Written by: Phindile Le Bris Sithole-Spong
I’ll be the first to admit that I love a good shopping spree. But with the economy being what it is and with a demanding and very expensive toddler to take care of, the days of splurging on designer pieces are far behind me. At least in the way that I used to. That is until I found Vinted. A popular second-hand online shopping platform here in France. Vinted has every high street and designer label item you can think of, and as I’ve discovered, there is a wide range of people who use Vinted, from stylists, editors, moms, housewives, students and everyone in between. In other words, you can find your Prada skirt or Gucci shoes for half or a third of the retail price, which is a HUGE relief. Not only is Vinted highly beneficial for my wallet and future spendings, but it will also come in handy for all the Christmas shopping that I want to do this season. I will find second-hand items of GREAT quality or those that haven’t even been used yet. I can also gift these items to my loved ones.
Since using Vinted, I have also been able to offload items that I no longer wear and things my daughter has grown out of, which has been a great help in decluttering our cupboards whilst knowing that another family will get great use from the sold items. And as the heading of my article suggests, I have realized that whilst some of us may be put off from buying second-hand items predominately based on the stigmas around second-hand shopping, it is important to remember that second-hand shopping is highly beneficial. Not only is it a great way to save money, but it is also better for the environment AND is not as disgusting as people have made it out to be. Especially when so many measures have been put in place for your health and safety.
Setting up and reselling second-hand clothes or home goods is also worthwhile. It is actually an excellent way to repurpose some of the goods you no longer need and perhaps benefit financially from that. It’s a perfect side hustle. After all, who doesn’t love a passionate side hustle? But if you are simply looking to update your look or even sell some items. Don’t overlook your local or national second-hand selling platforms as a starting point, with most sites and spaces offering support and insurance on items. You will likely get the real deal instead of some knock-off or something that looks nothing like what you ordered.
