There are a number of reasons why people are gravitating away from buying new and more toward reusing things:
Fashion: A lot of times, secondhand things just look better than new things. I mean, if you walk into a store like Urban Outfitters or Anthropologies, most of the stuff is made to look vintage, but it’s brand new. When you shop in thrift stores and consignment shops, you come across all kinds of hidden vintage gems that are far more stylish than anything you’ll find new.
Cost-efficiency: It’s not surprising to me that we started to see the first signs of reuse culture after the crash of 2008. People make less money than they did in the 20th century, even though the cost of living is going up. A lot of people don’t have money to buy designer goods at the mall, but they can afford to buy them secondhand.
The Internet: The internet has played a big role in the rise of reuse culture. Sites like eBay, Poshmark, and Chairish have made it really easy to sell your old clothing, furniture and, accessories. And they’ve made a lot of people aware that you don’t have to buy everything at full price. I have friends who would never walk into an antique shop to buy a piece of furniture, but they’ve furnished their entire homes with things they bought on Chairish.
Environmental impact: You don’t have to be Greta Thunberg to see that the environment is in trouble. And a lot of that has to do with the way we’ve bought and sold things for so long. Even if you’re not an activist, it feels good to make use of something that would otherwise end up in a landfill.