I am decluttering and selling items I no longer need to hold on to. So far I’ve sold 3 shoes via Vestiaire and 1 dress via Vinted. Net proceeds from the sales is already invested in my brokerage.
Selling these items made me appreciate the circular economy more and the importance of reuse. Using myself as an example of how the circular economy works with the aim to reduce production of new items and keep items in use longer. The items I sold were new which means the buyers didn’t need to buy new items and they can also sell to another user in future which keeps items in use for much longer.
I needed new ankle boots for winter and I went through my new checklist for buying new stuff before concluding that I needed them. My usual practice will be to order new but my buying process has also changed. So I checked out Vestiaire and Vinted for boots at a price that works for me. I did see some on Vestiaire but they were out of budget range so I focused on Vinted and zeroed in on 2 boots I like. One was a Tommy Hilfiger posted on the same day for €12 and the second one was an Elisabetta Franchi that was online for 5 months already at €20. I saw there was a high interest in the Tommy Hilfiger so I bought it immediately without contacting the seller. For the Elisabetta Franchi, I guessed I could get it cheaper so I offered to buy at €15 which was accepted and I paid for it. I have to admit I had more excitement and joy buying these shoes than when I’d buy new. I know I was getting them for a fraction of the price, they were new to me and more important is I’m actively contributing to the circular economy.
My total spend was €38.43 which included shipping and Vinted fees. I have received them and they were in the same condition as listed. I was happy to receive them and already took the Elisabetta Franchi out for a spin. I know they will continue to give me joy in the coming months and I intend to list them for sale when I’m ready to make a switch.
My checklist for making a new purchase is:
- Is this a need or a want? A need is something I can’t do without and a want is a nice to have. I classified this as a need due to not having any ankle boots and they work well for Fall. Last year I wore my summer shoes (converse and flats) in Fall and I got cold faster
- Is there a replacement item I can use? I didn’t have a replacement item as I have two knee boots currently and I can’t move to knee boots yet. Only one knee boot is for city wear and it’s getting worn and I want it to last a little longer. The second boot is a snow boot that I use when we go on ski slopes or up the mountains in Winter
- Do I have to buy now? I use this to check if I truly need the items. Can I hold on for awhile? If I can do that then I really don’t need it. The weather was going to shift from warm to cold in a week and I know as from then I need to start dressing differently so I had to buy when I did
- Is this in my budget? I did not budget for this in particular but planned to cover it from my sinking fund clothing budget.
- Will it bring me joy? This is key for me. It’s also a way to prescreen what I buy. If it’s a nice to have that won’t bring me joy, then I’m not buying. This purchase checks out as I liked the brands, I was getting them for a low price and they will keep me warm in fall
Have you tried thrifting? What was your experience and any tips on how to do it better?