Secondhand

Secondhand

Adult nonfiction
I'm thinking of a largely unregulated business that involves
smuggling, law breaking, international alliances, and now and then the
Mafia. If you're guessing the marketing of drugs or weapons you are
also right. But I'm thinking of the movement of secondhand goods
around the world. As someone who acquires nearly all that I need or
want from yard sales and thrift shops, I thought I knew the world of
secondhand. Only it turns out what I didn't know would fill a book.
Luckily in Secondhand: Travels In The New Global Garage Sale Adam
Minter has created that book.
"Between 1967 and 2017, the money that Americans spent annually
on stuff--from sofas to cell phones--increased almost twentyfold.
Some of that stuff will become treasured heirlooms worthy of future
generations. Some will be buried in landfills, turned to ash by
incinerators, or--in some rare cases--recycled into new goods and
heirlooms..."
In 2014 Minter's Junkyard Planet introduced readers to the
international scrap recycling business. He had mixed feelings about
the letters and invitations he was receiving. Rather than relating to
industrial recycling processes, they were discoursing on more intimate
reuse and resale of no longer wanted objects.
Then the subject became more personal for Minter himself. His
mother died. He and his sister, grown up with families of their own,
inhabited small spaces.
"Our problem wasn't unique. Around the world, questions about
what to do with the material leftovers of a life are becoming as much
a part of the mourning process as the funeral. There's so much, and
the children all live somewhere else. Who's to clean it out?"
Most of Minter's mother's worldly possessions were donated to
Goodwill. He believed that they would be put to good use. But, being
a consumate researcher at heart, he wanted to verify his belief. When
he turned to government data it was lacking. That meant he had to
travel around the world to places where people collected, fixed, and
sold discarded things. In Secondhand he takes you with him and
introduces you to the people who make livings from extending the lives
of our discards and the places where this happens. It is a
fascinating journey. Among the many insights I gleaned along the way,
two in particular stand out in my mind:
The first was the sheer complexity of the worldwide trade. The
shirt I drop off at a thrift shop may end up, not in Penobscot County
or even Maine, but half the world away in Ghana. Even rags that are
created from garments that have been downgraded from wearable can be
shipped across oceans. Consumers in countries with rising standards
of living will opt for new items, decreasing the demand for second
hand goods that will increasingly end up in landfills or incinerated,
which is so not good for our planet.
The second is that much of what we learn about secondhood goods
reflects American biases. Minter wants us to take a second look at
the scene of Africans processing used computers. We've been taught
that it's an evil caused by developed countries dumping electronic
debris rather than dutifully recycling componants. He would have us
see it as people with agency and ingenuity extending the life of
products for people who could not afford first hand items.
A lot of people complain that Goodwill is too pricey in contrast
to other thrifts and wonder why. Now I know. They've changed their
modus operendi. When I was a kid they were known for hiding the
handicapped. Now they raise funds so that people with disabilities
and other vocational liabilities can be trained and enabled to find
jobs in the real world. To do so they have to employ a business
rather than charity model to keep up the level of funding required.
That is just one of the conversation worthy gems I also gleaned.
Secondhand is a must read for anyone who wants to see used goods
incorporated into a much more sustainable global economy or simply is
curious about where things end up after passing through the Goodwill
donations door.
On a purrrsonal note, nearly all my possessions that are not gifts are
acquired second hand. This year I did buy a well made, good looking
jacket that proclaims my proclaims my educational program. It's
something I plan to wear a long time on a regular basis. (I am hoping
that the mother of the bride dress Amber plans to buy me is not too
ornate to use after the wedding as professional or fancy wear.) But
otherwise, hello, Goodwill.
I know that an available alternative would be to create a small
wardrobe of sustainably sourced pieces. This week a friend was
wearing cute virtuous overalls. But $50! Way out of my league. I
actually considered that option during one election season. I toured
a whole shop of virtuous garments and realized that even if I had the
cash I wouldn't because they were all so bland and boring. I want
clothes that reflect my playful, vibrant inner self rather than make
me look like a Susan Collins wannabe And, yes, I have the sin of
vanity. I love it when the undergrads say stuff like "Where did you
get those silver high tops?" or "I love all your cat shirts"
I am also aware of all the books urging a minimalist home.
(Minter says they inspire much more admiration than emulation.)
Thanks, but no thanks! I would be so not inspired by a monk's cell
decor. The treasures in my studio bring me joy and jump start my
creativity. And for many I am extending their usefulness. Can you
imagine our landfills if we all went Marie Kondo?
A great big shout out goes out to all who are working on ways to make
the world of second hand a vibrant and viable part of a truly
sustainable global economy.
Jules and Tobago Hathaway



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