Author Topic: Does anyone live somewhere with no secondary market?  (Read 1964 times)

rothwem

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Does anyone live somewhere with no secondary market?
« on: July 25, 2019, 10:59:09 AM »
I lived in a larger city in my state up until about a year ago, when I moved out to the mountains for a job change.  Overall, its been a positive change--the mountain biking is AWESOME, the scenery is gorgeous, and I even like the job that I took.  However, one aggravating thing is that I just can't get rid of anything.  Craigslist here is totally dead, and so is Facebook marketplace.  I can sell some smaller items on eBay, but anything larger is either impossible to get rid of or has shipping costs that outweigh the item's value. 

I know this seems like an odd complaint, but I used to be able to do like MMM did by using Craigslist as my infinite closet and get rid of stuff I'm not using. I could just buy it again later for about the same amount if I needed/wanted it again.  I can't do that here! It really magnifies the effects of my spending too, for example, if I want to try out a different handlebar or something on my bicycle, I used to be able to buy one used. If I didn't like it, I could just sell it.  I'd like to try using a tablesaw to do some amateur woodworking, but I know that if I were to buy one and I just wasn't a good woodworker, that stupid saw would sit in my garage until I gave it to the re-store.  Here, I basically have to buy all of my gear brand new, and if I don't like it, it either sits in my basement or I have to just give it away. 

I think a lot of it is related to income disparity--out here there's the super rich that buy 8000 square foot "cabins" in gated communities and only use them in the summer, and those that are just scraping by waiting tables for those cabin owners.  Either way, nobody is buying used recreational gear. 

Anyways, I'm not sure what I'm asking here, more just venting, but if anyone has any suggestions, I'm open to hear them. 

former player

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Re: Does anyone live somewhere with no secondary market?
« Reply #1 on: July 25, 2019, 11:04:55 AM »
Yes, I'm in a rural area that's somewhat out on a limb and unless something is high value very few people are going to bother coming out.  I don't try selling any more, and rarely bother with buy nothing sites on line.  Best answer for me has been to find local charity events that have bric-a-brac stalls and jumble sales and donate to those.

mozar

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Re: Does anyone live somewhere with no secondary market?
« Reply #2 on: July 25, 2019, 11:23:53 AM »
I'm sure there's a secondary market but it's probably through personal connections rather than online.

rothwem

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Re: Does anyone live somewhere with no secondary market?
« Reply #3 on: July 25, 2019, 12:58:37 PM »
Why not just donate what you arent using to help out some of those lower income mountain dwellers. You're helping others in your community and can give yourself a big for that.

Good thought.  We have donated a few items after they've sat on craigslist/fb for a while. 

I'm more worried about the effect on my personal optimization of goods though.  Ideally, I'd have everything I need, and nothing that I don't.  The problem is, in order to figure out what you need to own, you need to own something usually.  And once you own something that you can't get rid of without giving it away, the cost for your learning experience is the cost of the item, rather than the cost minus resale value as it should be.  For someone that is always trying to optimize their situation, and thus trying new things, this increased transaction cost has really started to bother me. 

LifeHappens

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Re: Does anyone live somewhere with no secondary market?
« Reply #4 on: July 25, 2019, 01:31:23 PM »
I just moved away from a place like that. Most of the homes are seasonal and are sold furnished, so people generally aren't looking for "stuff."

If you are most interested in a certain category of items, like bike parts, you might look for swap meets or clubs. If it's just general "stuff" you'll probably have to travel to places with flea markets, etc for selling.

jpdx

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Re: Does anyone live somewhere with no secondary market?
« Reply #5 on: July 26, 2019, 01:02:36 AM »
This is a really good point for people to consider when running the numbers on rural vs city living. Having access to a robust used marketplace can save you a lot of money.

Hirondelle

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Re: Does anyone live somewhere with no secondary market?
« Reply #6 on: July 26, 2019, 02:57:40 AM »

Good thought.  We have donated a few items after they've sat on craigslist/fb for a while. 

I'm more worried about the effect on my personal optimization of goods though.  Ideally, I'd have everything I need, and nothing that I don't.  The problem is, in order to figure out what you need to own, you need to own something usually.  And once you own something that you can't get rid of without giving it away, the cost for your learning experience is the cost of the item, rather than the cost minus resale value as it should be.  For someone that is always trying to optimize their situation, and thus trying new things, this increased transaction cost has really started to bother me.

Wait, whut? I'd say it's the other way around. If you don't have stuff and you do fine without you don't need it. No need to 'try out' first by owning it for a while. Just don't get stuff in the first place and the amounts of reselling you'll need to do will plummet :)

Cranky

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Re: Does anyone live somewhere with no secondary market?
« Reply #7 on: July 26, 2019, 05:05:43 AM »
Somewhere out there there is a giant flea market, or a bulletin board at the local grocery store, or an annual bike club swap. People trade stuff around even out in the sticks.

Uturn

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Re: Does anyone live somewhere with no secondary market?
« Reply #8 on: July 26, 2019, 05:42:51 AM »
Look for clubs.  I'm assuming you are near Asheville.  There are woodworking and maker clubs there, and I can only assume there are some cycling clubs. 

BlueHouse

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Re: Does anyone live somewhere with no secondary market?
« Reply #9 on: July 26, 2019, 07:48:28 AM »
On a much smaller geographic scale, I lived somewhere similar. 
I lived in Reston, VA where people are interested in economy, thrift, environment, and have a sharing mentality.  The town was designed for that, so up until recently, the vast majority of residents really did share those values.  Freecycle was fantastic for giving things away.  You could put garbage on that list and someone always wanted it and would help you haul it away.  But if you wanted something, Freecycle was the worst.  Yeah, you could get a half-eaten box of Kashi, or an opened container of vinegar, but that's about it. 

I worked and had family in the next county over.  1 mile from a Costco.  You could get a 2-month brand new sectional sofa in perfect condition because the owner wanted something new.  You could get thousands of dollars worth of furniture, or equipment, or sporting goods because it was "too much trouble" to get it hauled away.  But you could not get anyone to take away any of YOUR stuff. 

So I used my account to give and my family member's account to take.  Perfect solution.  I am still amazed by the disparity in those two freecycle groups which were just 10 miles apart. 


 

Wow, a phone plan for fifteen bucks!