I used to purchase almost anything used or secondhand, but not anymore.
First off, I am very careful about any chenille sweaters, because I've frequently seen that type of garage sale sweater virtually self-destruct the first time I wash it - and I do not appreciate cleaning all that chenille LINT from the dryer, and then having to immediately clean out my washer, too --- run it through at least once entirely EMPTY with several cups of bleach.
I have NO idea why anyone would put deteriorating falling apart clothing into their garage sale - but I sure do not appreciate paying a buck or two for a sweater that looks fine, only to realize hours later, after wasting bleach & hot water and spending time & energy carefully cleaning out the dryer that there are people who knowingly put such DUD merchandise in their sales and actually feel fine about accepting money for this worn out crap that should have gone to the landfill, not even to a thriftshop.
So I never buy anything made out of soft chenille yarns.
Five years ago I went to several estate sales, all in a row, that obviously were the estates of deceased clinical hoarders.
It was horrifying.
The prices were great - but who wants to purchase any "New"With Tags underwear that the hoarder bought back in the 1960s - I mean come on, now!
I was really appalled, not only that the homes had enough STUFF for ten families of a dozen children each, but that the people running the sales actually were trying to sell old health care items - half bottles of shampoo, hand cream, unfinished open boxes of kleenex.
HOW DISGUSTING.
Who wants to buy anything like that from the home of an obviously CLINICAL HOARDER who never cleaned their house, because there was virtually no room anywhere to clean anything.
Anyway, I still buy lots of items secondhand, but with the exception of books, cds and dvds, I won't buy anything that I cannot clean as soon as I get it home.
It MUST be able to go into the washer/dryer OR be able to be fully submerged in either bleach water or amonia water.
I'm NOT kidding.
At one of those estate sales, I was examining some towels in the bathroom, when I saw something that the SELLERS of the deceased person's goods hadn't noticed when they cleaned the bathroom --- and I suddenly realized, hey wait a second .... many of these estate sales have alot of very unsanitary items from people who had malingering illnesses and couldn't properly clean anything in their environments for YEARS before dying.
So, I am really particular about what I buy, what I bring into my home for my own family, as I do not think it is wise to EVER get any opened personal toiletries, and it they aren't opened I won't buy them either, as I have no idea how old they are, and where all they've been possibly ageing through the years.
Also, I never buy any pillows or any stuffed toys unless I am absolutely certain that they can survive a very hot water wash and hot dryer, and that they are actually worth using all that electricity for.
Seriously. Go look at some photos of dust mites.
