Used shoes? Yes please.

Bling!

Look at how blinged out these gold high heels are! Can't wait to wear them this summer....bought both pairs (plus two others) in this blog featured at a two for one sale at Lakeshore Rescue Mission Thrift in Grand Haven, MI. If there's anything I love more than vintage rhinestones...it is rhinestones on shoes.

OH! And this bullcrap article popped up on yahoo…

20 things (YAHOO says) you shouldn't buy used. (Whatever).

(By the way, I no longer see the comments on this news article available to read--but boy did I see them when it was first posted. This article got HUGE amounts of negative feedback...almost everyone reading seemed to have the same viewpoint that I do!!!)

I went on a rant about it on the Thrift Trick Facebook page (see the thread here), but I can't believe how ridiculous this article is. YES, we are all smart enough to stay away from used underwear, swimsuits, cosmetics and medicine at thrift stores...I hope.

But shoes, hats, tires, camera lenses? GIVE ME A BREAK! As I griped on the FB page, this insatiable consumer attitude is exactly why our world is in such turmoil.

I mean, seriously, does every human in this world need something that literally just got pried off a plastic mold? Are you really too good for something that has been gently used?

I've been buying and wearing used things for my entire life (I'm 33 years this Friday) with absolutely no ill effect. Yes, I clean my used items well. No, I've never caught any "germs" from anything. I can say with honesty that many purchases that were "new" items have caused me much more grief in the past. Been buying used tires FOREVER. Fantastic! No troubles! Used SLR lens in great shape for cheap? Hell yeah, bring it on! Vintage hats? Yes please. People do know that hats can be sanitized and washed, right? Or tossed in the dryer, sprayed with Lysol, air dried? Germs and parasites are living creatures. They can't live on fabric forever without a host. Duh. (Never found one creepy crawly in any of my clothes or hats secondhand). Oh, but that entails WORK. It would be easier for an underage child in China to just make an entirely new hat, right?

I'm not saying I don't like new things. It's just that I appreciate the character, conservation and usefulness of thrifted, upcycled and recycled items. If you're reading this blog, you're likely of the same mind. If so, do this world a favor, and stand up for the treasure in this world that is not trash!