The Art of Thrifting
by the Hurt Family
Marie, Jeff, Simon (11) and David (8)
The art of thrifting was first modeled to me by my grandmother, who lived with very little. She could find an outfit at the thrift store with fabulous fabric, tear it apart at the seams, and rebuild it into a gorgeous and stylish ensemble. All for $1.50. Growing up, I remember plenty of 4-H sewing projects to try to learn her skill.
By the time I was in school, it was cheaper to buy clothes than to sew them. We soon learned that the budget stretched far further at Goodwill than at the mall, and so we would spend hours presenting new-to-us-looks in runway style shows for our grandmother. Our $100 budget created a fabulous wardrobe, and although we might didn’t know it at the time, we made a positive impact on the environment.
As a young adult, that pattern and habit of looking for second-hand-first bled into other areas of consumption: furniture, houses, etc. As a young married couple, we found that the best furniture was typically used and needed refurbishing, stripping of paint, etc. We bought our “old” Bexley house here for many environmental reasons, too--it was not stylish, but sturdy and sound and needed only decorative changes. Rather than a suburban sprawler, we needed only 1700 sq ft. That home was representative of many areas of our lives, in that we don’t need as much as we think. We had to be very careful of what possessions we bought, because we just didn’t have room to store much. But overall there was less to heat, furnish, and clean, and more time and money for living, while being better for the environment all aroundThe value of sustainable living through second-hand buying aligned with with many of my values now, and still today: learning new skills, reducing my environmental impact by consuming less and sending less to landfill, being financially wise, having fun, practicing patience, and focusing on the present instead of priorities which can shift fluidly. Whatever your specific reason for purchasing pre-owned, there are a multitude of additional benefits.
For those looking for second hand items, there are wonderful resale shops around Columbus For clothes, Second Chance and One More Time in Grandview, ThredUp online. For furniture, we frequent The Arhaus Loft for floor sample sales, Trading Places in Dublin, Fresco Furnishings in Grandview, and Upscale Resale Furnishings in Gahanna.
When we do have good-condition items we no longer need, we do our best to rehome them so someone else can enjoy. Local furniture banks and Habitat for Humanity ReStore will pick up household items, and smaller items and clothes can be dropped off at Goodwill, Volunteers of America, and many places of worship. Many items can be bought or sold on local Facebook Buy & Sell pages and Craigslist, or on Bexley’s yardsale and freecycle day.
My advice is to start small and in a way that is comfortable for you. If you don’t feel right buying something without knowing the previous owner, start by swapping items with friends. I’ve also found it helpful, before buying something new, to ask if I can find it used or if I already have something that will serve the same purpose. Sometimes this takes patience and wait time, but is almost always worth it- for ourselves, and the planet.