Shopping used: the newbie’s guide
You already know buying used stuff is generally cheaper than buying new. But spending less doesn’t always mean saving money: if what you buy falls apart quickly or turns out to be useless, then whatever you spent on it is like money thrown away. How do you know where to look for good quality used items, and assess whether they’re in good enough shape to be worth the asking price?
Where to shop for used stuff
- Online. It’s not as easy as you might think for eBay sellers to rip people off. Ebay offers a few ways for you to resolve a problem with a seller (the item wasn’t as described, the item was unusable, the item never arrived, etc.) and you also have the power of the negative review. Sellers know that if they get bad reviews on their policies, people will stop buying from them. This keeps the vast majority of them well in line. (I’ve never had trouble with an eBay purchase myself.)
- Garage sale/estate auctions. It’s actually far more easy to get ripped off at a garage sale. You must examine what you’re buying carefully to make sure it’s what you think it is and works the way you think it will. If it’s electronic or has moving parts, ask the owner to demonstrate that it works. They should be happy to do that to close the sale – if they aren’t, they may be trying to pull a fast one.
- Thrift stores. Charity-based thrift stores have gotten really choosy in the last few years – no more stained second-hand clothing or chipped dishes. Lots of their donations still have the tags in or are still in the box. As a consequence, sometimes their prices aren’t really much better than buying new. But they’re still worth a look. And second-hand stores that don’t have anything to do with charity still work like they always did – a shirt may have a stain somewhere, but it’ll be dirt cheap and salvageable.
- Flea markets. Flea markets are a lot like garage sales – it’s as if everyone bought their old stuff to the same place at the same time. Many flea market vendors also sell new and handmade items very inexpensively, so there’s a lot for the frugal shopper to choose from.
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