Secondhand, Surplus / B-Grade Goods

Dear users, dear authors,
do you also buy secondhand clothing or surplus/B-grade items?
Who decides what gets sold as surplus or B-grade items? Is that always a bad thing?

I like to stop by our local Diakonie store and sometimes find something for myself there.

I don’t buy anything there—I mostly just donate to them—because sometimes I’ll wear something I sewed myself just once and then never again, because I saw myself in a photo wearing it and thought, “No way, I really went out looking like that,” even though everyone else told me what I was wearing suited me really well and looked great. But I personally think I look terrible in it, so off it goes. I once sewed myself an Asian-style trouser suit for one of my daughters’ weddings—the jacket lined with a silk fabric and a blouse made from the same fabric, with matching shoes—and at home in front of the mirror, I liked what I saw, but when I saw the pictures, I grabbed the phone and asked my daughter how she’d liked the suit I’d worn to her wedding. She said, “Why?” I said, “I’m never wearing that again—I look really s... in it. If you want it, come over and take it,” which is exactly what she did, while telling me I was crazy :-) That’s still how I do it today: anything my daughters don’t want goes to a thrift store—but only one where the proceeds go to charity.

Best, Inge

Why not secondhand...
I buy a lot of “used” B-grade items, etc. After all, even with new clothes, they’re usually worn just once and then just end up sitting in the closet. I’ll pick up the occasional item at flea markets if the quality is good and I like it. And B-grade items sometimes end up in my shopping cart, too—why should I pay more if, for example, there’s just a tiny bit of the seam that isn’t quite closed or a button is missing....
I only wear what I like anyway, not what’s trendy. So it’s quite possible that I’ll walk into a store and walk right back out because what’s trendy just doesn’t suit me.... 

For at least 3 years now, I’ve been buying almost exclusively secondhand. Sometimes from a friend who sells used clothes for an acquaintance (they’re in very good condition—I’m always thrilled). And then there’s the Diakonie. I’ve even been lucky enough there to find items with the price tag still attached—meaning they’d never even been worn. 

The only things I buy new are socks and underwear. If I see something nice that I really like, of course I’d buy it too. But these days I always find myself wondering: How was it made? By whom? What journey has it been on? This really weighs on my mind, and to be honest, even after three years of reduced consumption, my closet is still more than full. 

I feel exactly the same way as Petra. My friend has passed so many things down to me that I haven’t needed to buy anything for years—except for underwear and socks. I knit my own clothes. And if there’s anything else I need, I check my online swap group. I’ve gotten so many nice things there. If something doesn’t fit me, I just pass it on through the swap group.

I like to pick up items from the Red Cross store.
I’ve had some of them for several years now.

Why spend a lot of money on new things when I can get them used?
It’s also more resource-efficient.

If you’re on a budget, it’s a great option—I like to buy secondhand and B-grade items. I also shop at the DRK store and Diakonie. I’ve even found new items there.
You don’t always have to buy everything brand-new when there are good used items available. More people should take advantage of this.
Back when I sought refuge at a women’s shelter, I didn’t have many belongings with me. I was glad when I was able to get free clothes at the DRK clothing bank. I also got a pair of winter boots there. I wore them for almost ten years, and I haven’t found shoes that good since.

What I really don’t understand, though, are the people who try to haggle at the DRK store. I volunteered there for a while. We had a customer who pulled up in his big SUV (pretty new) and complained because he was supposed to pay €3 for a dress shirt (new!). He complained about me to a coworker (whom he knew). I promptly got a slap on the wrist, and he ended up with three shirts for €3. That’s when I quit. Slipping things to acquaintances who don’t even need them—no, that’s not for me.

Best regards, Marlies

I also think it’s terrible when people still complain and haggle over these items. I really enjoy buying used items from AWO, including dishes and other things. For me, it’s not at all about getting a bargain—I just think it’s great that these items are already there and can still be put to good use. I usually round up the amount as a small donation.

I love going to flea markets and always find this and that there that I like. Almost everything there is second- or third-hand. But as long as it finds a new owner, it’s still good and doesn’t have to end up as trash. Back in the GDR, there were lots of buy-and-sell events. I used to go there often to buy clothes, as well as furniture and electronics. Some of those appliances—like the coffee grinder, for example—still work perfectly today because they were simply made to last.

These days, I dread buying new things—precisely because I already know that the item will last just over two years. And you can’t repair anything anymore, because everything is made of molded parts that you just have to replace. It’s all made in China. Things aren’t designed to be repaired—you’re supposed to buy new ones instead. That’s why I love old-fashioned craftsmanship and good quality.

I would always buy new shoes, though, just like underwear. But when it comes to clothes, I’m happy to go for secondhand. As long as the quality is right, it doesn’t bother me that they’ve had a previous owner. After all, I have a washing machine.

Love, Ina

Exactly, Ina, that’s how I see it too. I still have an old Braun 3-Mix—I had it 40 years ago, and it still works great. It’s been repaired twice and cleaned inside.

We had stores like that—where you could buy and sell—back in the ’70s and ’80s, too. I loved shopping there. And I love flea markets as well. Back then, I bought almost all of my son’s toys and clothes at flea markets. Later, he passed his toys on himself at his own flea market booth. That was always something special, by the way. You had to be there by 5 a.m. to snag a good spot. It was quite an adventure, but it was incredibly fun.

By the way, we have a Repair Café here where broken appliances are still repaired. Of course, that only works for the older ones.

Several years ago, I took over my neighbor’s Bauknecht washing machine when she had to move into a nursing home. She never had any problems with the machine, and neither did I—well, until my new neighbor moved in. All our machines sit on pedestals about 25 cm high. Because he always stuffed his machine way too full, it started bouncing around during the spin cycle and knocked my machine over in the process. It fell face-first onto the porthole, and for a 35-year-old machine, there are no replacement parts.
Now I get annoyed every time I have to use the new machine.
My hand mixer is also 25 years old and still works great.
The stereo lasted exactly until the day after the warranty expired. The repair would have cost more than a new system. It’s all just a money-making scheme these days.

A Repair Café has opened here, too.

We had a really great fully automatic coffee machine. It served us well for 20 years, and the coffee was wonderful. My partner was often able to get it running again on his own. But this past spring, it broke down badly, so we sent it in for repair. The repair was going to cost 300 euros. Oh, if only we’d had the machine repaired. But we thought, “That much money for a 20-year-old coffee machine?” and unfortunately decided against the repair and bought a new one instead.

  Now this coffee machine is broken again. It’s the second time in less than 9 months, and we have to send it back again. The first time, it stopped dispensing water; now the grinder is broken. I hope they keep it and we don’t have to take it back again.

I’m starting to dread buying new things. 

The idea that appliances only last two years is a persistent rumor. It’s not quite like that—it’s just that cheap Chinese competition has become much more widespread and, for many people, more attractive because of the price.
With many appliances, for example, you can extend the warranty to five years when you buy them, so the manufacturer doesn’t actually know whether the item needs to last two or five years.
We moved about 10 years ago and took almost nothing with us—absolutely no appliances. During that time, we needed a new battery for a vacuum cleaner, and the dishwasher was just repaired; it needed a new gasket. I think that’s a pretty good track record for 10 years.
And it’s similar with clothing—there are still higher-quality items out there that last forever, but the colorful, ever-changing selection at rock-bottom prices is very appealing to many people; young people, in particular, like to have something new every now and then.
Personally, I don’t buy secondhand, because there isn’t much available for someone like me—a person with allergies who wears plus sizes. But I do wear my clothes until they literally “fall apart.”

B-Grade Items:
I bought a black quilted jacket today that had a seam on the sleeve that had come undone by about 3 cm. Instead of €24.99, I paid only €3.99 for it. That’s quite a bargain, and since the defect is near the armpit area, you can’t even see the repaired seam.
Best regards, Marlies

That was definitely a good buy. 

Wow, Marlies, that was really a great bargain. If I come across something like that, I’m definitely in.