The Guardian's lifestyle section Filter recently asked readers to share their "best secondhand haul," and the responses ranged from furniture and rugs to clothing and ceramic ornaments, with prices from £2.5 to several dozen pounds.

Among furniture finds, reader Fiona bought an Ercol sofa bed in need of repair on eBay for £50; after re-webbing the frame and replacing the cushions, it is now both attractive and comfortable. Reader Anthea bought an Edwardian mahogany dining table 30 years ago at a price far below that of a new one; she later found four Victorian balloon-back chairs, and after reupholstering them the total cost exceeded that of the table—today these pieces have become family heirlooms.

Rugs are a standout category for value in the secondhand market. Reader Eileen de Quadra bought a "stunning" rug for £5 at a charity shop in Newcastle; Filter's production editor Emily Goddard picked up a rug, possibly in the Ushak style, for about £30 at an antiques shop in Wendover—though without a label the wool content cannot be confirmed, the colors are rich and the texture soft. Filter contributor Lucy Pavia also bought a 19th-century French ceramic dairy bowl for £40 at a Yorkshire flea market, using it in winter to plant bulbs.

On the clothing side, Filter fashion writer Peter Bevan bought an oversized navy pinstripe Gucci shirt for about $60 at a small secondhand shop in San Francisco; commissioning editor Millie Fender bought a 1990s Liz Claiborne brown suede jacket on Vinted for £20 (offset with account credit, which she calls "basically free"); Guardian lifestyle writer Leah Harper bought a white Champion T-shirt for £5 at a pop-up vintage market above a pub, plus a £2.50 entry fee; and Lucy bought a red men's lumberjack shirt in Paris for €5—the thick cotton gets softer with every wash, and it is now reserved for gardening, since the chest pocket is perfect for a seed packet and secateurs. Online secondhand platforms are also used for children's clothing: Bevan mentions buying nearly new Nike sneakers on Vinted for £7.20. In addition, reader Monica Horridge bought a ceramic duck at a charity shop about 20 years ago for £2; it has been called the "salt duck" by her roommate and husband ever since, and still sits by the stove holding Maldon sea salt.

For China's used-clothing export and secondhand circulation industry, this callout contains no direct commercial data, but it offers a real demand-side portrait of the UK market for secondhand furniture, vintage clothing and online resale platforms such as Vinted—price-sensitive, fragmented across categories, and valuing condition and story—which is precisely the consumer psychology that keeps secondhand fashion popular in mature markets.

Source: Vintage Gucci, a £5 rug and a salt duck: your best secondhand finds · Originally published 2026-09-21