So many people are constantly on the move in the United States that it is easy to find secondhand household goods for sale. Buying secondhand is quite usual here. Many young couples furnish new homes this way. People who do not want to spend time or a lot of money shopping sometimes buy the entire furnishings of an apartment from someone who is moving to another part of the country.
Many communities have a weekly bulletin that contains nothing but classified advertisements. If you look there or in the local daily and weekly newspapers, you will see advertisements in the classified section that read, for example:
"Moving, entire contents of house for sale."
"Going to California; desk, large clock, child's bicycle for sale."
"Redecorating house, complete maple living room furniture for sale."
"Dining room set for sale."
"Queen sized bed, good condition, with almost-new mattress for sale."
If you see something that interests you, call at once on the telephone; some things are often sold very quickly. If the item is still available, go immediately to examine it. If you like it, you can try bargaining. Then you must work out a means of getting your purchase (or purchases) to your house. This can be a major problem, but the easiest solution (if you have no friend with a pickup truck or van) is to look at ads in the local paper or in the Yellow Pages under "Trucking" or "Hauling" to find someone with a truck. Otherwise, rent a van, truck, or trailer (to attach to your car) from Ryder, U-Haul, or another rental company. Give a deposit to hold the goods and get a receipt. Don't pay the full price until you come back to pick up the item(s). Most people are honest, but some are not — so you need to be careful.
Auctions, Garage Sales, and Yard Sales
Garage or yard sales are very popular. People collect all the items they no longer need or want, such as furniture, glassware, china, clothing, books, toys, and so forth, and hold a one-or two-day sale in their garage or yard. Sometimes several families or even an entire neighborhood will hold a co-operative sale. Although many yard or garage sales are advertised in local newspapers, smaller sales may just be announced by signs on the streets near the sale site. Many people drive around on Saturday mornings hunting for these sales. Good bargains can often be found, and talking with the owners and other customers is fun.
Buying in this way is a good deal more trouble than buying new equipment from a store and having it delivered, but it can also be much cheaper. Many times you get real bargains and high quality, especially if the owners must move and are in a hurry to dispose of their goods, or if, as is often the case with an auction, someone has died and an estate is being settled.
Thrift Shops
Thrift shops are run by charities (such as Goodwill or the Salvation Army) that first collect and then sell used clothes, sports equipment, books, china, glassware, furniture, and so on. The charities then donate the money they collect to some particular school, hospital, nursing home, or other institution.
There is no loss of face in buying at thrift shops. Many middle-or upper-class people donate to them, help run them, and also buy from them. They are particularly good for such items as children's clothes (often outgrown before they were much used) or evening dresses, which the well-to-do donate after a few wearings, and which most of us wear so seldom that we want to buy at minimum cost. Many people go to thrift shops for ice skates, tennis rackets, books, pictures, lamps, or extra items for their new homes. By law, all clothing given to reputable shops has been washed or dry-cleaned and inspected.
A relatively new type of thrift store is the secondhand consignment store, usually specializing in women's (and sometimes children's) clothing, shoes, and accessories. The seller receives a percentage of the sale of her items — if they sell, that is.
Post a Comment