Used good

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
(Redirected from
Second-hand clothes
)
"Second hand" and "Hand me down" redirect here. For other uses, see second hand (disambiguation). For the Kate Rusby album, see Hand Me Down.
yard sale
is a common place to find cheap used goods for sale.

Used goods, also known as secondhand goods, are any item of personal property offered for sale not as new, including metals in any form except coins that are legal tender, but excluding books, magazines, and postage stamps.[1] Used goods may also be handed down, especially among family or close friends, as a hand-me-down.

Risks

Furniture, especially bedding or upholstered items, may have

bedbugs, if they have not been examined by an expert and some goods may be of poor quality.[2]

Benefits

Recycling goods through the secondhand market reduces use of resources in manufacturing new goods and diminishes waste which must be disposed of, both of which are significant environmental benefits. Another benefit of recycling clothes is for the creation for new pieces of clothing from combings parts of recycled clothes to make a whole new piece. This has been done by multiple fashion designers recently and has been growing in recent years.

However, manufacturers who profit from sales of new goods lose corresponding sales. Scientific research shows that buying used goods significantly reduces carbon footprint (including CO2 emissions) compared to the complete product life cycle.[3] In most cases, the relative carbon footprint of production, raw material sourcing, and the supply chain—which comprise a great deal of the product's life cycle—is unknown.[4] A scientific methodology has been made to analyze how much CO2 emissions are reduced when buying used goods like secondhand computer hardware versus new hardware.[5]

Quality secondhand goods can be more durable than equivalent new goods.[6]

Types of transfers

Many items that are considered obsolete and worthless in

shoddy (recycled wool), most of which is produced in Northern India today, unused clothing can be recycled into fibers that are spun into yarn for reuse in "new" used goods.[7]

There has been concern that export of electronic waste is disguised as trade of used goods, with the equipment ending in poor-country waste dumps.[8]

Online auction sites have become a way to sell used goods.

Types

Used clothing

Further information: Global trade of secondhand clothing

In

charities that sort and sell it. Some of these distribute some of the clothing to people on low incomes for free or at a very low price. Others sell all of the collected clothing in bulk to a commercial used clothing redistributor and then use the raised funds to finance their activities.[9] In the U.S., almost 5 billion pounds of clothing are donated to charity shops each year, only about 10% of which can be re-sold by the charity shops. About a third of the donated clothing is bought, usually in bulk and at a heavy discount, by commercial dealers and fabric recyclers, who export it to other countries. Some of the used clothes are also smuggled into Mexico.[10]

Whereas

Amazon
introduced the opportunity for Internet users to sell virtually anything online, including designer (or fraudulent) handbags, fashion, shoes, and accessories.

Used clothing unsuitable for sale in an affluent market may still find a buyer or end-user in another market, such as a student market or a less affluent region of a developing country. In developing countries, such as Zambia, secondhand clothing is sorted, recycled, and sometimes redistributed to other nations. Some of the scraps are kept and used to create unique fashions that enable the locals to construct identity. Not only does the trade represent a great source of employment for women as well as men, but it also supports other facets of the economy: the merchants buy timber and other materials for their stands, metal hangers to display clothing, and food and drinks for customers. Carriers also find work as they transport the garments from factories to various locations. The secondhand clothing trade is central to the lives of many citizens dwelling in such countries.[7]

Importation of used clothing is sometimes opposed by the textile industry in developing countries. They are concerned that fewer people will buy the new clothes that they make when it is cheaper to buy imported used clothing. Nearly all the clothes made in Mexico are intended for export, and the Mexican textile industry opposes the importation of used clothes.[10]

Electronics and home appliances

Electronics usually are traded as secondhand goods, and may represent a hazard if disposed of incorrectly. Many of them may still be used despite being possibly outdated; for example, an older television set or computer may be sold or handed down to someone who is in need of one. In some cases, older electronics (such as home audio equipment) may outlast new equipment.

This is also the case for home appliances, from

toaster ovens to refrigerators and kitchen stoves
.

Design and furniture

Design items and furniture are also seeing an increase in being traded as secondhand goods. With some designer items being sought after in marketplaces. When trading design furniture and items you usually must be aware of the original retail price as most of the goods, if kept well, retain their value quite well.

Other items

The Sierra Club, an environmental organization, argues that secondhand purchasing of furniture is the "greenest" way of furnishing a home.[11]

See also

Look up goods, secondhand, or used in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

References

  1. ^ "Used goods Definition".
  2. ^ "What you need to know about bed bugs". msnbc.com. 20 March 2006. Retrieved 15 October 2020. Do not buy used furniture (especially bedding items or upholstered items) ... until inspected carefully for any signs of bedbugs
  3. doi:10.1016/j.resconrec.2011.07.001
    . Retrieved 25 May 2018.
  4. ^ Krikkle, H.R. (2011). "How to reduce your company carbon footprint by reuse". Durabuilt. Archived from the original on 19 August 2014. Retrieved 7 October 2020.
  5. S2CID 220269740. Archived from the original
    on 24 January 2013. Retrieved 7 October 2020.
  6. ^ LaBrecque, Sarah; Gould, Hannah (28 November 2014). "Buying secondhand: an alternative to rampant consumerism of Black Friday". The Guardian. Retrieved 25 May 2018.
  7. ^
    doi:10.1111/j.0268-540X.2004.00280.x
    . Retrieved 15 October 2020.
  8. ^ Grossman, Elizabeth (10 April 2006). "Where computers go to die – and kill (4/10/2006)". Salon.com. Retrieved 8 November 2012.
  9. ^ "Old duds, big bucks; Clothes you think you're donating to charity are frequently sold for profit". Toronto Sun. 11 January 2007. Archived from the original on 24 October 2007. Retrieved 15 October 2020.
  10. ^ a b Guo, Eileen (13 March 2018). "Here's What Really Happens to Your Used Clothes". Racked. Retrieved 15 October 2020.
  11. ^ "Green Your Rental - Eco Furnishings - The Green Life". Sierraclub.typepad.com. 2008-09-30. Retrieved 2012-11-03.
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