Nothing New: a history of second-hand

On a trip to England with the Australian overs 70s cricket team in 2018, as well as watching the cricket there was opportunity to explore the aea where the games were being played. On this trip many of the WAGs (wives and girlfriends) regularly spent much time exploring charity shops (opportunity shops or op-shops in Australia).

In Nothing New: a history of second hand, Robin Annear provides a history of the trend for purchasing and sometimes repurposing second hand items, not just in Australia but developments in other countries. Second hand clothing for general wear or fancy dress immediately springs to mind but the author also looks at scrap metal yards, antique and vintage stores, lost and found, recycling, trash and treasure markets, garage sales as well as the growth and operation of of op-shops.This is not just a study of second hand goods today but a history of how used goods have been collected, distributed and sold for hundreds of years. The concept of second-hand is definitely not new.