Pre-Loved Luxury That Anyone Can Enjoy

Over the years, society seems to have become obsessed with buying things, or more specifically, new things. 

It is only relatively recently that our obsession with buy new items, or throwing out things that were still perfectly good, has come under the spotlight. It’s a problem in a lot of developed countries. For example, almost a third of the food produced and sold in our supermarkets goes to waste, which is a time when people are actually starving in other parts of the world, which is outrageous. 

Even reusing or buying second-hand items used to be looked down upon (unless you were buying antiques), and was considered to be ‘cheap’. Why would you buy something second-hand rather than just buy a new one? Luckily, we’re coming around to seeing that items don’t have to be thrown away so easily and can be reused, saving people money and stopping unnecessary waste and landfills. 

So what could you be buying pre-loved? You might be surprised at the luxury items you can get your hands on for a bargain. 

Luxury Watches

Having a luxury watch on your wrist is an ambition of many people, but real luxury brands such a Rolex, Omega, and Cartier can be out of the reach of a lot of people. Yet luxury watches do hold their value pretty well, which is why sometimes they are sold to #1 Rolex Buyer or similar so that they can be restored and resold to others. 

It’s a great way to get your hands on a beautiful luxury item, which will give you decades of wear. 

Jewelry

Similar to luxury watches, there has been an influx of poorly made costume jewelry that doesn’t last long before it’s thrown away. Quality items are often sold to jewelers or online, so you can pick up a much better piece that you can keep forever, rather than 10 pairs of earrings that will last you a year. Good for your wardrobe and the environment. 

Designer Clothing

People place so much emphasis on fast fashion which is cheap and often poorly made, and soon ends up being thrown away. Designer pieces, usually fall at the other end of the spectrum. They’re much more expensive to buy new, but can last you for years, rather than a season. 

There are now many sites online to buy and sell your designer clothing. Think about something like a tux. They are usually only worn on special occasions, so if you see a designer tux for sale that is pre-loved, chances are that it’s only been worn a few times in its life. Wouldn’t you rather have a designer tux than a cheaply made new one? 

The same can be said of many luxury items such as dresses and bags. Next time you’re in the market for a new outfit, check out the online pre-loved market first.

Baby Items

Starting a family can be expensive, especially on items such as prams, pushchairs, and cots. The high-end models can end up costing you thousands. Yet these items hold up pretty well. A baby will only be in a pram for the first 6 months of its life before moving to a stroller. So you can pick up a pre-loved one for around the same price as a new, but less robust version. 

Other great things to buy second-hand are clothes and toys. Many parents find that their kids wear clothes once or twice in the early days before they grow out of them. There’s still plenty of use in them and they look brand new. The same goes for toys that have barely been played with. They can make another kid really happy. 

If your kids are getting older, don’t throw away your equipment. Sell it or pass it on to others who will get used out of it. However, this doesn’t apply to car seats, which should always be purchased new for safety reasons. 

Furniture

With the invention of flat packed, mass-produced furniture, it became much easier to just throw items away when we didn’t want them anymore. But the trend for this kind of house decor is starting to fade and people realize that they want quality. Yet this kind of furniture can be very expensive and out of the reach of a lot of people. Pre-loved is the way to go to get your hands on well-made furniture that will last a lifetime. Whether you’re buying it as is or upcycling. 

Whenever you’re thinking of decorating your home or getting rid of any items, ask yourself if someone else could get any use out of them. 

Old CDs and Vinyl

If you hadn’t noticed, vinyl has made a huge comeback over the last decade. Nostalgia sells, but rather than go out and buy new records, there are millions upon millions in thrift shops and car boot sales all over the country. That’s because people started to get rid of their records when CDs and MP3s became a thing. You can pick them up really cheaply rather than buying new, often more expensive versions. Because vinyl isn’t produced at the rate it used to be, it’s actually more expensive to make now. 

The same goes for CDs. If you’re on the lookout for a particular album, check on eBay first. 

Key Points

As a society, we need to learn that more is not always better. Everything we buy doesn’t need to be new and cheap. By exploring the pre-loved market, we can often get our hands on quality, luxury items for a fraction of the original price. This leads to less wastage and the opportunity to sell it at a later date if we no longer want it. 

Going forward, if you’re thinking of throwing anything away, ask yourself if someone could get any use out of it and either donate it or sell it on. And when it comes to buying, before you just go ahead and buy new, look around to see if you can get a higher quality pre-loved item first.