Let’s talk about intentional shopping, shall we? When to thrift and when to buy new. Huge upfront disclaimer that I am very imperfect at being perfectly ethical! But I do my best! Every time I buy something for my home (or for my closet!) my mind floods with questions about how ethical and intentional I can be about each purchase. Where is this product coming from? Who made it? Do I want to cause more demand for this particular product? There’s a lot that goes into that! And while I decide each purchase on a case-by case-basis (weighing how important it is to me if the item is antique, custom-made, or brand new) there is a sequence I follow each time for where I shop and when.
This approach to shopping helps me to discern whether to thrift something or if it’s worth buying new.
1. Start by browsing the thrift store
If I don’t have something super specific in mind, I’ll start by browsing a thrift store, flea market, or vintage shop. I’m open to whatever exists already! I’ll have a list of items I’m looking for, seek them out, and see what I can find. If I find an option that suits my style and my practical needs — done! If I can’t find what I want without settling, this is where I go next…
2. Seek out specific items on online secondhand marketplaces
Let’s say you want something more specific and browsing the thrift store isn’t cutting it. Maybe you want a cream-coloured Smeg toaster. A leather couch from Article. A long, wool, black dress coat from Babaton. Look up those brands and all of those keyword terms for those specific items on online marketplaces; Ebay, Poshmark, Facebook Marketplace, Kijiji, Vinted. A lot of the time, you can find appliances still in the box or clothes in your size that are new with tags still on them.
I love this option because you’re not compromising on anything. You’re not settling or bringing something into your home that isn’t *quite* what you wanted… You’re getting exactly what you want, for often a cheaper price because someone wanted to get rid of it, without causing more demand on companies to produce more. An eco-conscious, budget-friendly option.
If i can’t find what I’m looking for at a thrift store or on online secondhand marketplaces, this is when I look into buying new.
3. Purchase new, intentionally
In the spirit of trying to buy intentionally, when I do buy new, I do my best to check all the following boxes. (Or at least as many as I can without driving myself mad with perfectionism and scrupulosity):
- It needs to be exactly what I’m looking for. (Not “close enough”.)
- It needs to be beautiful. (As well as go with my style and colour scheme.)
- It needs to be well-made, of proper, real, raw materials. (Not plastic…)
- It needs to be from a high-quality, ethical, sustainable brand. (The smaller the business, the better.)
Essentially, if I’m going to boost demand for a product by buying new, I want to use my money as my vote for what I want to see more of in the world: items that are well-made, by good people, with quality materials, and that will stand the test of time. If I’m buying new, then I want to buy as high quality as my current budget can afford.
This is such a loaded, nuanced topic — I could write for ages about it. But I thought I’d present my approach and philosophy around when to thrift and when to buy new, imperfect and vague as it is!
And I hope it goes without saying, but zero shame attached to this topic whatsoever. I believe it’s an important conversation to have, no matter your budget or what’s accessible to you. But if you are in a place where you have the desire to be more intentional with where you purchase things from, I hope this provides some helpful things to consider for the next time you go shopping. 🙂
What would you add to this? I’d love to know in the comments!
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