worries.
Another example of why thrifted items are less investment is Halloween costumes. Since most of us don’t wear the same costume every year, you don’t want to spend a lot of money. I created these costumes by using a combination of new items and secondhand clothing:
My valley girl from the 80s costume was so fun. The legwarmers were created from a thrifted sweater & the denim skirt was also secondhand.
Find out how I created this original Oompa Loompa costume here.
3. Secondhand items are typically more unique. Don’t get me wrong, I love me some IKEA. But I still take care to decorate my home in a way that isn’t cookie-cutter and encompasses a unique style.
These are secondhand items and thrift store goods that were in such great, unique quality, I had no need to make them over:
Clockwise, left to right: a portion of my milk glass collection from my living room makeover; a vintage Hamilton Beach drink mixer I scored in an antique mall; a secondhand chrome desk lamp; a wooden, hand-carved bird found at a thrift store that became part of my bedroom makeover.
Even non-living things have energy, which I love to reincarnate. This leads us to the next perk…
4. Secondhand items can be personalized with a make-over. This is a huge reason I love thrift store shopping. Making over items allows you to harness your creative energy and show off your DIY skills by creating a one-of-a-kind piece. I’m not the only person who loves turquoise, but I may be the only one (or one of few!) with a turquoise-painted tanker desk.
Check out these secondhand items I’ve had the pleasure of making over:
Clockwise, left to right: a Christmas tree topper (Moravian star) that I transformed with Mod Podge & wrapping paper for my living room makeover; a thrifted lamp base revamped with acrylic paint; my beloved MCM tanker desk make-over; a small chest of drawers revamped with latex paint & new drawer pulls, now being used in my last bedroom makeover.
My most recent find was this wooden mid-century modern end table. MCM pieces are still popular and many stores have reproduced them, but my piece has a history. I plan on reincarnating this with white or gray paint.
Stay tuned— my tips for thrift store success are coming soon!
EDIT: View my tips for being a successful secondhand shopper here.
Do you enjoy thrift store and garage sale shopping? What do you enjoy about it? Are there any other benefits you enjoy about using secondhand items? What’s your favorite used item?
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