I'm a simple emigrant and I love thrift stores

Well, as for 'love'— I simply like the idea of giving things a second life. I also adore these myths about ancient Greece, where people find diamonds for 5 euros in thrift stores. It's like finding out 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 a kind. Even if it's a standard Zara sweater, here it's one of a kind, hanging there, smelling a little. In Germany, anything to do with reuse is a good idea, so there are quite a lot of second-hand shops, flea markets, and sites for reselling your things. For example, on Kleinanzeigen you can sell anything, on Vinted – clothing, and on Vestiaire Collective – branded items. It's unlikely you'll make a lot of money, because it's more of a way to get rid of things rather than a business. But if you know your stuff and are ready to do this full-time, the opportunities for resale are limitless. In second-hand stores, prices are usually low. Especially in Red Cross shops. In such a store I was looking for pants for a suit for a party and found exactly what I needed for only 4 euros. Why the low prices are necessary is clear, but how can they afford it? I think it's because they receive items for free. Recently a new law was passed, stating that clothing, home textiles and shoes 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 go to second-hand stores very, very rarely, but flea markets are my passion. If I’m strolling around the city and see such a market – I will never pass by. I think these are the real treasures of modernity. I can wander for hours, looking at every little thing. I'm curious about everything, and in my head there are stories that take their roots from the Pechenegs. And what if it's some useless bicycle part I don't even know where to put it! At such a flea market in Idstein I bought a bag for 2 € and a beautiful silver chain for 5 €. There are sellers who ordered three crates from Alibaba the day before yesterday, and today sell them at three times the price. I don't know why they do it; personally I just walk past such things. I'll drop a site in the comments with a schedule of markets in Germany, and you share your finds from flea markets or thrift stores. 👀 #useful