Dear Ida B. Green,
I have never lived anywhere else where second-hand stores are tourist attractions! What's up with that?
Signed,
Fascinated
Dear Fascinated,
It could be the good causes our second-hand stores support but I think we do have surprisingly good stuff traveling through our local stores. I have a number of friends from around the country who still brag about their great second-hand finds here.
However, the popularity of Craigslist, Freecycle, EBay, and Amazon's used goods suggest second-hand shopping has become seriously mainstream. The economic benefits of buying a good second-hand item at a sharply reduced price is pretty obvious and no longer carries the negative stigma it once did (and, apparently that's never been an issue with down-to-earth locals anyway).
There may also be an increasing appreciation for the fact that "they just don't make them like they used to." Even items falling way short of "antique," such as used hand tools and wooden office furniture, are admired as aesthetically pleasing and offer good solid use for much more than one lifetime.
I'd also like to think that we're a pretty environmentally conscious community and we enjoy the good feeling of knowing something is being reused, rather than tossed into a landfill. That feeling can make taking in some of our old favorites almost as good as picking up a new one ... or two.
Keep it Green,
Ida
—Elizabeth Jeffrey
