Second-hand buying culture is flourishing in Finland, especially in summer, when you can just grab a blanket, go to a park and place your soon to be sold clothes and items on that, and just enjoy a beautiful day and other people’s company while getting rid of your stuff you no longer need.

Second-hand buying is profitable in so many ways, not only for individuals but also for the planet. The first and probably the main reason that attracts people is that it’s much cheaper when compared to buying brand new stuff. You can easily find good quality clotheswith only a few euros. By selling you are not going to get rich, but you’ll have some profits and you don’t have to throw the stuff away, it’s good recycling.

There are multiple options for second-hand places. Some companies work in a way that people donate their stuff and the profits of the selling go to charity, whatever the target group is. Also, there are self-service flea market places where you can rent your own selling table for a couple of weeks and you can bring your clothes and merchandise there and gather the profit for yourself. One option is to sell things online, which has become very popular, usually on Facebook marketplaces and groups. This is very convenient, but it requires fast action because there are so many people online.

One option, which is my favorite, is outside second-hand events during summer. They work in a way that for example every Sunday at a specific park there is an event and whoever wants to participate, can. The only thing you need to do is show up with your things and find a place in the park to settle down. And then just wait that people come to see what you have and start selling. It’s really lovely. You can sit all day in the park, drink and eat, maybe walk around and see what other people have brought and make discoveries. Also, the prices are lower because you can talk with the sellers and make compromises. At spring, usually, people arrange so-called “cleaning days”, the idea is to clean your house after winter and go to the street or your yard to sell everything you want to get rid of.

You can find really cool things whether it is vintage products, quality fabrics like wool and silk, or other unique items. Things that would cost probably ten times more if bought new. And the selection is so diverse, especially when compared if you’d go to a shopping mall and every shop has a similar selection of clothes, depending on what’s considered as the fashion of the current season.

So, if you want to use less money and be more kind towards our planet, check out if there are some second-hand places near you and go and take a look if you still haven’t done that. You might get surprised in a positive way.

---

Kirsi Suomi