Discussion of the Day
Second-Hand Cloths
Robyn Hephzibah 08-Jan-22
Do you buy clothing used? If yes, what is the best and worse thing about buying second-hand? If you do not, why do you choose new?
Comments
  • Margaret C 77490
    I buy most things clothes from op shops exempt for undies as I usually can't find any ,bra the same . Socks I buy from Kmart but occasionally I can buy socks and even colouring books and stationery from op shop .it is alot cheaper I even buy runners,slippers,things from their aswell and most things last me longer from a op shop aswell .
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    • Christina C 466456
      I brought some second hand Nike shoes when I was a teenager. I used those things for years and they finally broke in the 3rd year. You can get some really good quality stuff second hand. I mostly buy new clothes these days as I've made a commitment to only buy clothes made of natural fibres. Its easier to buy/check online than to check the labels in random second hand items in the store.
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      • Beverly I
        I used to go second shopping but since the covid I have'nt ,it was fun going op shopping with a friend, we must do it again ,sometimes it's just as cheap buying new clothing where I live ,,??????
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        • Jan M 586967
          Yes why not recycle reuse I say
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          • Imperia S
            My Mum RIP was a snazzy dresser, never bought anything cheap, so when something was worn to her limit, it always came my way, and when she passed I got her whole wardrobe, and am proud to wear and call my own
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            • Paul W 383502
              My wife and I only buy second hand from Op Shops, no problems. In fact I bought a pair of shoes which I wore for several years before finding out they were actually supposedly for females. Their name was "Olivia", I now wear "Brians".
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              • SereneBee
                Not only can I buy clothing made with natural fibres but as they have been washed several times they are much softer. Helen C is so right. Growing up I had many clothes passed down from my older cousins. One of my cousins longed for a daughter and after three sons she arrived. So they sent my son aged 4 months a bag of her sons' one was a Sailor suit Made in Paris! My son has worn many op-shop finds as has his father. It is more economical especially for growing children. I cannot think of any that have been a mistake; but our underwear is always bought new~. .
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                • Helen C 677722
                  My last two clothing purchases were from op shops. It’s win, win, win. Win for my pocket, win for charity and win for the environment!
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                  • Rosemary E 383382
                    In Op Shops I have bought clothing that still had the retailer's price tag on it. I got some clothes like this in a Church run op shop on several occasions, especially 100% cotton as my Mum had chronic allergic dermatitis and couldn't wear synthetic fabric.
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                    • diane c QLD
                      yes i buy used clothes a not ashamed about it, most times i cant afford new clothes.
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                      • Catalina
                        I do like second hand shops. The only shops I enjoy browsing, looking, buying.
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                        • Edith v
                          I buy both .I buy 2nd hand Clothes(not Cloths)for young children almost new as kids grow out of clothes quickly.If I find new for myself great but some clothing 2nd hand I have bought for myself is "nearly new"I always launder them & most things come up as new & there is a big savings
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                          • APB
                            You can buy a pair of "as new" or "unworn" trousers on ebay that cost someone else $200...for $30....made in Italy the US or France....or you can spend $30 on a badly made pair of trousers in K-Mart that came from China...your choice...if you buy the recycled ones they are far more comfortable....generally last forever...save resources and hopefully reduce our carbon footprint as a species.... I give to Op shops but don't buy clothes from them....
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                            • Elizabeth J 447888
                              You have it all worked out APB.
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                          • Aisha A 379399
                            Op shops should not charge so much for clothes. I like it when they have a sale, you bring your own bag and cram in all the clothes you want and they charge something like five dollars.
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                            • Ruth v
                              Second hand clothes are Awesome especially when you can't afford something new.
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                              • Amber 22
                                Like second hand but would like to buy more new and give more to second hand I try to take some stuff to the cloth ing bin but there is no clothing bins hardly around now
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                                • mary c
                                  Definitely have always loved buying 2nd hand- and because nowadays limited income ++- though with covid lurking behind every corner and nook n cranny i'm feeling reluctant to go to the usual shops as they are small and can be crowded. And even being trice vaxxed i don't feel safe as the virus is always 5 steps ahead.
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                                  • Colleen M 510798
                                    I have bought used clothes off and on since I was a kid, but I will go out of my way to buy used more than I won't. I believe very strongly in reduce and reuse and I personally would rather spend less money on nice clothes over full price. I love Thredup, Posh Mark, Depop, etc. They all have nice clothing and you can get the clothes at a fraction of the ridiculous regular prices.
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                                    • Robert T 597718
                                      yes it helps
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                                      • Paul B 522937
                                        i love to buy secondhand clothes for work i hate to have to spend a lot then try to keep them clean and tidy.
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                                        • LESLEY S 385154
                                          I used to buy second hand clothes very often but now I get them at a smaller cost by buying online.
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                                          • John b 479999
                                            Nearly always buy used clothing, from op shops.better value and great items.
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                                            • 'smee,SWQ!
                                              I would not bother buying Second Hand Cloths! - But do buy Second Hand Clothes occasionally.
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                                              • Cely
                                                I would but when I looked there I couldn't find my size...not where I live anyway....but I'm planing on moving soon so will check out the op shops there...
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                                                • Sabine V
                                                  l don't buy second hand clothes but l donate my cloths, so someone else can enjoy them. Some still have tags on them
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                                                  • Caryn M 153766
                                                    I love to buy second hand clothing as you can get some great bargains and often some great outfits that are not like everything in the shops at the time. So you can be a bit original. I always look for classic timeless styles. The worst thing is that the second hand shops are pricing some of their clothing at way too high a price and I don't like seeing clothing that is stained.
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                                                    • Jennifer H 396811
                                                      There is nothing wrong with buying second hand clothing, I love going to charity shops and have bought some really nice stuff, some of it brand new, never worn and still with tags. The worse thing is seeing something that is absolute rubbish, really old and tatty and they still put a price on it when it should have been thrown away.
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                                                      • Smiley
                                                        I am not picky where i choose to do my op shopping as the big name ones charge more than the new price at times, expecially when it comes to KMart & Big W branded clothes. I once had a op shop worker tell me Anko was a high end label and the products should be priced even higher. She would not believe it was KMart's basic brand.
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                                                        • John B 89024
                                                          No.
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                                                          • Larry S 382961
                                                            I usually get jeans , shirts as easy to get. Draw the line at personal stuff ( undies etc). With kids growing fast it is always a good place for clothes. My sister has 3 boys so it was out with winter stuff and summer in. Next year reverse but she always took old things down to be reused. My wife has a eye for bargains and checks out the jewelry but the places ( Salvos, Vinnies) are a wake up now to good stuff so prices go up.
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                                                            • Wendy Q
                                                              I used to a bit, but if I want something I just go to Big W, Millers and Best and Less, as their clothes are good value.
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                                                              • Sharyn W 102987
                                                                Nothing wrong with second hand clothes I just draw the line and don’t buy underwear worst thing about wearing it is if like when I was at primary school in a small rural town Mum bought me a beautiful jersey I just lived it until one of the posh show off girls at school shouted that was my old jersey we threw out, I was so shamed but wouldn’t worry me now I’m an adult.
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                                                                • Bigbee
                                                                  Pros: the thrill of finding something good, some expensive brands too. Helping a charity. Cons: no idea when it was washed but then you should wash new clothes before you wear them too , some op shops don't help anyone anymore just a corporation.
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                                                                  • Barbara T
                                                                    Op shopping is the only place where I purchase clothes these days. Some garments are practically brand new so why pay 'top dollar' at a retail store when you can buy it for next to nothing ...... (my opinion anyway). Naturally, I would not purchase someone else's underwear i.e. knickers, at these places ......
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                                                                    • Jenny L 591463
                                                                      No I find the brand new t-shirts I buy don't last and well they were made in Bangladesh. My sister loves op shopping and she buys woollen jackets for $10-$20 because they are dry clean only. A lady I knew brought a jacket from an op shop for $15 and in it there were 2 beautiful rings in the inside lining. Some one forgot they were there or didn't know they were. I am the same I have had enough hand me downs when I was little. My Mum still passes on a t-shirt or some thing she doesn't want any more to me and that is as second hand as I want to go.
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                                                                      • Carolyn H 319412
                                                                        That is my preference. I can never seem to see anything I like in the second clothes selections.
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                                                                        • JANN R
                                                                          Yes I buy some and I take some to the opp shop to sell when I no longer wear them some a brand new that I have grown out of
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                                                                          • misfortune8
                                                                            I sew a lot of my own clothes. I only buy garments if they're cheaper than I could make them, or are too much work. You can find a lot of quirky items in Op Shops. My best purchase was a leather biker jacket - it was a fraction of the price new & it had a zip-out rabbitskin lining. I've had it for decades & it's still going strong.
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                                                                            • Colin L 88398
                                                                              Not an issue for me and we buy a lot of cloths from a Shop that is supported by a Animal Rescue Service most of which are new and unused when we get them. Turns out it's the only place locally where I can get RM Williams gear which we used to wear on the farm years ago that just lasted for years.
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                                                                              • beverly w 540992
                                                                                i never wore hand me downs as the eldest girl growing up in a family of 8 children in the 50,s and 60,s. my mum made all our clothes so i never had a store bought item until i started work. so now every year i go through my wardrobe and find items i have not worn for a long time, they get donated to the hospice shop. i have also bought quite a few lovely items from same shop but i wash before i wear.
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                                                                                • Pat C 618241
                                                                                  I usually donate but hardly ever find anything that appeals to me.
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                                                                                  • Elizabeth J 447888
                                                                                    I have rarely bought anything from a shop that is not an Op Shop for about 40 years. That being said, they are not used clothes. They are donated new by all the large department stores at the end of the different seasons. Sometimes they are seconds with perhaps a button missing but mostly there is a spare button sewn into the seam. Yesterday I bought a lovely Veronika Maine skirt for $10. I wonder how much that would cost from a Department Store. It is the thrill of a good find that gets me in. 40 years ago I really needed to so I could feed and clothe my family and pay off a mortgage. Now, it is one of my favourite pastimes.
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                                                                                    • Lorraine C 90175
                                                                                      For hygiene reasons I would never buy second hand clothing.
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                                                                                      • Paul J 94868
                                                                                        Once in a while...
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                                                                                        • Carmen D 686396
                                                                                          I have not bought Second-Hand clothes.
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                                                                                          • Joe B 288252
                                                                                            I had enough second hand clothing when I was a kid…..lol My younger brother always had new clothes and shoes because I wore all the hand me downs to death ….3rd boy…clothes killer…..lol
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                                                                                            • Leslie E 111465
                                                                                              Yes I do.
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                                                                                              • Therese M 73305
                                                                                                I give to the op shops regularly but no I don't buy I think you can buy new at reasonable prices and if you have children you get money from the government to adequately dress them I think it should be left for the homeless or people to start from new eg fire, woman shelter,
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                                                                                                • Joy L 68767
                                                                                                  yes I love my local op shop.
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                                                                                                  • Amy 592121
                                                                                                    Yes
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                                                                                                    • Michelle S 553303
                                                                                                      I love looking in the Op Shops for clothing and accessories. Shoes however are difficult because I have an extremely wide foot and I don't think I've EVER managed to get a pair of shoes in my size from them, however I DID manage to find 3 pair of shoes in a couple of boxes that had been left out the front of premises that people had moved out from near where I used to live. It was aboutto rain and I didn't want whatever was in them to get wet. Not only were their shoes for me but other clothing items for children which I ended up taking to a friend of my daughter's who was on a low income and had a son whom the clothes would fit. I know she was appreciative too. As they say "one man's trash is another man's treasure". I'm very grateful for everything I find and not knowing just WHAT that might be until you've started looking
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                                                                                                      • Empress
                                                                                                        No, not really
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                                                                                                        • Sonya F 68771
                                                                                                          Yes i have when the kids where growing up so fast it was cheaper and then i would donate it back so they make more money
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                                                                                                          • Carrie K 391388
                                                                                                            I find really expensive items much cheaper. I have a SAK, brown, genuine leather purse for under $10. Usually costs $90 or more. What I don't like is the stores may not have many items in your size!
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                                                                                                            • Michelle S 553303
                                                                                                              I hope you haven't got the vintage Armani camel hair coat I lost years ago in a motel in Bowral! I was devastated when I realised I'd left it behind and even though I phoned the business and asked if anyone had handed it in I never got it back. I think someone saw a quality garment and said "I'm keeping that!". It was my grandmother's hence the "vintage" tag. I'm sure I've lost other things over the years but I've never actually MISSED having something like I miss that coat. I just bought a vintage Louis Vitton shoulder bag which I know is authentic from a garage sale a couple of weeks ago for $1. I hardly go out these days anyway so there's not a lot of point getting too many as I'll never use them, just like the Chanel bag I paid $3K for 20 years ago when I was still working. It hardly EVER dee's the light of day. I'd NEVER spend money like that today. I do have a lovely alpaca coat which is incredibly warm and which I purchased not long after being able to access my Superannuation, but it should last me till I'm dead and then my girls can fight over it! It's nice to get a quality item for a fraction of the cost.
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                                                                                                          • Carroll W 395043
                                                                                                            No,
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                                                                                                            • Lachelle B
                                                                                                              I repurpose. Cheap fur coats are taken apart and made into cushions or blankets. Dresses with funky patterns get resewn into a new outfit. Thick long socks or tights are cut and made into leg warmers. Handbag straps get turned into belts. Old metal fancy buttons become drawer knobs. I'm obsessed with repurposing. Big no to underwear. Everything is thoroughly cleaned!
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                                                                                                              • Elizabeth J 447888
                                                                                                                Wow, good on you Lachelle. That is fantastic.
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                                                                                                            • Kat 493553
                                                                                                              Only if they’re not clean! I leave that place, go elsewhere!
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                                                                                                              • Andrew T 123623
                                                                                                                Yes and the best thing is the price, the worst thing nothing
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                                                                                                                • Mary B 492108
                                                                                                                  I buy everything except undies and socks used. Good for both the bank balance and the planet
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                                                                                                                  • doug m 408074
                                                                                                                    usually buy new but 2nd hand has some wonderful bargains!
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                                                                                                                    • Tiffany L 690503
                                                                                                                      I just don’t buy bras nor underwear from second hand shopping
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                                                                                                                      • Christina D
                                                                                                                        The only thing I wouldn't buy second hand is underwear/bras but other than that, I'm happy to buy anything as long as it's in a good condition
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                                                                                                                        • Laura R 423974
                                                                                                                          maybe someone needs to learn how to spell
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                                                                                                                          • Andrew W 384994
                                                                                                                            just a touch of prof-reeding
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                                                                                                                          • misfortune8Andrew W 384994
                                                                                                                            Haha!
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                                                                                                                        • Maria B 89860
                                                                                                                          I buy them, don't have any best/worse scenarios to relate, just make sure they fit then wash and wear, much cheaper than forking out for new stuff all made overseas mainly imported from one part of the world.
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                                                                                                                          • Bugalugs
                                                                                                                            The Best thing? You can get some really good quality stuff which people with too much money and too little intelligence throw out - and that includes stuff they have never even worn as it still has the original price ticket on it. The Worst thing: The awful stale smell most of these Second Hand/Op Shops have. Why do they never, ever seem to open the doors and air the places? Or is this how those running them live in their own homes?
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                                                                                                                            • Elizabeth T 396096
                                                                                                                              no
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                                                                                                                              • Tupulua S
                                                                                                                                We buy it all the time and good quality clothes too, the only thig is, hard to find my size ( big size ) hahaha
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                                                                                                                                • kristian s 513441
                                                                                                                                  I sometime buy second-hand clothes in order for me save money.
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                                                                                                                                  • Frank N
                                                                                                                                    Yes, I often buy clothes from op shops
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                                                                                                                                    • Carmel C 103964
                                                                                                                                      Grew up wearing secondhand clothes as we had a huge family and little money. Whilst I still am happy to take secondhand clothes from family and friends, I rarely go into opshops anymore. One...because some of them have become money-grabbing businesses instead of supplying much needed goods to the poor at low prices...and two because I have a ridiculous amount of clothes and simply don't need any more. Underwear (panties, bras) I always buy new. I'd never buy them secondhand.
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                                                                                                                                      • Rosie 563501
                                                                                                                                        No
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                                                                                                                                        • Royale Q
                                                                                                                                          I do not like to wear clothes from other people. I have too many allergies from perfumes and different makeup and you also have pets.
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                                                                                                                                          • Elizabeth J 447888
                                                                                                                                            Understandable.
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                                                                                                                                        • Claude H
                                                                                                                                          APPARENTLY OLD DRESSES AS CLOTHES TURN INTO CLOTHS
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                                                                                                                                          • SueM2
                                                                                                                                            I buy from Trade Me but not op shops. Rewardia, do you need the services of an editor? (cloths?)
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                                                                                                                                            • Sheree T
                                                                                                                                              Have in the past but not so much now.
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                                                                                                                                              • Melanie G 87848
                                                                                                                                                I love op shopping (buying from charity shops). Most of my clothes are from there now. But I avoid ones that are expensive.
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                                                                                                                                                • john v 551148
                                                                                                                                                  like to find some soiled panties
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                                                                                                                                                  • Biscuit
                                                                                                                                                    Wow John. Thanks for sharing.
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                                                                                                                                                • The dog house
                                                                                                                                                  I look for new clothing at an Op shop. I enjoy going through them and seeing the styles even reminisce from the styles of long ago. Mainly visit to drop something or for reading material.
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                                                                                                                                                  • Margaret C 68385
                                                                                                                                                    I’m lucky. I have friends the same size who pass things down.
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                                                                                                                                                    • Sandra C 12043
                                                                                                                                                      No, since most 2nd hand shops are now using paid staff (some have volunteers to help but paid managers) I prefer to pass my things to Domestic Violence shelters. Some of these women and children leave with nothing but what they have on.
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                                                                                                                                                      • Linda C
                                                                                                                                                        I have bought clothes from the op shop years ago but found they were getting more expensive than new clothes from places like KMart.
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                                                                                                                                                        • BLACK LIVES MATTER
                                                                                                                                                          Do I buy I cloths at second-hand stores - YES! However, only if the clothing is brand-new (sales tag is still attached to the clothing),
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                                                                                                                                                          • Rhonda D 522615
                                                                                                                                                            I do, but not as much as before. The secondhand shops keep raising their prices, and sometimes not worth the price.
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                                                                                                                                                            • Debbie C 147795
                                                                                                                                                              Second hand clothing shops are getting dear Target and Big W are cheaper
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                                                                                                                                                              • JANET R 328390
                                                                                                                                                                i have bought second hand clothes - but these days with clothes so cheap I don't really see the need to buy second hand. Not sure how others feel.
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