I'm a simple emigrant and I love second-hand stores

Well, about "I love it" – I just like the idea of giving things a second life. I also adore these myths of ancient Greece, where people find diamonds in thrift stores for 5 euros. It’s like learning that someone in your city won the lottery, and it seems it could have been you. Moreover, I get aesthetic pleasure from being in a store where every item is unique, because there’s only one of each. Even if it’s a standard sweater from Zara, here it is one of a kind, hanging there, a little smelly. In Germany, anything to do with reuse is a good idea, so there are quite a few thrift stores, flea markets, and sites for reselling your things. For example, on Kleinanzeigen you can sell anything, on Vinted – clothes, and on Vestiaire Collective – branded items. You’re unlikely to make a lot of money, because it’s more a way to get rid of things than a business. But if you know what you’re doing and are ready to do it full-time, the possibilities for resale are limitless. In thrift stores the prices are usually not high. Especially in Red Cross shops. In such a shop I was looking for suit pants for a party and found exactly what I needed for only 4 euros. Why low prices are needed is obvious, but how can they afford it? I think because they get things for free. A new law was recently passed stating that clothing, home textiles, and footwear must be disposed of exclusively in clothing containers. Most of them are from the Red Cross. Then workers sort through everything that came in: some to recycle, some for charity, and some to resell exactly in such stores. Correct me if you know better. I visit thrift stores very rarely, but flea markets are my passion. If I’m walking around town and I see such a market – I’ll never pass by. I consider them the true treasures of modern times. I can wander for hours, looking at every little item. I’m interested in everything, and in my head I immediately imagine stories that begin with the Pechenegs. So what if it’s some useless bicycle part that I don’t even know where to plug in! At such a flea market in Idstein I bought a handbag for 2 € and a gorgeous silver chain for 5 €. There are sellers who yesterday ordered three crates from Alibaba, and today sell them for three times the price. I don’t know why they do that; personally I walk right past such people. I’ll post a site with the schedule of markets in Germany in the comments, and you drop your finds from flea markets or thrift stores. 👀 #useful