Why you should consider buying second-hand Christmas gifts this year

Elijah Manis,a Sydney-based creative,stumbled upon a small garage sale in Sydney’s Lilyfied on the weekend. It was a small clay pin with a woman’s face that initially drew his eye,and he struck up a conversation with one of the stallholders,Julia Manley,who had made the pin. “We actually had lunch the other day,” he says.

Elijah Manis with his purchases – a vintage parasol and a blue lapis necklace (worn).

Elijah Manis with his purchases – a vintage parasol and a blue lapis necklace (worn).Flavio Brancaleone

It’s the communal nature of shopping pre-loved items that has drawn Manis to op shops since he was a young boy growing up in Brisbane. He recalls places called free shops where you could pick up clothing and other items for no cost,and says that he would always run into interesting people.

“I believe in recycling,” he says. “I love the fact that I can have something,knowing that another person used to own it.”

“It’s about taking from the community and giving back to the community. I love that sense of sharing.”

Julia Manley’s stall (347 Catherine St,Lilyfield) was one of many across Australia taking part in this year’s Garage Sale Trail,which will return for its second week this weekend.

Manis talking to Julia Manley,left,at her Lilyfield stall on the Garage Sale Trail.

Manis talking to Julia Manley,left,at her Lilyfield stall on the Garage Sale Trail.Flavio Brancaleone

Andrew Valder and Darryl Nichols were living in Bondi in 2010 when they noticed the sheer amount of illegal dumping on the footpaths – a lot of which remained in “perfect working order” – and decided to do something about it. They put up some signs in the neighbourhood with the slogan “Don’t dump it,sell it”,and,as Valder says,everything “went bonkers”. That weekend,he says 130 stalls popped up in the area. Just like that,The Garage Sale Trail was born.

Now in its 12th year,Garage Sale Trail works with more than 100 local councils across Australia,and has also run sales with Opera Australia,MONA in Australia,and NSW Parliament House.

Valder says the garage sales are a simple means to drive open conversations about waste and sustainability. “It’s not uncommon for people to glaze over when you talk about waste,” he says. “But when you talk about garage sales,people’s eyes light up.”

And what of the stigma that is often attached to used items,especially when it comes to gifting? “‘Secondhand is second best’ was the kind of thinking when we started in 2010. That has absolutely transformed in the past 12 years,” he says simply.

As to the benefits of gifting second hand,he says it’s an easy way to reduce waste,let alone the fact you can buy something that’s really unique that you won’t find at a shopping centre and that has a whole life behind it.” It’s also,of course,an affordable way to shop for Christmas in light of rising inflation and the cost of living.

Garage Sale Trail shoppers rummage through secondhand goods at Estonian House in Brunswick,Melbourne.

Garage Sale Trail shoppers rummage through secondhand goods at Estonian House in Brunswick,Melbourne.Chris Hopkins

Kayla Mossuto,co-founder and creative director of Precious Plastic in Melbourne,says she will be buying a mix of secondhand and sustainable gifts this Christmas.

“We’re looking at items like a pre-loved bunk bed for our son,pot plants purchased on Facebook Marketplace,and we’ve even found some ‘new with tags’ items in a local op shop.” She says children’s items in particular “can often be found in ‘gently’ used condition” and are particularly ripe for gifting.

As a parent,she says this ethos of waste reduction is part of how she’s raising her kids. “It’s very much ingrained in the way we try to live,raising our child to be quite aware of sustainability – whether it’s through composting,or looking for nice secondhand gifts together.”

Mossuto says the stigma around gifting secondhand goods is “definitely shifting” as awareness grows. “Personally,when I receive a thrifted gift,that person has probably put more effort into it picking it out.”

Jacqueline Calandra,a shopper on the Garage Sale Trail in Balmain,Sydney.

Jacqueline Calandra,a shopper on the Garage Sale Trail in Balmain,Sydney. Flavio Brancaleone

Australians are increasingly riding the wave of pre-loved goods. According to a study conducted by PayPal,“61 per cent” of Australians say “they’ve bought pre-loved goods in the past 12 months,” while half of Australians say they will “purchase more second-hand goods if environmental and economic conditions continue to worsen.”

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Lauren is a lifestyle writer at the Sydney Morning Herald.

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