Second-hand presents .. is that OK?

Wig

my OH specifies in her Xmas list that the books she wants can be second hand.

Abebooks is one source online, but the postage rates are outrageous IMO.

NervousYetFeisty

One of my best friends is a brilliant 2nd hand shopper, through necessity as much as eco-reasons. Almost all the gifts she buys are from charity shops - she's bought my ds some of his very favourite toys over the years. Like he'd notice, let alone mind if something was 2nd hand!

Well chosen is the key - better something thoughtful and used than shiny, new and unwanted.

Penelope_Penguin

We quite happily buy second hand, so are also happy to receive second hand. No point in consuming resources unnecessarily. Once you've used something a few times, it's often in the same state as a good second hand item, anyway, so why not save a few £££?

kscour

If it's in good condition why not? No one would bat an eyelid if you bought something secondhand from an antiques fair!
It does grate at me that people think they are doing their bit for charity by giving things to a charity shop but won't even consider buying something from there - the charities make their money when they sell items not when they receive them.

HappySad

super41 wrote:

I have recycled presents and would have no qualms about giving second hand if the gift was appropriate. Also if it helped me save money why not? No point in spending money you haven't got and getting into debt! I would be happy to recieve 2nd hand as its the thought that counts. Also as I buy a lot of 2nd hand stuff myself I'd be a bit of a hypocriete if I only expected new presents!

We often got 2nd hand presents as kids - bikes, dolls house etc. At the time probably didn't realise and were so excited with what we got that wouldn't have cared anyway! When I was 5 I was given a lovely little homemade desk (2nd hand) for birthday and I treasured it for years - also used by my 2 sisters and still going strong!( you can't say that about these modern plastic toys!!) Recently I gave it to my little girl and the joy and excitement on her face was priceless. I hope it'll give many more years of pleasure to her and hopefully other children somewhere.

I sometimes feel out of step with other people when I meet my daughter's friends and parents. The kids seem to have everything and get a lot of what they ask for. My OH and I have much different ideas. Do you think its a generation thing? We were brougt up in the 70s, money was quite limited and attitudes were different. We had our daughter later in life and so many contemporary parents were brought up in the 80s when consumerism seemed to really take off. Just a thought.

Sorry I've gone a bit off topic, but its so nice to read things from others who have similar ideas!

I do agree with what you have said and I don't feel that you have gone off the topic. I have spent most of my life being a money saving consumer and now I am working to be a money saver that consumes less.

I got into second hand stuff after my sister would repeatedly be wearing fantastic clothes that you could not get in the shops and she was only paying 50p for them. At that time I never recycled (did not know what that was) and I would consume that any other person would but within my budget.

I then got in to second hand; because of the abiltiy to get great clothes that was not dominiated by the fashion industries view of selling you what they wanted to sell you and also I was able to save money.

Over time with me learning more about the environment and my son being born I have moved more and more into being concerned about the effect consumerisum has on society/environment. I have found that consuming less and consuming second hand stuff as so much benefits.

-Save lots of money.
-Reduce land fill.
-Giving money to charities rather than large companies when buying stuff.
-Getting something that is more unique then what is on the main shops.
-Not being dictated to buy fashion (not just meaning clothes fashion).
-Reduce clutter in the house. No need to move into a bigger house to house all my stuff.. just get rid of the stuff and your house feels a lot bigger.
-Value the stuff I already have more.
-More creative thinking in using the stuff I ready own for multiple uses.
-Good for the environement --which I am more recently just coming to realise this.


I am going to start buying presents second hand for family and friends. I still feel that I am opening myself to being rejected by some who don't have the same values as me; but I will try to stick to my values. I still see good deals with new things...but what I really want to do is give some of the great things I see in charity shops for much a low price.

VickyA_2

For my birthday from a good friend, I got some silver knives. She'd got them from an auction and they're absolutely fantastic! There is no way that we would have had them if they were brand new.

I don't see the problem with buying presents that are second hand and/or from charity shops. It helps everyone and saves on wastage.

Anastacia

There is hope for our future !

My boys have had second hand stuff all their lives but everyone was telling what trouble i would have pleasing them when they got to their teens. Not so.there are now 14 & 16 and a have discovered ebay. Suddenly they can find the things that they want but at prices i can afford. I cant recall the last time i bought new clothes from then.( may have been a couple of Primark tshirts in the Christmas bundle i think) Plus its cool (apparently!) which is why my house is so often filled with other kids who want stuff bought for them. Underwear is still ASDA though, for some reason someone elses knickers just dont appeal !

Anastacia

littlejaffa

Alot of 2nd hand shops have 'new items' clothing still with labels, gift sets still in boxes, I think this is fine. As is making things so long as it's well done it means alot more than anything bought (new or 2nd hand) to most people.
Something have to be bought 2nd hand, rare books, something from the year of your birth (for birthdays!) vintage clothes, etc
For 'normal' clothes only if it's obviously 2nd hand (no lables etc) i'd generaly steer away from it, it could look like it's out your own wardrobe and that's not so good.
I found a good site is worldvision, you can buy things for 3rd world countries and your recipient here gets a lovely card saying what they've got - it never gives prices on the card and for a few £ you get something relevant to the person the presents for - school books (for a teacher) cooking kits (keen cook) etc it's realy good.

thriftymifty

Personaly if i recieved a present that i really loved it would not matter where it came from, it should, after all, be the thought that counts.
I have bought and recieved presents that are second hand for/from my family (mum, dad, brother and boyfriend).
Also if i get a present that i dont like i sell it on ebay or give it to the charity shop so i dont think things like that should count as second hand as they have never been used.
I do think though that if you shop clever all year you can get some real bargins. I saw bags at a Cath Kidston shop in Bicester that were reduced from £55 to £10 and bought 3 and a pair of lovely slippers in Haslemere reduced from £45 to £5. So for people who really would object to second hand items shop around all year and you dont have to spend that much more!

Sweet_Pea_2

I have received some awful presents over the years from family members who shall remain nameless. They appeared to have been bought because they felt they "had" to produce something rather than "wanted" to, no thought had gone into the gifts, as little money as possible spent - (if any, points had been used or the gift was "recycled", ie a gift that the present giver didnt want themselves) in fact sometimes it appeared to me that the gift giver had gone out of their way to give me something I wouldnt like or find useful! (can you tell Im talking about the out laws? lol) Sometimes I would open a gift like this and feel like I had been slapped in the face, but Im used to it now.

(Gosh, reading the above I sound really horrible and ungrateful) The point I am really trying to make is that these gifts were all new. I would much rather had had a second hand gift from a charity shop/ebay/boot fair you name it, that had some thought put into it, even if I didnt really like it I would really appreciate the thought if I could see that the gift giver had thought about it and chosen it with my birthday in mind, rather than stopping off at the petrol station on the way to my house and purchasing something whilst paying for their petrol!

I am getting more into second hand shops and ebay myself after reading all the threads on old style and have been really chuffed with some of my bargains. Some people you mention them to are horrified so I have learned to keep my bargains to myself! My mum was really interested though and has started to go into charity shops herself. She knows I would be happy to receive a second hand gift that was chosen with love.

Im not sure if Id buy second hand items for presents for anyone who wasnt part of my immediate family though. I have given them to my daughters occasionally, and as this is a new thing for me I thought they may be bothered by it, but they weren't at all, and are fast discovering that they can get much more for their pocket money by going second hand. If the item comes from someone they know it seems to increase the appeal somehow.
My OH would be appalled though if I gave him something like this. I think it really does depend on the recipient. Also I can guarantee that if I bought s "new" looking item for a present and didnt confess where I had purchased it then the recipient would ask for the receipt to take it back and Id then be really embarassed!