4 reasons to shop secondhand for holiday gifts this year
Thrifting is hot, and Goodwill finds are cool again. But while we’re thrilled to find the perfect throwback tee for our own closet, gifting used goods still carries a stigma for some.
“The planet is drowning in excess stuff,” says Lauren Bravo, 34, the London-based author of “How to Break Up With Fast Fashion.” “It feels more sustainable to buy from things that are already out there in the world than adding to the demand for more, more, more.”
Not convinced? Here are four big benefits of secondhand gifts, plus a few tips and ideas to help you thrift a gift this holiday season.
The case for secondhand gifts
1. It’s better for the environment: Fast fashion and fast furniture generate an incredible amount of waste. In 2018, nearly 21 million tons of textile waste, furniture and furnishings ended up in landfills, according to the most recent data published by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Buying a sweatshirt, jacket, vase, side table or virtually any other thrifted item keeps it from landing in a heap at the dump or on some foreign shore (where much of our donated clothing lands).
2. Secondhand is more budget-friendly: You may have noticed, but everything is more expensive right now (inflation hit a 40-year high in September). Even with rising prices, buying secondhand is almost always less expensive than buying new.
3. You support small businesses: Vintage shops and thrift stores are almost always small businesses — and they’re counting on your support this holiday season.
In fact, 73 percent of small business owners say holiday sales like Black Friday and Small Business Saturday are important to the success of their business, according to a Nerdwallet survey of over 3,000 U.S. adults (including more than 900 small business owners), conducted online by The Harris Poll from Oct. 3-5, 2022.
Money spent at small local shops typically stay in the community, supporting jobs and other businesses. Popular nonprofit thrift stores like Goodwill and Habitat for Humanity Restore give back to the local community in many other ways, too. Sales from items purchased at Habitat Restores, for example, help to build and rehabilitate homes for local families.
4. Thrifted gifts have a history: There can be something special about a book, handbag or article of clothing previously owned by someone else. The item lived another life and sometimes quite literally has the notes to prove it.
“My wife bought me a book of love poems from a secondhand bookstore, where the previous (book) owner and his/her partner wrote notes to each other,” says Michael Morris,
45, who lives in Brooklyn and runs a men’s lifestyle website. “It’s a book of love poems with a real-life love story in the margins, and it’s unbelievably touching. It’s one of my prized possessions.”
Tips for secondhand gifting
Last-minute shoppers, take note: Thrifted gifting works best when you have time to find the perfect item. So start your holiday shopping now. Or better yet, hunt for secondhand gifts throughout the year.
Thrift stores, vintage shops, used bookstores and Goodwill are all great places to hunt for secondhand gifts, but estate sales can also yield treasures, says Richard Clews, 55, a retail and e-commerce founder who lives in Boston.
“Estate sales are the gold mine for me,” Clews says. “You can find such magnificent objects that have history, care and wisdom all wrapped up into something meaningful.”
Neighborhood listservs, Facebook marketplace and Buy Nothing groups can also yield treasure, especially if there are children on your to-gift list.