74 Secondhand Finds That Are One Part Funny, One Part Deeply Concerning

There was once a time when certain people would turn their noses up at the mere thought of buying secondhand goods. Those who dared to wear a hand-me-down, or browse a thrift store were considered "poor" and even "less-than" to some.

Then the words "vintage," "sustainable chic," "pre-loved" and "gently-worn" entered the chat, and suddenly thrifting became (almost) everyone's new favorite sport. According to Statista’s Secondhand apparel report, the value of the second-hand apparel market is forecast to hit $84 billion globally by 2030. That's an increase of $56 billion in just a decade.

Analysts say that at this rate, fast fashion may soon be outpaced by the second-hand fashion market. Not such a stigma attached to it anymore, it would seem.

Besides being more affordable, there are several benefits to buying secondhand. A major one is that you're helping to save the planet.

"Second-hand clothes have a hugely positive social and environmental impact. They reduce carbon emissions, save lots of resources, water, and energy. They also prevent old clothing from ending up in landfills or incinerators," explains the team at Loop Generation, a London-based secondhand store and online marketplace. 

They add that fashion remains one of the most unsustainable industries today. Enough clothing is discarded each year to match the weight of the Empire State Building.

According to Businesswaste.com, the world produces 92 million tons of textile waste every year.

"Old clothes make up most of this trash, but it also includes other textiles such as towels, curtains, tablecloths, and carpets," notes the site. "Billions of new clothing items are designed, created, and sold annually yet many are also chucked out."

And what you might not realize is that when you return brand-new goods purchased online, they often end up in landfills.

A BBC report reveals that when we buy something online and return it because it doesn't fit/we don't like the color/it was an impulse buy, there's a very high chance those goods get dumped.

"The reality is that much of it simply ends up in landfill. That is, once its been shipped all over the country, or even the globe, a few times," the report notes, adding that in the United States alone, customers return approximately 3.5 billion products every year. Only 20% are actually defective.

“We know that many of the products that are returned end up in landfill before we even use them which only adds to the vast amounts of used items already ending up in landfill... These products use precious resources which are becoming scarce and we are throwing them away unnecessarily,” says Sarah Needham from the Centre for Sustainable Fashion at University of the Arts London.

But the environment isn't the only winner when we shop secondhand...

Another reason many people love buying secondhand goods is because often, the quality is so much better than some of today's mass-produced stuff.

"They don’t make them like they used to" is a phrase you might have heard your grandparents, or even parents, say. And they aren't wrong. As South Africa's Nedbank team explains, the convenience of modern mass-production often comes at a cost to the quality of the goods produced.

"Unfortunately, this can even be a business strategy," notes the site. "Built-in obsolescence is the practice of deliberately designing a product to wear out quickly, so that the consumer must buy a new one, thus ensuring ongoing business profits."

Then there's the pure magic that comes with something that was made and loved many moons ago.

"Whether it’s a 70s ceramic ashtray that now holds your keys and loose change, or a dramatic velvet armchair you bought for a fraction of its real value, second-hand items carry personality," say the Nedbank team. "They’re conversation starters. They make your home – and your style – memorable. Why blend in, when you could have a lounge that looks like a curated film set?"

Instead of having the same items as dozens of other people, buying something pre-loved gives you the opportunity to be unique. It can add character, texture and mystery to your closet or living space that many mass-produced goods just can't beat.

Walk into thrift store looking for a secondhand lamp and walk out with a bag full of bizarre, wild and wacky discoveries. Many shoppers have been there. But while it might be tempting to buy (almost) the whole store, experts advise that you shop mindfully.

"Just because secondhand shopping is cheaper and more eco-friendly than buying new, there’s still a cost to purchasing things you don’t really need," warns the Center for Biological Diversity. "Overbuying and dumping secondhand items will continue to perpetuate harm, pricing out families who don’t have as much choice in where they shop and increasing the waste headed to landfills."

The Center's site advises that when buying secondhand, you choose items you know will be loved, and think about the long-term usefulness of all products you buy.