“This year, almost all the gifts under the tree will be second-hand, or intangible! “. For Camille, there is no longer any question of cluttering the cupboards or buying anything new, with the exception of a bottle of perfume. This 38-year-old Carhaisienne began offering second-hand gifts for birthdays and Christmas in 2021, above all for ecological reasons. “I realized that we were over-consuming new plastic toys to please our son, who didn't care much about the source as long as he could play with them! », summarizes the thirty-year-old, who does not intend to stop there.
“It’s good for the planet”
And she is not the only one, especially to please the youngest. “We, our children, ask us for second-hand gifts for our grandchildren. And we think it’s very good. There are too many things left in attics. The important thing is that the children have fun,” say Mireille and Guy, two retirees who came “on a scouting trip” to the Ti Récup’ resource center, Saint-Antoine area, in Carhaix. “It’s good for the planet. Not to mention that my gift budget is half as high as in previous years,” adds Chloé, 32 years old.
“Giving a second-hand gift is absolutely not a sign of stinginess,” insists Stéphane Perrot, manager of the Chouette Coop store, which, in its premises in the Villeneuve area of Carhaix, offers thousands of cultural items from occasion including a selection of beautiful books. For the latter, the idea is, on the contrary, “to come out with something completely new and break a taboo, consisting of evaluating the symbolic value of a gift with its commercial value”. From Ti Récup' side, this message makes sense. “The idea of giving a second-hand gift is becoming more and more accepted. And it's all the more a nice gift because it's unique,” underlines Marianne Grevès, coordinator of the Ti Récup' mobile branch. “People are less reluctant than before to offer second-hand goods. It must be said that the choice is vast and buyers are not immune to falling in love,” adds Charlotte Legrand, the director of the resource center.
“It’s good for the wallet. It allows you to have fun and add another package under the tree”
…and for the wallet
Still, buying a second-hand gift is also a good way to save money. On December 14, Brigitte, grandmother of two granddaughters, came to stock up on cultural items during the monthly Chouette Coop clearance sale. “It’s good for the wallet. It allows you to have fun and add another package under the tree.” At the end of Ti Recup', Béatrice leaves with her arms full of books, jewelry and toys. “If I bought something new, I would only buy one gift per child,” smiles this grandmother of nine grandchildren.
Also encountered in the premises of the resource center, this other 68-year-old Carhaisian grandmother has spent the last few weeks scouring the Christmas markets to find something to fill packages which, once unwrapped, will make everyone smile on December 25. Morning. “I would never have been able to give so many gifts if I had bought something new, and then I find that it's more personal in the end, precisely because you don't start with an idea in mind. » A bargain-hunting aspect that also interests Emilie, in her forties. “I like this treasure hunting aspect. We tell ourselves that we will perhaps unearth old board games that we would not see elsewhere,” slips the Carhaisienne.
To Note
The Ti Récup' resource center is closed during the Christmas holidays. Reopening on January 3.
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