This post is part of my Why Series here on the blog. I often write about fair trade, eco-friendly, socially conscious living, but I am not always able to fully address in each of my blog posts WHY I choose to live this way. This series goes into greater detail about my why!
It is no secret here on Fairly Southern that I LOVE a good upscale consignment shop. We’ve chatted about how to choose the perfect pair of consignment jeans, find a preowned wedding dress, get your Lilly Pulitzer fix ethically via secondhand shopping, and much more. Ever wondered why I think consignment shopping is so important? Here you go:
1. It’s sustainable.
In a previous Why Series post, I discussed why it is important to be eco-friendly. A quick summary: Our environment is quickly becoming polluted and depleted, which is bad for our health and bodes poorly for the future of the human race.
Consignment shopping is very eco-friendly. When you buy an item secondhand, you keep that item out of landfills that are already overflowing and polluting the earth with trash.
Additionally, choosing to buy secondhand rather than new creates less demand for the production of new goods. This is also good for the environment since production processes are typically anything but eco-friendly. Looking specifically at the clothing industry, we see that clothing production uses a tremendous amount of water (1.3 trillion gallons a year for fabric dyeing alone), emits harmful greenhouse gases into our atmosphere, and gobbles up natural resources. Other industries have similar bad records. By repurposing goods that have already been made, we decrease the burden on our environment and create more sustainable supply chains.
2. It’s cost-effective.
All too often, the eco-friendly option isn’t necessarily the cheapest one. That’s where consignment shopping is a win-win. It is friendly both for the earth AND your wallet!
Consignment shops typically feature pricing that is 40-50% below retail value, while thrift stores (think Goodwill or The Salvation Army) often offer 75% or more below retail value. That is some serious savings!
3. It’s fun!
I think consignment shopping is a lot more fun than shopping at the mall. You can find incredibly unique pieces all in one place, whereas in traditional stores like Pier One or J. Crew, you are finding a lot of the same styles and same colors in the clothing, decor, and furniture offered. I love the variety that you find in a consignment store.
It’s also really fun when you finally find the item you’re looking for or when you score an incredible deal. I recently found a pair of brand new Hudson jeans on Poshmark. They still had tags on them that featured a retail price of $185, but I got them for just $50 (technically $0, since I had credits on Poshmark from selling my own stuff). I was PUMPED! It is so exhilarating when you score an amazing deal on an item that you love!
So, to sum things up: Consignment shopping is the bee’s knees. Who doesn’t love finding beautiful items at great prices while also doing something that is good for our earth? Secondhand shopping is practical, but also fun. I hope you’ll give it a try if you haven’t already!
xoxo Laura
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