We like to buy stuff fresh. In the US, for example, the National Retail Federation anticipates that retail sales will grow between 4% and 6% in 2023, reaching around $5.18 trillion.
However, there are alternatives that can help us save money, preserve the environment, and find unique items. In fact, the bustling secondary market is ready to fulfill nearly all of our shopping needs — both online, with platforms such as eBay and Vinted, and in physical settings, through local thrift stores and swap meets.
So let’s see what these places have to offer. Redditor u/NullibiquitousNoodle made a post on r/Frugal, asking, “What are some things you’d only buy second hand, never brand new?” and it has gone viral, receiving over 1,000 comments. Here are the most popular ones.
#1
Mirrors. Impossible to buy one that hasn’t been used.
Image credits: Quicksdraw
#2
Wooden furniture, better quality and a fraction of the cost. When I moved, we got a big dining room table with the leaf and 6 chairs. Was heavy as s**t… but barely had blemishes. 200 bucks, and will outlive me.
Also my dresser was my husband’s geandfathers before his and now mine. Still in excellent condition
Image credits: itsallinthehips123
#3
Automobiles.
I was raised poor and learned to do my own repairs.
I can’t justify spending $30-50k on something that loses 1/3 it’s value simply because I purchased it.
Image credits: diablodeldragoon
#4
Dogs.
Let someone else potty train and wait out the chewing and baby teeth phase. I’ll take a normal energy, personality-already-evident, grateful best friend to go, tyvm.
Image credits: AstutelyInane
#5
Almost all baby stuff (except car seats). It’s barely used second hand since the kid grows so quickly.
Image credits: onlyhereforfoodporn
#6
Dresses for special occasions! If you want to wear something splashy once or twice, buy it second-hand and resell or donate it when you are done.
Image credits: causeycommentary
#7
Pretty much any book.
They’re always so much cheaper for barely any drop in quality. It’s a no-brainer for me.
Image credits: Leah Kelley
#8
Cast iron skillet. I wanted one from a grandmother’s estate that has seen a lot of use (meaning it’s a great pan), and I found one. Took it home, reconditioned it, and it is a splendid pan.
Image credits: wifeage18
#9
Exercise equipment-I have gotten screaming deals on elliptical machines and treadmills from people moving or downsizing. They have typically not been used much so I have never had serious issues with them.
Image credits: Spectrachic9100
#10
Vases. Instead of buying a vase at the store or buying a pre made flower arrangement you can save yourself money and buy a vase at a thrift store for much less. Buy they flowers then pick up a vase at a thrift store and make your own flower arrangement.
Image credits: Amazonwasmyidea
#11
Home decor! Less frugal, more stylish people than myself like to update frequently and often sell home decor items (mirrors, rugs, art, lamps, accent chairs) in great condition. I’ve gotten a steal on some items this way on Facebook Marketplace. And if you have an eye for it, you can still be very stylish this way.
Image credits: causeycommentary
#12
Leather jackets/fur coats! Best option for the environment. No new animals being killed for it, and it’s not plastic. Usually great quality too
Image credits: fentyhealth
#13
DSLR camera. Seriously most enthusiasts use it for 1 year and then are willing to sell for whatever price someone can offer. You can get some great cameras for less than 25% of the original price
Image credits: GeoggiOS
#14
I started shaving with double edge safety razors and only buy vintage Gillettes. I have one from 1961, and just bought another from ‘57. They last for generations. This is way cheaper than using modern cartridge razors, and create far less landfill waste.
Image credits: Glass_Procedure7497
#15
Genuine leather handbags. I think leather with a little wear looks better and it eases my mind since I’m hard on my purses.
#16
Majority of business clothes. Hear me out – all of my work dresses and some tops I’ve gotten from thrifting are so much better quality than the c**p in stores.
You can also luck out and get designer. I’ve gotten my man some nice designer ties for like $2.
#17
I check out used first for almost everything. As much from an environmental viewpoint as a frugal mindset. Plus, often the quality you get in some older things is better than what you can buy (or afford) today.
Image credits: humanzee70
#18
Dishes and kitchen stuff. Not sure if it’s the same in other areas, but the goodwills near me always have a ton of glassware and kitchen supplies like serving dishes and some pans. Most of my cups are from goodwill.
Image credits: anon
#19
For me its video games. I want new games constantly. But if you wait a year its like 10 bucks used.
Image credits: spookyman212
#20
Children’s toys. Kids get bored of them so fast that secondhand stores are always overloaded with perfectly fine toys. Better to get secondhand for any and all kids’ birthdays than it is to waste money and pollute the Earth with more plastic.
#21
Phones! I’ve been getting 1-2 older gens through Ebay for a fraction of the price, now I aim to spend only $200-300 for a slightly older flagship phone. Been doing this for years, I love that I don’t stress out about treating them like fragile China or stressing out about seeing scratches, etc. I always go for A condition or open box, which means 90% of my phones still look like they were brand new.
Also if I change my mind or want a “newer” phone, most of the time I can sell them for a cheap price and most of the time it’ll get sold, so that means the phone was even cheaper in the end.
Image credits: mashibeans
#22
Whenever I’m shopping for something on Amazon, I always check for Amazon Warehouse options first. Very rarely have I ever had a problem with a Warehouse purchase, and if I do, I can always return it and get another one.
Image credits: pdxbatman
#23
Gardening supplies like pots and tools are great to find used. Tools in general usually last forever and are cheaper used while still perfect quality.
Image credits: Birdie121
#24
Luggage. It is stupid expensive brand new
Image credits: ueffo
#25
Non-power tools. A set of wrenches might be $hundreds, but used they’re like $tens. Sockets, hammers, bits, drivers, saws, chisels, all those that will last multiple lifetimes with easy maintenance. I got a used Snap On rolling chest for $800 full of tools probably worth $25k. Upgraded my own tools and sold dupes and made $500 on the deal.
#26
It’s easier to list the things I would only buy new. Towels, sheets, socks, underwear, toothbrush, stuff like that.
Image credits: sweetpotaytoo
#27
I only buy refurbished Apple products, never new ones. Not sure if that’s wise, but you save hundreds and I’ve never had a problem at all with a refurbished device
Image credits: fahhgedaboutit
#28
Furniture. There’s just too much good stuff at yard sales or places like that, I could never buy something in an IKEA store or something similar.
Image credits: SheilaWholehearted
#29
Televisions and monitors. They just literally sit there, and they’re hardly ever damaged. You can get ridiculously cheap TVs secondhand.
Image credits: captain-yak-7951
#30
Books!
I read A LOT… and I love my library card (the Libby App is awesome btw), but I don’t think I’ve bought a brand new book outside of college/grad school since I was like 11 (and I still have that book about Sharks so I feel like it was a good allowance-investment). But used bookstores are my jam (I travel a lot so I like to visit used bookstores in every country/city). Also [thriftbooks.com](https://thriftbooks.com) is pretty legit for cheap books when I feel like having a “treat yo self” day.
Home decor items I also tend to get used – storage shelves (and the book variant for all the used books), lamps/lighting, pottery items, most of my “fancy china” plates, etc. Most of my outdoor decorations are from antique shops and garage sales. Lotta good stuff on Marketplace and ebay as well.
Also video games – I’m not a big gamer but when I do play something it’s usually like 5 years old on a console like 1 generation behind what’s currently out (not because I’m actively avoiding new things but I just haven’t played a lot of the current “classics” since I’ve been working + school fulltime so going back and playing the $5 games on a PS4 is pretty awesome).
Oh and music. I get a lot of old/used music and records. Super cheap, and fun to dive through kitschy record shops. Used to do that with CDs when I was in college as well, but that’s kind of hard to find nowadays – records have that quasi-hip draw that keeps a few of the fun shops open still. Makes a great date night too – go to a shop together, find a record that you think the other person will really like, play it while cooking dinner together… fun date and a good way to open up some cool conversations about what you think the other person will appreciate, and discuss your thought process.
Image credits: anon
#31
There isn’t anything where I’m like, “I will ONLY buy that second hand” but there’s a lot of things where I check secondhand first.
Jeans- I always check the thrifts for. I bought my kid like 10 pairs of jeans yesterday for $30. Most of them were Levi’s and Aeropostale.
When I was shopping for a vehicle, I could not find a good deal on a used one. I ended up buying a new Kia Soul for $13k with 3% financing back in 2018. It’s paid in full now, has never broke down even once and I know I’ve gotten all the oil changes and maintenance done on time. I have 90k miles on it.
The current blue book on my car is $14k. More than I paid for it.
Image credits: Jenniferinfl
#32
As products become more cheaply constructed and simultaneously at a more expensive rate than even just ten years ago, I strongly recommend buying certain secondhand things.
-Furniture:
The new s**t is not only extremely overpriced by hundreds of dollars, but it’s often constructed with cheap materials. It damages easily, cannot be repaired easily, and often looks really gaudy with faux-wood aesthetic.
Real solid wood pieces in excellent condition are being sold for 90%+ off their retail value on places like FB market place. Tons of different styles that some are bound to appeal to you. These pieces are not only environmentally conscious, but they last longer, easier to repair (depending on severity of damage), they look better, and you can constantly refinish them to your taste over their entire lifetime.
-Silverware/Cooking Utensils:
My mom’s knife block set, silverware, and utensils from 20+ years ago were solid, didn’t break, or rust. After she upgraded everything to match a farmhouse style, the s**t rusts even if you dry it immediately and looks/feels cheaper, despite not costing cheap at all.
-Appliances:
Have a fridge from the 80s still kickin’ in the basement. Meanwhile have gone through three modern fridges since 2000s.
-Basically anything you expect to require longevity and quality (of course not including products made from toxic materials).
#33
Any decorations for my house that aren’t made of fabric
#34
Handbags. I like a nicer quality bag and buy them infrequently, so spending $80 on a $400 gently used bag makes sense. Cheap purses just fall apart, and aren’t much cheaper new than something nice bought secondhand.
#35
Yard plants. Much hardier to buy proven splits/trims from local folks than to take a chance on whatever crap Lowe’s shipped in from other climates.
#36
Antiques.
#37
baking dishes like loaf pans, etc.
Image credits: Exciting-Photo9186
#38
Golf clubs
#39
Bikes. I would always check the secondhand market first to see if what you are looking for is out there. I’m not going to judge anyone for buying new, because a good investment in a bike can mean you have it for a long time. But there are lots of good quality bikes out there that just need a few updated parts and some elbow grease. (I’m a huge fan of bike restoration videos). I was able to snag a $50 Norco Kokanee bike on Facebook Marketplace last year. I put in about $100 worth of parts (new tires and tubes, new handle grips, new seat, new pedals). But it was worth the investment.
Image credits: wondercat87
#40
Tablecloth! Goodwill has so many fantastic options that buying a new one doesn’t seem worth it. Vintage shops also have incredible leather pieces for less than new
#41
VHS tapes, and VHS players.
I am a collector and fan of VHS movies because i feel so much nostalgia towards the activity.
Last one i bought was a few years ago and i am planning to buy another soon so i can relive my childhood.
#42
Fragrances on Marketplace, lol. Best find was a 3/4 bottle of Chanel Eau de Parfum for $30.
Image credits: lil-dlope
#43
Everything. I did recently buy a brand new chainsaw and pants. Felt like a baller. Haha.
#44
‘Minor’ electronics. Stuff like e-readers, game consoles. Stuff like that is always overpriced new, but people severely undersell those a year or two after they’ve grown bored of them.
#45
Guitars & cars
#46
Candles are always available at the thrift stores I go to and always much cheaper than buying new.
#47
Any musical instrument or accessory for it.
#48
Yard equipment like lawnmowers or snowblowers. Every summer, someone is cleaning out their garage and puts up snowblowers for dirt cheap that are a few years old. Same when winter rolls around, people are getting rid of their old lawnmowers that they don’t want anymore.
#49
kitchen appliances, older ones tend to be better quality anyways and if they are at the thrift store then they still work and will work for a hundred more years and they are 4$ because they arent stainless steel
#50
Microwaves are one of those things people throw out long before they stop working.
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