# New or secondhand?



## TxllxT (Mar 2, 2011)

In Holland many main street retailers are in big trouble. Some say, the internet is the cause of all evil, but we think that another cause is the availability of 2nd hand articles, both on the internet and in specialised 2nd hand shops. So the question is, when you are about to buy some commodity, do you look at its 2nd hand availability? What 2nd hand article did you buy lately? 
We bought this:








for 5 Euro a piece...


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## Krummhorn (Feb 18, 2007)

We used to have a wonderful thrift/charity shop which only carried the best of everything. They were rather picky about furniture condition (soiled, stained, pet odors). Over the years, as an employee, we bought many items from that store - helpful that I got a 25% discount too. My 'man chair' (oversized recliner), a dining table, couch, desk, bookcases were a few of the items we bought and still have to this day. 

We do have a rule in our house though . . . for each 'new' item that comes in we have to get rid of two items. In that manner we are doing some downsizing as we slide gently into our golden years. 

Not trying to empty the house by any means in order to move to a smaller place ... rather ridding of lots of clutter we have amassed over our years together. We are staying put in the home we bought in 2011 - it will be paid off in about 5 years from now.


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## Klassik (Mar 14, 2017)

We have 2nd hand non-thrift stores here in Houston, but most of them are for specialized stuff (books, CDs, musical instruments, clothing, fitness equipment, etc.). I don't really buy used items except for A/V equipment and music. I don't even buy used cars. The A/V stuff comes from thrifting and the music comes from Half Price Books (a new/used media store) and thrifting. Buying used is the only way to get some of the long discontinued A/V stuff I want and the thrifts often have it for dirt cheap so I don't mind going that route. Of course, it may take many, many visits to thrifts to find anything worthwhile.


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

We bought some of our furniture from ordinary second-hand and specialized brocante shops. The same with decoration pieces for our gallery. In some cases also CD's. Never clothes, never electric appliances.


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## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

We have two second hand computer desks in our house along with a variety of other second hand items even a guitar my daughter bought at a garage sale. Other than that I mainly buy second hand CDs. For other than CDs we usually buy second hand stuff at garage sales.


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## Dan Ante (May 4, 2016)

2nd hand furniture, musical instruments and cars are OK


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## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

Dan Ante said:


> 2nd hand furniture, musical instruments and cars are OK


Oh yeah. I forgot. Cars of course. I always buy second hand cars. Partly because I don't like the way cars are these days.


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## Klassik (Mar 14, 2017)

Florestan said:


> Oh yeah. I forgot. Cars of course. I always buy second hand cars. *Partly because I don't like the way cars are these days.*


I can certainly understand that complaint! I brought a new car last year and it was a real struggle to find something that didn't look downright goofy and/or didn't have terrible ergonomics. Fortunately I was able to find something, but who knows what the situation will be when I buy my next car. Anyway, I was also able to get ~30% off the MSRP too so the price of buying new compared very favorably compared to buying a 1-2 year old model of the same car. It all depends on the situation I guess.


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## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

Klassik said:


> I can certainly understand that complaint! I brought a new car last year and it was a real struggle to find something that didn't look downright goofy and/or didn't have terrible ergonomics. Fortunately I was able to find something, but who knows what the situation will be when I buy my next car. Anyway, I was also able to get ~30% off the MSRP too so the price of buying new compared very favorably compared to buying a 1-2 year old model of the same car. It all depends on the situation I guess.


2 years old is too new for me. We have 4 vehicles at my house (me, wife, kids):
2001 Ranger, 1999 Voyager, 1997 Escort, and 2001 S-10. I don't like much of anything that is a whole lot newer than these. We had a 2005 Mountaineer and got rid of it. Was way to hard to even adjust the HVAC and the tranny was too complex and had a defect. IRS cost $400 to replace one rear wheel bearing. With the live axles on what we now have, a rear wheel bearing is about $130. Happy to drive old beaters.


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## Klassik (Mar 14, 2017)

Florestan said:


> 2 years old is too new for me. We have 4 vehicles at my house (me, wife, kids):
> 2001 Ranger, 1999 Voyager, 1997 Escort, and 2001 S-10. I don't like much of anything that is a whole lot newer than these. We had a 2005 Mountaineer and got rid of it. Was way to hard to even adjust the HVAC and the tranny was too complex and had a defect. IRS cost $400 to replace one rear wheel bearing. With the live axles on what we now have, a rear wheel bearing is about $130. Happy to drive old beaters.


I think you're right that older cars like those that are reliable and relatively cheap/easy to fix are probably the most economical option. Unlike many other new cars on the market, the HVAC and stereo controls on my car are as simple to use as anything from the past. It's all simple knobs and buttons that have tactile feel to them. Even the shifter is a regular thing and not one of these fancy knobs or push button things that aren't logical to use and didn't need reinventing. OTOH, it has a CVT transmission that essentially isn't repairable if it breaks (hopefully it'll be reliable). Some people hate the way CVTs drive, but I actually like it.

There are some tangible benefits to newer cars though if you can overlook the problems. My midsized sedan gets 41-45 mpg (mostly highway, I hand calculate the mileage at each fillup so those are accurate numbers) here on E10 gas (it's not a hybrid or anything, just a regular 4 cyl.). My prior 2009 midsize got ~33-36 and the 1996 midsize I had before that would have been lucky to get 30-31. The 2016 midsize is much safer, bigger, and faster than the 1996 equivalent too. Now, granted, it may still make economic sense to drive an older car. I do a lot of driving right now though so the reliability and efficiency of a new car is nice. Perhaps under different circumstances it would make a lot more sense to drive something older though. It just depends. Even still, I'd probably buy a new car and just keep it a long time.


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## Headphone Hermit (Jan 8, 2014)

I often buy second-hand .... one of latest purchases is a second-hand kitchen - 2 ovens, fridge, hob, 10 metres of good quality cabinets with solid oak doors (and could have had dishwasher, sink and worktops included) all for £600. A real bargain.

I regularly buy second-hand for CDs, books, furniture, electrics, car, garden equipment, even shirts and jackets

However, not everything can be second-hand - socks, underwear, shoes, toothbrush etc etc - they *must be new *


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## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

Things you can't buy second hand (or given the absurd stuff listed on ebay at times) things you shouldn't buy second hand:

Food
bubble gum
razor blades
tissue
toilet paper
shampoo
toothbrushes

:lol:


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## Krummhorn (Feb 18, 2007)

Florestan said:


> Things you can't buy second hand (or given the absurd stuff listed on ebay at times) things you shouldn't buy second hand:
> 
> Food
> bubble gum
> ...


Oddly enough those are some of the items that were donated to our thrift store by people; along with old medications, and non-working medical appliances, PC mainframes without the hard drive, VCR's with stuck tapes inside, an LP turntable that was bought 34 years prior that need a new motor back then (the enclosed original sales receipt was in the box).

We would also get used bars of soap ... of course all that junk went into the dumpster ... and the donor got a tax write off for the donation.


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## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

Klassik said:


> I think you're right that older cars like those that are reliable and relatively cheap/easy to fix are probably the most economical option. Unlike many other new cars on the market, the HVAC and stereo controls on my car are as simple to use as anything from the past. It's all simple knobs and buttons that have tactile feel to them. Even the shifter is a regular thing and not one of these fancy knobs or push button things that aren't logical to use and didn't need reinventing. OTOH, it has a CVT transmission that essentially isn't repairable if it breaks (hopefully it'll be reliable). Some people hate the way CVTs drive, but I actually like it.
> 
> There are some tangible benefits to newer cars though if you can overlook the problems. My midsized sedan gets 41-45 mpg (mostly highway, I hand calculate the mileage at each fillup so those are accurate numbers) here on E10 gas (it's not a hybrid or anything, just a regular 4 cyl.). My prior 2009 midsize got ~33-36 and the 1996 midsize I had before that would have been lucky to get 30-31. The 2016 midsize is much safer, bigger, and faster than the 1996 equivalent too. Now, granted, it may still make economic sense to drive an older car. I do a lot of driving right now though so the reliability and efficiency of a new car is nice. Perhaps under different circumstances it would make a lot more sense to drive something older though. It just depends. Even still, I'd probably buy a new car and just keep it a long time.


Another reason to buy used. You are more likely to find a vehicle with the proper shift lever:








The baseball makes a perfect shift knob too!


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## Klassik (Mar 14, 2017)

Krummhorn said:


> Oddly enough those are some of the items that were donated to our thrift store by people; along with old medications, and non-working medical appliances, PC mainframes without the hard drive, *VCR's with stuck tapes inside*, an LP turntable that was bought 34 years prior that need a new motor back then (the enclosed original sales receipt was in the box).


I once brought a used S-VHS VCR from a thrift that had a tape in it (it wasn't stuck, the VCR worked fine at the time). I was in for quite a surprise when I tested the VCR when I got home with the tape that came with it. It was a porno movie!  It wasn't a particularly good one either. It must have been like a 4th generation copy or someone recording a scrambled cable channel or something. 



Florestan said:


> Another reason to buy used. You are more likely to find a vehicle with the proper shift lever:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


You either grabbed 3rd gear or 3rd base with that one! :lol:


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## Jos (Oct 14, 2013)

^
You might want to ad condoms to that list. I once went to a shop that specialised in fire/water damaged goods. They had wines with scorched labels, probably been above boiling temp and blackened packages of prophilactics; now if there was ever a bargain...:lol: 
Basically everything personal sanitary bodily is not to be bought 2nd hand. Otherwise I'm game. I prefer to buy my things pre-owned. Much cheaper and it reduces the footprint. The planet is not built to throw things away as fast as we're doing atm.
Examples; persian rugs, elpees, stereo equipement, furniture, books, cell phones, kitchen utensils, guitars, tools, clothes and, best of all; cars. Amazing, top of the range and waaay too expensive (when new) vehikles can be had for a little over beer money. Currently enjoying an Audi quattro 3 ltr from 2003. That does somewhat conflict with my claims about footprint, I know; not easy to live in an affluent society and do thing really right.


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## Pat Fairlea (Dec 9, 2015)

Florestan said:


> Things you can't buy second hand (or given the absurd stuff listed on ebay at times) things you shouldn't buy second hand:
> 
> Food
> bubble gum
> ...


Underwear. No room for argument on that.


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## Annied (Apr 27, 2017)

Most of the books and DVDs I buy are secondhand. Other than that, I can only think of bookbinding tools as they're very hard to source at the best of times.


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## Dan Ante (May 4, 2016)

Florestan said:


> Oh yeah. I forgot. Cars of course. I always buy second hand cars. Partly because I don't like the way cars are these days.


Yeh, drive a new car out of the show room and bang goes 20% right away.


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## Manxfeeder (Oct 19, 2010)

My profession is specialized, so many companies customize accessories for our profession and sell them at a premium price. A wheelie cart for my equipment can go as high as $300. I go to Goodwill, find a similar wheelie cart for $7, and put foam padding in it, and it works fine. Wheelie carts have a limited lifespan anyway, so putting out $7 every six months is better than $300 every three years. 

I also just bought my daughter's Lexus at a discount The CD player doesn't work, but now I can put my own sound system in and be happy as a clam.


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## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

Klassik said:


> I once brought a used S-VHS VCR from a thrift that had a tape in it (it wasn't stuck, the VCR worked fine at the time). I was in for quite a surprise when I tested the VCR when I got home with the tape that came with it. It was a porno movie!  It wasn't a particularly good one either. It must have been like a 4th generation copy or someone recording a scrambled cable channel or something.


Saw a VCR on Craig's List one time that was free but the listing said there is a tape stuck inside it.


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## Klassik (Mar 14, 2017)

So what's the best deals people have gotten on used items at thrifts/garage sales/estate sales/antique stores/flea markets/2nd hand stores/etc.? I scored a couple of high-end Sony Digital8 camcorders around a year ago for around $10 each at thrifts. Both of these are worth around $200 on eBay these days. I used these for a video digitizing project converting analog Video8 and VHS tapes to a digital format (these camcorders can digitize Video8 tapes and can accept analog input from something like a VHS VCR and then digitize them to a PC). I used a ~$10 thrift store high end JVC S-VHS VCR with an internal TBC for the VHS playback for this digitizing project. Those VCRs go for $200+ on eBay these days. I also got a ~$10 Mitsubishi D-VHS VCR from a thrift. I'm not sure if they are worth a lot, but D-VHS is an obscure digital VHS format which never took off that allows for HD 720p/1080i recording. It's worth it to me just for the novelty of it. HDTV on VHS!

I've also gotten some high end audio equipment for <$20 from the thrifts like my two 3-head cassette decks (Denon and Luxman) and my Nakamichi cassette deck. Perhaps the best audio deals I've found at the thrifts are high end sealed audio cassettes. I've paid around 50 cents for certain cassettes that are worth $40-50 on the used market now!



Florestan said:


> Saw a VCR on Craig's List one time that was free but the listing said there is a tape stuck inside it.


Perhaps you should have gone for it. Maybe you would have had better luck and would have gotten a good porn tape with the VCR! :lol: But, seriously, tape loading/ejecting problems are usually a very easy problem to solve on 1980s VCRs. It's probably going to be a belt issue. VCR belts are much easier to change than audio cassette deck belts. It's probably going to be a more difficult repair on a 1990s VCR, but it still might be doable with little trouble.


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## Headphone Hermit (Jan 8, 2014)

Florestan said:


> Another reason to buy used. You are more likely to find a vehicle with the proper shift lever:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I'd send that car back - steering wheel is clearly on the wrong side ..... Well, it is certainly not on the *right* (hand) side :lol:


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## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

Headphone Hermit said:


> I'd send that car back - steering wheel is clearly on the wrong side ..... Well, it is certainly not on the *right* (hand) side :lol:


No, it is very simple. Just open your photo editor and select "flip horizontal."

If only Preston Tucker had not been crushed by the government, we might have had all our cars with the steering wheel in the middle.


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## Dan Ante (May 4, 2016)

Florestan said:


> Another reason to buy used. You are more likely to find a vehicle with the proper shift lever:


As an old age car enthusiast I would never buy a manual shift again.


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## Melinda (May 9, 2017)

In my city we often buy second hand items from exchange students: they go back to their home countries and sell stuff at a small price. My last item was nice vase


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## Marinera (May 13, 2016)

Cars only. And I bought a second had book once from the used bookshop very cheaply and it was like new. If i had a used bookshop near me, I 'd buy used books, but I don't feel like buying them from amazon or online. it just doesn't feel like you get a very good deal, because from bookshop you probably could get two books for the delivery price alone.


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

Marinera said:


> Cars only. And I bought a second had book once from the used bookshop very cheaply and it was like new. If i had a used bookshop near me, I 'd buy used books, but I don't feel like buying them from amazon or online. it just doesn't feel like you get a very good deal, because from bookshop you probably could get two books for the delivery price alone.


I feel the same, the shipping cost to Europe from the U.S for books are outrages.


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

Pugg said:


> I feel the same, the shipping cost to Europe from the U.S for books are outrages.


Can't you get them at amazon.de (they have a wide selection of English books as well)? Free delivery from about 29 euro onwards.


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

Art Rock said:


> Can't you get them at amazon.de (they have a wide selection of English books as well)? Free delivery from about 29 euro onwards.


I can yes, but I use boekwinkeltjes first.


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## dillonp2020 (May 6, 2017)

When I, or my parents, buy things, we typically buy them new. But I do accept second hand things. For example, my grandmother passed away in January, and I've taken parts of her book collection, her classical cd collection, her vinyl collection, a few of her bookcases, some chairs. These things were old, but still high quality, and for the right price, I would consider buying such things as opposed to unused versions.


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

My second wife got me "used".


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## Guest (May 22, 2017)

Dan Ante said:


> 2nd hand furniture, musical instruments and cars are OK


Yes. Socks and underwear, not so much.


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## EdwardBast (Nov 25, 2013)

For me buying second hand is a matter of convenience. The nearest big retail outlets are 30 miles away and a nearby hamlet has a good thrift store. Have bought furniture, tools, CDs, LPs, musical scores, kitchenware, books, small appliances, movies, and clothing there.


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

dillonp2020 said:


> When I, or my parents, buy things, we typically buy them new. But I do accept second hand things. For example, my grandmother passed away in January, and I've taken parts of her book collection, her classical cd collection, her vinyl collection, a few of her bookcases, some chairs. These things were old, but still high quality, and for the right price, I would consider buying such things as opposed to unused versions.


Cherish them, as if they are priceless, because emotional they are.


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

Headphone Hermit said:


> I often buy second-hand .... one of latest purchases is a second-hand kitchen - 2 ovens, fridge, hob, 10 metres of good quality cabinets with solid oak doors (and could have had dishwasher, sink and worktops included) all for £600. A real bargain.
> 
> I regularly buy second-hand for CDs, books, furniture, electrics, car, garden equipment, even shirts and jackets
> 
> However, not everything can be second-hand - socks, underwear, shoes, toothbrush etc etc - they *must be new *


*

I have a couple of forks I can sell you. Just used them an hour ago. Still warm. Hold on. Let me wash them down for you. I'll get rid of my DNA. Just like new!!*


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