With the holidays rapidly approaching, and Black Friday sales just around the corner, gift shopping is top of mind for many of us this time of year. Something that isn’t always top of mind when gift shopping, however, is buying secondhand, but there are actually many great reasons to shop used for the holidays! Here are just a few:

Find something really unique

This is one of my favorite things about shopping secondhand. Obviously, there’s some stuff that you are only ever going to be able to find used, like a Gunne Sax prairie dress or a sought-after first edition book. But besides those extra special items, some of the more mundane-seeming options can be just as unique or special, like a lesser-known work by your friend’s favorite author, or a book you’ve never heard of but that you just know your spouse will love. As a fan of some really obscure/critically panned sci-fi movies, I know that many of my favorite stories are ones that few people have ever heard of.

Keep it eco-friendly

Buying second hand benefits the environment as well. Every year, tons (literally) of perfectly good clothing, books, toys, and more are thrown away, wasting not only the materials used to make them but also the land where they’re dumped. Buying used goods keeps them out of landfills and helps extend the life of products that shouldn’t be thought of as disposable in the first place. Some of the books in our collection are over a hundred years old and still going strong.

Find great quality items for less

Some people consider secondhand goods to be synonymous with poor quality, worn out, or useless items, but that isn’t necessarily true. Right now at GBE, we have dozens of like-new hardcovers available for half the retail price (or less), and that’s how we price the rest of our used stock too. While we do carry some new books by local and indie authors at retail price, and some more expensive rare books, 90-95% of our stock consists of high quality used books that won’t break the bank. So instead of shelling out $28 for one new hardcover, you could gift a whole stack of great secondhand reads for the same price.

Support a small business or charity

Another great reason to shop secondhand for the holidays is that you can support small businesses and charities while doing so. From small curated thrift brands like Roslyn Company, to nonprofits like the Habitat for Humanity Restore, to local-first shops like GBE, there are so many options that can help keep your money buying small, local, for charity, or all three!

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These are just a few reasons to consider shopping secondhand for some of your gifts this year! So if your gift lists includes a book lover or two, consider stopping by our cozy storefront and browsing our great selection of used, rare, local, and indie books.