Inside: Between economic uncertainty and a world full of too much stuff, second-hand gifts need to make a serious comeback. Here are 15 second-hand gift ideas for Christmas, birthdays or any other occasion, plus what second-hand items NOT to give.
This is a guest post from Brandi at Chicken Scratch Diaries.
Second-hand gifts are becoming more popular than ever, and we’re here for it!
Now, before you balk at the idea of a “used” gift and run to the nearest Marshall’s instead, hear me out: second-hand gifts are truly one of the most thoughtful ways to celebrate someone.
One study showed Americans spend around $10 billion in gifts every year that are unwanted! While some people regift, return or resell those items, around 16% of those gifts are simply thrown away.
We can surely do better.
By carefully choosing thoughtful, useful second-hand gifts, we can all take steps to curb our influencer-fueled spending, and give gifts that make a positive impact in more ways than one.
Where to Find the Best Second-Hand Gifts
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Some of my favorite second-hand finds have come from our local thrift stores. You’d be surprised at how many new/name brand OR vintage/antique items are donated that are crazy cheap at the thrift store — along with practical everyday items (which we’ll detail in this post).
If your local thrift store leaves a lot to be desired, you can try…
- Yard sales,
- flea markets,
- Facebook Marketplace,
- consignment stores,
- Ebay,
- Poshmark, and/or
- Mercari.
If you’re looking for a particular brand (for instance, I love Portland Leather Goods), many brands have buy/sell/trade groups on Facebook. You’ll often find better deals there than with other resale sites since there are no platform fees when buying directly from a group member.
(Just follow the group rules and pay with Paypal Goods & Services whenever possible, to protect yourself.)
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Second-Hand Gifts to Potentially Avoid
There are some second-hand items that I steer clear of, especially if I’m giving them as a gift. This includes things like:
- Any clothing with a stain or hole (inspect it well!)
- Sheets, towels, bedding items
- Household items that might be dangerous / too outdated (like my vintage waffle iron that caught on fire)
- Collectibles : Unless you’re SURE your person collects and wants it
- Things with potential missing pieces: puzzles, complicated small appliances…if you’re not 100% sure, it’s not worth the hassle.
- Anything that could harbor pests, including furniture items. If it’s not easy to inspect and requires more than simple cleaning, it’s not worth infesting your house or someone else’s.
15 Perfect Second-Hand Gift Ideas
In this post, we’re covering 15 second-hand gift ideas to get the creative juices flowing for your next gift-giving adventure.
And be sure to read to the end, where we’ll share tips for how to give a previously-loved item, and who to give it to.
1. Jewelry (and/or Jewelry Tree)
For friends and family (those I’m familiar with their style), and especially kids, second-hand jewelry makes a wonderful gift.
You can find it at estate sales and yard sales for best prices. Learn how to clean antique & vintage jewelry to make it look like new.
Beautiful costume jewelry can also be found in abundance at thrift stores!
2. Bags / Purses
I mentioned my love for Portland Leather Goods. I found a great deal on a leather tote bag for my mom’s birthday last year in one of their Facebook buy/sell/trade groups.
Leather laptop bags, catch-all tote bags or even a nice handbag if it’s well-made and clean, are great for gifting. I’ve also gifted a nice handbag found on Poshmark, purchased in a bundle for 70% off its current online price at Macy’s.
3. Planters
If you have a plant-loving friend, they will definitely appreciate thrifted planters, especially bigger beautiful ones.
You could give this gift with a plant in it and/or a plant hanger. You can find both on Etsy, or you can propagate one of your own or handmake a plant hanger.
4. Kids’ Toys
So many toys, so little time! Think…
- Easy Bake Ovens,
- Leapfrog learning toys,
- Collectible dolls,
- Drawing easels,
- Telescopes,
- LEGO,
- Dress up clothes,
- Play kitchens,
- Train tables and accessories.
These are things I often spy in thrift stores and at yard sales, like new.
Second-hand toys are one of the best gift ideas for toddlers and younger children as they use them for such a short time, and won’t know the difference between new and used.
If you buy games or puzzles, just make sure all the pieces are included!
Some thrift stores mark them as complete (or not). Other times you’re better off just buying thrifted games that are new and unopened.
5. Books
Books are my personal favorite item to shop for at thrift stores, and also to give to my book-loving friends. Hardcovers tend to hold up better, but if you find a paperback in good condition, that could also work.
Look for newer titles in niches you know your gift-recipient would enjoy. Or, think of coffee table books such as hardcover art or home decor books.
You could also give vintage editions of old favorites. Or if you know they’re collecting books from a series, but are missing books 2 and 5, you could give those.
6. Home Decor
Home decor is a great idea for new homeowners, college students moving into an apartment or friends you know well.
I like to look for cute faux plants, mirrors and clocks that are pretty timeless in design but would otherwise be expensive to purchase new.
Idea: Thrift a picture frame, buy a digital download or print from Etsy that’s super personalized and give that. Perfect for gallery wall creators or someone still in the process of decorating their home.
7. Kitchen Items
I’m always positively floored by the number of dishes and kitchenware at any given thrift store and yard sale. If only we could encourage all newlyweds to ask for mix & match dishes for their weddings! But I digress.
Some small appliances like a KitchenAid Mixer (I found some in great condition on Facebook Marketplace for half the price of new!) or a nice blender will last for years and make the perfect gift for home chefs. Espresso machines and bread makers are also easy to find secondhand for half the price.
Smaller items that are great for gifting include serving trays, glass trinket dishes, utensil holders and of course antique favorites like fermenting crocks.
A Note from June: I can confirm, since I’ve been looking for a Nespresso Vertuo Pop+ machine, and it’s more than half off for a practically brand new one on FB marketplace!
Related: DIY Plant in Mug Gift Idea (with FREE Printable Gift Tags)
8. Hobbies / Collectibles
With the previous warning to make sure you know your gift-recipient well, hobby items and collectibles are some of the easiest gifts to find second-hand.
For instance…
- pocket knives,
- figurines,
- antique sewing implements,
- belt buckles,
- ball cards,
- antique watches,
- records,
- strategy board games,
- puzzles (count the pieces!)
- or old books in titles they love.
Any of these can be a great way to show your attentiveness to someone’s interests.
9. Clothing and Accessories
I have no qualms about gifting clothing or shoes with tags attached. I personally don’t mind giving gently used clothing to my own close friends and family, either.
Buying from places like Poshmark, eBay or consignment stores (very different than thrift stores) can be better options for this category.
Look for current name brands, or popular vintage items that teens might be into. This varies a lot by the season, but last winter this included embroidered sweatshirts, oversized button-up shirts, and “Y2K” jeans.
(Hint: If you didn’t live through a fashion trend, it’s probably cool again.)
It’s even better if you can get some specific ideas from the person you’re buying for, as clothing can be difficult to pick for others unless you know them extremely well.
10. Crafting Supplies
For one of my kids who loves to create, I look for unique supplies that I know she can turn into something new:
- Fabric with interesting or pretty prints
- Letter Tiles
- Buttons
- Lace doilies
- Beads or beaded jewelry
- Picture frames with or without glass
- Blank canvases or painting supplies
If you can collect a variety of these items to gift together, even better!
11. Bikes (and Other Ride-On Toys)
I’m so glad our kids love to ride bikes, but they can be so pricey to purchase new! Thankfully, bicycles are an item kids and families outgrow somewhat quickly, and you can find them on Marketplace or at yard sales in great condition.
Don’t be afraid of bikes that need a little TLC. Local bike shops can usually fix them for a reasonable fee.
Scooters, trikes, hover boards and balance bikes can make great second-hand gifts.
A Note from June: Scooters can also be a great second-hand gift – electric or manual. We found a brand new looking teen-sized Razor scooter for $10 on Facebook marketplace.
12. Computers, Gaming Systems, Smart Watches
Look for “refurbished” on Ebay, Amazon and other resale stores for computers, laptops, Kindle readers, phones and gaming equipment. You could also check Facebook Marketplace
So far we’ve had great luck with items we’ve purchased as refurbished over the years. They typically last as long as “new” electronics, they may just have less bells & whistles as the newer versions.
My teen daughter was given a gently used Apple watch for her birthday. This made it an affordable, useful second-hand gift – and you could never tell it was used.
A Note from June: Especially if you’re buying gaming systems second-hand, make sure to confirm that everything works – game card slots, etc. We once bought a second-hand Nintendo Switch, and game cards did not work, but we forgot to check (thankfully, we own almost everything online).
13. Wooden Furniture Items
Furniture made of REAL wood is so hard to find these days. If you know someone who would love a wooden end table, hutch, kitchen table, etc – this could be a gift that lasts for generations.
We have friends who not only found a beautiful old dresser for us at an auction, but refinished it before giving it to us. What a gift!
I recently found this article helpful for tips on making an old piece of furniture look like new again (with minimal effort).
Do NOT give second-hand fabric furniture items – the risk of things like bed bugs is small, but stick to taking that risk personally, not gifting it.
14. Tools or Tool-Related Gifts
We are firmly in the “everything breaks” stage of home ownership, and I’m totally understanding the thrill of secondhand tools. Heads up, parents to adult children!
Auctions are probably the best place for tools- everything from lawn & garden equipment to household tools. Yard sales or estate sales are another good option.
A few gift ideas based on my own experience would be:
- A nice rotating compost tumbler
- Garden tiller
- A toolbox
- A tall ladder (we’re constantly borrowing one)
- Lawn mower
- Wheelbarrow or lawn cart
- Quality tool sets
- Workbench
- Shop Vac
15. Large appliances
This one is also for parents of adult children: used appliances make stellar Christmas gifts!
Washers and dryers, refrigerators and deep freezers are a huge investment for young people just starting out on their own.
So skip the shopping mall. (Bonus: no fighting for parking spaces.) Get their wish list and go shopping on Marketplace or your local used appliance store this year.
How to Give a Second-Hand Gift
Since there’s typically no box/package for previously owned items, you can be as creative as you’d like when presenting your gift.
When you bundle a few items together, such as small kitchen items, you can simply nest them together or tie them with some colorful raffia ribbon (pictured above) or jute twine.
For clothing items, make sure they’re laundered and ironed if used, then simply fold them flat and wrap in tissue paper (use a sticker or ribbon to secure) before boxing them or placing them in a gift bag.
I try to keep a few cardboard jewelry boxes and earring holders and other nice display boxes / containers in my gift wrap drawer, just for thrifted gift purposes.
Who to Give Second-Hand Gifts To (and Alternatives)
I’m going to drop a disclaimer here that’s probably obvious, but…not everyone will appreciate a second-hand gift.
You probably know the people in your life who will, and who won’t LOVE a gift that doesn’t come in shiny new packaging. And that’s ok.
For those in the latter category, I would recommend gift certificates (only to places you know they shop at or enjoy, such as restaurants.) This could include certificates for experience gifts, too.
Another idea for those folks would be homemade gifts. You’re still curbing consumerism and giving a thoughtful gift. But even those who turn up their noses at second-hand gifts usually appreciate something handmade. Usually. 😉
For everyone else, just know we’re cheering you on as you score your next second-hand awesome gift. Here’s to being part of the second-hand gift revolution!
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