The relationship between domestic fashionistas and second-hand is a whole epic. They’ve gone through denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and have finally reached acceptance.
We will tell you how to shop in a second-hand store, look amazing and save on branded and high-quality clothes. Let’s not hide, this is a rather complicated matter, because it is not easy to choose an excellent outfit from the collapse that will fit your figure the first time, but it’s worth it if you want to save money.
How Clothes End Up In Secondhand Stores
It’s pretty easy: clothes come to us mainly from Europe. The most frequent deliveries are from England, Germany, and Italy. In these countries, collections are collected by companies that receive these things for free. People simply dump their unwanted clothes into containers placed on the streets. Things are then sanitized and only then transported to other countries, where they will be sold second-hand.
How And By What Things Are Processed In Second-Hand Stores
The specific smell in second-hand stores is a consequence of the special processing of clothes, which all given items must undergo. It is needed in order to exclude the possibility of the spread of infections, and also because collection points do not know if things were washed before they were given away.
Usually, processing takes place in two stages:
- steam treatment;
- treatment with disinfectant gas.
As a result of such processing, things are clean and cannot cause diseases. But still, it is necessary to wash things from second-hand stores so that there are no allergies, and just to finally make sure that the thing is stretched and one hundred percent clean.
How To Choose A Good Second Hand
Second-hand is a very delicate matter, no matter how it seems that it is not. In order to choose a normal point of sale for clothes, you just need to take a closer look at those who have them.
Signs Of A Bad Second Hand:
- meeting place – basement or dilapidated premises;
- tightness;
- things lie in heaps;
- things are not sorted;
- the shop is dirty;
- booths are wobbly or not at all;
- no cashier and no terminal for card payment.
Signs Of A Good Second Hand:
- light and clean, spacious room
- there are storage rooms;
- booths have hooks, rugs, mirrors;
- this is a chain of stores and not only in your city;
- frequently updated;
- there is a cash desk, a terminal.
How To Buy Second Hand
Second-hand is not a mass-market that you can easily predict and come when it suits you. There are clothes for every taste, so don’t be upset if you don’t find what you’re looking for. We have prepared some rules for economical and successful second-hand shopping, so you can definitely find something for yourself.
- Prices are highest on the day of delivery. Sometimes they sell things at individual prices, usually for shoes, bags, hats and good quality goods.
- The more secondhand, the more assortment it has. Plus more discounts!
- On the day of delivery, the choice is simply huge, so the most adventurous lovers of looking for little things come in the morning, stand in line. Usually on this day you can find a lot of cool things, if you do not click your beak.
- Come in regularly: sometimes you can choose one thing, sometimes a dozen.
- Be patient: in order to find something, especially in a large second-hand store, you need to search well.
- Take it quickly, choose slowly: if you like something, take it for a try, but do not rush to buy, but first examine it well.
- Do not buy for later: the thing should sit on you already now, otherwise you risk filling the whole house with rags for “once upon a time”.
What Not To Buy In Second-Hand Stores
- Down jackets. All clothes go through the same treatment, so the fluff inside can fall off and stop warming
- Underwear. You understand why
- Fleece products. After processing, they become rigid and do not hold heat.
- Sportswear. If you can see that it has been worn repeatedly, it is better not to touch it at all.
- Hats. Caps and hats don’t get washed that often, so it’s best to look for them in stock stores.
- Damaged things. If there is a stain on it, the seam is torn – do not take it. It’s not worth it.
Pros And Cons Of Second Hand
The second hand is a double-edged sword. There are many advantages, but also do not forget about the disadvantages, which can be quite significant.
Disadvantages Of Second Hand
- Takes too much time.
- You can’t always find what you want.
- Every seam needs to be checked.
- Not for the squeamish.
- You can’t return an item that doesn’t fit. If you bought something, there is no turning back: if it doesn’t fit, throw it away.
Benefits Of Secondhand
- Very, very cheap, even for a cool brand.
- You can find exclusive brands that are not sold in Ukraine.
- You can not worry about originality: it is unlikely that someone will have exactly the same.
Things from second-hand can both upset and pretty please. The main thing is to buy them wisely and carefully, not to spare the time spent.