Ways You Can Join in on Secondhand September
Ways You Can Join in on Secondhand September
The “ber” months are our favorite around these parts, so why not celebrate secondhand September. It is a great time to evaluate your belongings and shopping habits. This month we will be diving into a few ways you can reduce waste and get the most out of the items we already own. Whether you're a thrift newbie or a seasoned vintage lover, Secondhand September is the perfect time to explore sustainable style, save money, and find unique pieces that express your personality.
You might ask…Why Secondhand September?
- Reduce Your Environmental Footprint: The fashion industry is one of the biggest polluters in the world. By shopping secondhand, you're keeping clothes out of landfills and reducing the demand for new, resource-intensive production.
- Discover Your Unique Style: Thrift, Antique, and vintage shops are filled with one-of-a-kind items you won’t find anywhere else. Forget fast fashion’s cookie-cutter looks.
- Support Local and Small Businesses: Many secondhand, antique, and vintage shops are locally owned or support charitable causes. Your purchases help keep these businesses thriving and your community vibrant.
We can’t wait to take you along the journey this month as we explore ways we can all be better stewards for our community and world!
First up ….Shopping secondhand! Secondhand can be a thrift store, vintage shop, antique store, consignment shop, flea market, Facebook market place find, your friends yard sale and more.
Shopping secondhand and beyond offers a variety of ways to find unique, sustainable, vintage one of a kind pieces and of course some really affordable items. Here are some of our favorite ways and places to enjoy secondhand shopping.
1.Thrift Stores
These stores offer a wide variety of clothing, accessories, and home goods at low prices. Popular chains like Goodwill are great in all, but in our little town you have lots of local charity type shops that not only have good finds but support local people and causes. Locust springs, Exodus 14 Thrift, and C.A.R.E. Thrift shop to name a few.
2. Vintage Shops
Vintage stores specialize in items that are typically 20 years old or more and often focus on unique pieces. Vintage shops tend to be more curated. They’re perfect for finding rare concert tees to the grooviest dress from the 60s….. or even just simple fun 90s baseball tees. In our little vintage shop we search high and low for pieces that help you add to your collection, make a fun shelf for your game room, gives you a cool denim jacket for your next concert, and of course makes you feel nostalgic.
3. Antique Stores
Antique stores with booths offer a wide variety of curated items from many different individuals. Giving you lots options when shopping for unique pieces for your home….from turn of the century items, primitive, old signage, MCM, Atomic and more! In Greeneville, TN and our surrounding areas we have lots of antique shops to visit. Just right town the road from our shop is The Burlap Bunny… then you can head downtown and visit The Greeneville Antique Market and Antiques on Depot.
4. Online Marketplaces
Websites like eBay, Poshmark, Depop, and Etsy offer secondhand clothing and accessories, allowing you to shop from sellers worldwide Facebook Marketplace also has local listings for clothing, furniture, and other items.
6. Flea Markets
Flea markets are great for hunting down vintage, secondhand, and one-of-a-kind items, from clothing to home decor. In our local area we have lots of Flea Markets such as the Tri-Cities Flea Market and Jonesbourgh Flea Market just to name a few.
8. Estate Sales and Auctions, & Yard Sales
Estate sales, auctions, and garage sales can be treasure troves for secondhand finds, especially for vintage and antique items. We have many estate sale companies in NE East TN, but right here in our neck of the woods Hillside Estates and More is a fantastic local family to shop and do business with. In the Auction category you have so many choices…. A weekly auction at Shiloh Auction. Big estate auctions from Morelock auctions and C.L.A.S.S. Auctions…. Thats just a drop of the auctions in our area.
Shopping secondhand can be an exciting adventure, offering a sustainable way to find unique, high-quality items. What you will find quickly in most of these spaces is community. You get to know the people you are buying from. Many times the pieces you purchase have stories that you now get to be the keeper of. Shopping secondhand in your community directly supports small businesses in your areas. You are supporting your neighbors. Without even making a purchase you can share, like, and spread the word about them for FREE! We can’t wait to see you this September—come discover something truly special at our shop!