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Sellers on eBay and other resale marketplaces sometimes describe the items they’re selling as “like new,” the implication being not only that the items are not smelly or damaged but that secondhand is second best. However, some resale items are from an era when things may have been better made, or are from brands that many consumers couldn’t afford to buy new, so perhaps it should come as no surprise that many consumers believe used items are better than new ones.
More than half of consumers (51%) agree with the statement that “secondhand items are typically higher quality than newly produced items sold at retailers today,” according to a new report from OfferUp, a resale marketplace for local transactions (à la Craigslist).
When it comes specifically to apparel, 62% of respondents agreed with the notion that secondhand options “offer better quality for the price compared to items bought new from new at retail;” 53% said the same about secondhand furniture and home goods.
If that sounds like a big shift—and a recent one—it’s because it apparently is. More than 7 in 10 respondents (72%) said the stigma around resale has lessened in the past year.
New to used: Resale is growing on both the supply and demand side, with 35% of respondents saying they either bought or sold a used item for the first time in the last year, an 8% increase over those who reported being first-timers a year ago.
More than half (52%) of respondents report being active on three or more resale websites, with 77% visiting at least once a week and 29% visiting five or more times weekly.
The survey of 1,500 US consumers was conducted by Pollfish on behalf of OfferUp in July.
While the survey helps chronicle the momentum of resale, it’s still apt to be a long time before retailers start promoting new items as “like used.”