Lorna at Vicenza

I'm not sure about you guys, but up here where once upon a time second hand was seriously frowned upon as cheap and dirty and poor ........... Facebook selling means everything is now worth hundreds or thousands because it is vintage (pronounced vin- tah-gg).

Finknottle

Better than the "pre luvved" heard on US TV recently!

philat98

In my small village a resident dies almost every day. Probably there is a mountain of pre loved stuff somewhere ready to be sold on facebook. Looking at the estate agents details most houses contain the same things.. Apart from regular furniture the emphasis is on religious souvenirs. I am surprised Oxfam or Save the Children havent set up shop in Italy.

modicasa

Here they havent quite grasped the concept of second hand. A kitchen that has been in and used for 10 years is on facebook at 10 euros less than the new version, sometimes they ask more for second hand than new. Unfortunately Italian law doesnt allow charity shops because of the VAT rules - its incredibly complicated, the only way you can do it is set up an association, but obviously big charities are companies, so it doesnt work.

Lorna at Vicenza

Apart from ridiculously priced "vintage" items, I see a lot of stuff up for sale 'per errato acquisto'. Now I understand that clothes or shoes bought off internet might not be the right fit, but a fridge or a table? How is that a mistake? Surly people measure spaces properly before buying something big or expensive? There's also a lot of stuff that is 'usato poco' or 'quasi nuovo' and it's only a euro or two cheaper than buying the same thing brand new.

Plan B

I find it strange that the asking prices for used cars seem so much closer to new car prices than in the UK. This is not a recent thing and is not affected by the very recent covid-related short-term supply problems (particularly for chips) for many vehicles.
Another thing that bugs me is the lack off clarity of pricing. Whereas a car dealership or used car lot in the UK would have prices openly displayed on the vehicles, it doesn't seem to be the case in my neck of the woods in Italy. The last time I went to a local used car lot, where no prices were displayed, I was asked how much I wanted to spend and was told that they would show me what was available at that amount. The general lack of clarity of pricing seems to be an attempt to stifle competition. Knowledge can be powerful, for those that have it, so if the public can be held in ignorance of the open-market price level of an item then the seller retains the advantage. This applies to other products and services which are offered but without showing their prices; you have to send either an email inquiry or call for further information. Most frustrating.

Pollyana

Don't knock it till you've tried it my friend!
I'm currently selling random, brand new stuff like frying pans (ordered for a hob which now isn't in use), a TV (bought before I discovered the problems with aerial sockets here and settled for just my laptop), an Ikea bookcase(bought for my Aussie flat, never assembled, still in box and now not needed), winter coats (bought by my mum who never wore them and now rarely goes out) I offer them at only a few quid below the original purchase, might haggle over a pound or two. All kinds of reasons for odd stuff being for sale, and I've found a lot of people here prefer to buy stuff off gumtree or facebook rather than new as they know they are helping someone out, rather than just feathering the nests of the big stores!!
Mum and I have just listed a whole pile on ebay of old guidebooks and souvenir booklets from the 1970s, for castles, churches, zoos etc. Putting the date of the guide seems to be a very good way of selling fast and people are snapping up "vintage" guides to wildlife parks and Welsh castles. All clearly not current info, prices in some are pre-decimal, some are a bit the worse for wear, but the nostalgia value wins every time! This week's sales include Blue Peter annuals from the 1970s - remember those? an unashamedly tatty but definitely vintage 1960s guide to Bristol Zoo and several unused, as new crossword magazines - from the 1980s

campos

Your Aussie flat? You shipped from OZ?

mikelincs

In the UK there is an actual 'Pre Loved' site, have used it to both buy and sell

campos

My first wife was pre-loved.

Pollyana

Bought it in AUs intending to build and use it, Circumstances then meant I moved back to the UK several years earlier then planned, so it went in with everything else, intending to build it here. I don't need it in this flat, so up for sale it went! Now sold and got my money back on the original price