Why Buy Second Hand?
It should be no surprise that we love buying second hand. In fact we enjoy it so much that we opened Dooney & Daughters which stocks predominantly second hand furniture and home wares. However, we know that not everyone is used to shopping second hand and so we wanted to outline some of the reasons why buying second hand is the best!
- Environment - buying second hand is good for the environment. Not only are you stopping something from going to landfill, you're also stopping something new from being produced and entering the consumer cycle.
- Quality - things used to be made well, nowadays most things are mass produced and tend to break reasonably quickly. You can find a hand made, solid wood piece of furniture that is still in perfect working condition and will last another 50 years without breaking.
- Cost - second hand is cheaper. Buying a well made, solid piece of furniture brand new can often be prohibitively expensive, however you can often find a hand made, solid wood item for less than half the price.
- Unique - buying second hand allows your personality to shine through. These days most shops stock a similar range of items that come in a similar style of varying quality. Second hand pieces are an easy way to inject something different into your home. Second hand pieces are an affordable way to add some charm and character to your home.
- Personalise - it's best to shop with an open mind when you're buying second hand. If you see a chair that is the perfect shape but you don't like the upholstery, change it; if you don't like the dark stain of the wood, paint it; if you love a piece of art but think the frame is dated, reframe it. As second hand is cheaper than buying a quality piece of new furniture, you can then spend a little bit more getting the item exactly how you like it.
A mix of old and new is a great way to personalise your home and to stop it looking like a catalogue. What are you favourite items to look for when you go into a second hand shop?
Nicolette