how to find out
The One Secondhand Trick Doctors WON'T Tell You!
Hello, sartorial scoundrels! Although the summer vibe at large was rancid, I relished 3 months without casting much of a digital shadow. My temptation is to ask how you are, but during my brief tech hiatus, I've taken up a habit of asking my friends to send a haiku that captures the time since we last spoke. So, send haikus!
As the leaves dry up and New York knits itself back together, we meet again in the PIGPEN, exploring connections to the material world, both foundational and utterly frivolous. Today’s dispatch answers a question from reader TT about how to transcend from CASUAL CONSUMER to RHIZOMATIC RESEARCHER, with a painfully simple tip.
TT asks: “Let’s say someone wanted to evolve to the third strata [of secondhand hunting], what resources do you recommend to accumulate this knowledge? Any definitive action steps would be valuable as opposed to hyper-generalized vague ‘it’s a lifestyle not a hobby’ advice you always hear.”
After some weeks of monitoring my own searching, this is where I landed. These tips can be followed linearly, but they are best applied rhizomatically.
Make secondhand the default.
Any time I need anything, I search eBay, Poshmark, or Facebook Marketplace before resorting to a big box store. Dog toys, hiking pants, Missoni hand towels, vintage Nike workout tops, sewing kits…most of the time I’m not even “searching better” I’m just typing a would-be Amazon search into eBay first. Many times, I don’t find what I’m looking for, but the delights that come from finding something I didn’t even know existed keep me going back.
Alternatively, shop in reverse. Use your Mango/Reformation/Target etc. wishlist as search fodder. Why get these $109 clogs from Zara…
When I found a returnable CERTIFIED FREAKY PAIR for $82 after 5 measly minutes of searching…these even have a peep toe detail a la TORY BURCH RUNWAY FREAKY SHOES!
OR even get the Zara pair of year’s past for $12…
$32 black size 39, $38 size 6 sandal clog, $20 Ugg fur clog size 9 (I have these in purple from high school LOL), $19 suede Gap size 6
Do these eBay items look slightly unappealing under the unforgiving glow of a camera flash in a stranger’s house online? Consider…
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