It pays to go second hand – even when you want to buy a dog, says Christa Ackroyd

Seventies studio pottery is making a come back and you could have filled your kitchen cabinets for a few pounds each. A rail of beautiful kimonos, original and fabulous, was causing a stir. I remember wearing one of my grandad’s brought back from Japan to many a party or even as a dressing down and so to see them hanging on a rack was a thrill and meant I couldn’t resist trying one on. Stuff we would have once considered out of date and only fit for the rag and bone man (remember him) is now selling like hot cakes and guess who is buying them ? Our savvy young people, that’s who. Not only is it eco friendly to buy second hand, it is something they are tremendously proud of, particularly young women who are snapping up second hand clothes especially second hand men’s clothes and wearing tweed jackets, vintage shirts even men’s corduroy trousers several sizes too big. And looking fabulous in them too.

Charity shops are the new boutiques. Selling sites such as Ebay and Vinted have never been busier and what’s more I know of at least two people who are doing a Secret Santa for £20 a person with only one criteria it has to be bought from a charity shop, which is good news for them and good news for the planet. Not only have I embraced the new trend, I always have. Having a wardrobe clear out is a cathartic exercise and one I don’t do often enough. But last year I took bag after bag to my favourite designer nearly-new shop in Ilkley. (That’s the trick if you are buying second hand go to the posh places for your search). In doing so I sold almost £1,000 worth, incredible isn’t it ? Which of course meant I could buy more (second hand of course) guilt free. What didn’t sell went straight to the charity shops I frequent in Lindley near Huddersfield where hospices and others make good money to support their good work. In fact after I had been with a bin liner bursting with stuff I no longer wore I went with another load a week later only to find they had all been snapped up in a couple of days. Which means someone somewhere is wearing a news reader’s jacket I no longer have use for. Which is a giggle in itself.

I have also been refreshing my holiday cottage on the North York moors which means my husband and the delivery man have both been saying the same thing.. not more parcels. But with careful planning and several hours a day trawling through my saved searches online I have bought wallpaper (it’s amazing how many people have a couple of rolls left over) five pairs of curtains that look like new, some of them pure silk, for around £50 a pair, furniture (always check the fire labels), even cans of paint that would have cost hundreds for less than half price. The secret is to know what you want and search for it long before you need it. And take pleasure in the money you have saved. And we all need to do that this year and next, don’t we?

But do you know what my favourite second hand purchase of the year has been? My new little dog. And this is what I really want to tell you about this week, particularly if you are planning to buy one. After 14 happy active years a couple of weeks ago we had to make the heartbreaking decision to let our big girl, our former West Yorkshire police German Shepherd, Ona, go. As every pet owner will know it leaves a devastating hole in the family, but it was our little dog who felt it the most. Spenceley, our little Lhasa, was devastated and spent day after day looking for his former playmate. Bewildered and with his tail down we decided he needed a new friend. And so we contacted a rescue group and, hey ho, Coco has come into our lives. And what a bundle of fun she is too. I don’t suppose we will ever know why she was up for rehoming. At five months she is adorable and the cleverest pup we have ever had. Perhaps she was the only one of the litter left because of a little hernia we will get fixed. But I know she is not alone.

Lockdown led to ridiculous prices being charged for puppies, hundred even thousands of pounds more than you would pay in normal circumstances, as people sought companionship in isolation. What has happened now, as the world returns to normal, is that hundreds of those puppies are being offloaded.

It may sound harsh to call them second hand but that is what they are. As the old advert says puppies are not just for Christmas (or lockdown) they are for life, and coupled with the cost of living crisis many dog owners are giving up their pets for a number of reasons from financial to a change in circumstances. As a result dog charities and online groups such as ours are inundated with pets that are unwanted. And that’s sad, but not for us, as we are now the proud owners of a little black ball of fluff. Bought for hundreds of pounds less than we would have had to pay a couple of years ago but with no papers and no injection history we took the risk to rehome her. Well it wasn’t really a risk. Having met her with the lovely Ann who was fostering her, it was love at first sight for both of us and what’s more it feels as if she has always been here. Rescue dogs are the best dogs. It is as if they are all the more determined to make a place in your home and in your heart, both of which Coco has filled in such a short space of time. So if you are thinking of getting a dog look no further. There are thousands out there that need your help.

As money tightens, more and more people are turning to second hand goods as a way of making ends meet. But trust me once you have been there you will never go back. Anyway have to go now .. am travelling to Chesterfield to pick up some curtain poles. Now all I need is a new rug. Happy hunting.