She’d heard about global supply chain snags and didn’t want to be caught empty-handed for the holiday.
The purchases also fit her value of consuming less new stuff.
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“It’s on time.
It’s cute,” Chin told me.
“It feels personal.”
Chin is far from alone in giving gifts euphemistically referred to as “previously owned.”
Spurred by concerns about consumer waste and climate change, attitudes about secondhand goods have been shifting for years.
The reevaluation has created a booming business for everything from auction sites to online consignment stores.
Half of those said they’d be comfortable telling the recipient the gift was previously owned.
That’s made new itemssusceptible to shipping delays and supply shortages.
Secondhand goods aren’t subject to those woes.
If the collectible sneakers are on the site, they’re in stock.
Buying used items online has been around since Web 1.0.
But options for finding the perfect gift have multiplied in recent years.
Online consignment shops, includingthe RealReal,ThredUpandVestiaire Collective, have also sprung up.
“We’ve seen that stigma come down year after year,” Saunders said.
Buying used fashion lets gift-givers find something nice that contributes less to climate change than something new would.
ThredUp has found that sustainability is especially motivating for younger shoppers, says Christina Berger, a company spokesperson.
ThredUp and other online resellers could prompt fashion brands to make fewer, higher-quality products, she says.
“There will always be a place for new items, of course,” Berger said.
“But overall we need to reuse more and produce less.”
Having the latest isn’t the only – or even highest – priority for fashionistas.
Used goods don’t have to seem cheap
Holiday gift-givers aren’t Scrooges because they shop secondhand.
Many consignment services are aimed at people who see clothes as an investment.
It’s a potential alternative to fast-fashion buys.
The company’s eBay Refurbished program provides electronics in generic packaging, and sometimes includes new user manuals.
Name brands also sell their own refurbished products on eBay, typically with branded packaging and quality guarantees.
