Julie said, “Dad, you don’t understand. You buy used cars. Same thing. It looks like a lot, but you’ll get change.”
I said, “I see. One person’s trash is another’s treasure.”
“Exactly!”
I handed the cashier a twenty. She held out my change, “Would you like to donate to our feed the poor project?”
I said, “Of course,” handing her another five.
When shopping came up at dinner, Steven said, “Secondhand sales and peer-to-peer marketing is a hundred-billion-dollar business. In Austin, the fastest growing retail market is in junk stores. And there’s the rental game.”
“My, how things have changed.”
Look both ways to see that resale and rental retailers are thriving in the pandemic – and not just because brick and mortars were shuttered.
Mind the gaps. They may have fleas.
Our Literary Journey 
It’s not a bad thing, really. Environmentally as well as financially speaking… IF you don’t end up with total crap! Smart one, Bill.
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Thanks, Dale. It can be fun.
And look at all the TV shows about people having too much stuff and discovering the value of such.
Julie hates Wal-Mart, but she loves the second-chance type stores. 🙂
I am one of those guys who likes to shop, so I dig them too. (not so much with the pandemic, but still…)
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A guy who likes to shop… well now… 🙂
Actually, my dad loved to and so does my guy, so not so rare 😉
I hate Walmart, too, though I find myself getting certain items that I can only seem to find there. I don’t have patience to go through thrift shops but when I see the findings some people end up with I think, maybe I should try again 🙂
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After the past 18 months or so, I’ve had to sit back. I love estate sales, especially if books are involved. Maybe not so rare, but also not the majority.
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So many people have had to step back from so many things. Books… why am I not surprised? That makes me think of a book I read by a former fellow FF – Claire Fuller. “Swimming Lessons”… an interesting read involving old books.
Definitely not the majority 🙂
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We all have many sides. 🙂
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That is true. (And that’s a wonderful thing!) 🙂
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Good story, Bill. I like the direct interface between buyer and seller. Second hand shops are treasure troves. I also love browsing at Etsy, which isn’t old junk, but the spirit of the transaction is the same.
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Thanks, Lisa. I’ve learned so much from my kids. Payback, I suppose. 🙂
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You’re welcome. I know what you mean about learning from one’s kids. I’d be lost without mine.
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Turning a threat into an opportunity
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Indeed it was, Neil. 🙂
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We’re all looking for ways to adapt in the brave new world we live in.
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Right, Iain. The recent Facebook debacle should have been a wake up call.
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Dear Bill,
Clever use of the word fleas. 😉 I love second hand shops and garage sales. I’ve found some wonderful things. Of course now I have truckloads of stuff to take to the thrift store. Your story makes me smile. 😀
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Good morning, Rochelle,
Glad you liked it. The whole trash to treasure concept is fun, but yes, one must find room for new treasures. 🙂
Peace,
Bill
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have a couple of friends who do the garage-sale circuit every weekend throughout the season. They find all sorts of “treasures” they have to store somewhere :). I don’t like to shop, so I’ve never felt the pull of the second-hand stores.
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The secondhand market is a whole other world of “new to me” stuff. 🙂
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Love poking around second hand. Great story.
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Thank you.
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Apparently, my town has the highest number of second-hand shops per capita in the UK! I’m in heaven!
Here’s mine!
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Interesting places. But such a fun business. The article I used to write this was about the UK shops. 🙂
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We must adapt. I’m old enough to remember when Craig’s List was new on the scene; now it’s the thing.
pax,
dora
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I recall when calling them “junk” stores was pejorative, now it’s how they identify, proudly. 🙂
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I’ve recently read about this somewhere else. A clever business if you have the heart for it. I love garage sales and used book stores… great story.
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Thank you. So do I.
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As the old saint goes: waste not, want not.
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So true.
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Old saying…where did the saint come from?
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You never know what treasures you might mind in such a shop!
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Right. The fun is the hunt.
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Interesting issues raised in your story, many points of view.
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Thank you.
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Interesting story and social commentary. It will be interesting to see how the world does/does not change over the next few years.
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Thank you.
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Interesting. What is junk to some is not to others. Saving money or just a love of second hand items. Great piece
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Thank you, Laurie.
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Quality vs quantity. Give me used quality any time (with exception). It’ll be interesting to see if the cheap but poor quality market place survives the changing world. Thoughtful story.
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Thank you.
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