What Would You Never Even Consider Buying Used?

I gave an interview yesterday for an article about The Compact, (buy nothing new movement) and holiday gift giving.

The reporter wanted to know what my Compact exceptions were, and I gave her my memorized list which is:

• Bras
• Underwear
• Socks
• Cat litter scoops
• Pyrex
• Harmonicas

This isn’t to say that I haven’t occasionally bought other items that were brand new, but this is the core list of my get out of Compact free things. The bra, socks, and underwear are pretty self explanatory, but the cat litter scoop and harmonica are from specific occasions. The Pyrex is the one category where the big picture, (want to move away from storing food in plastic) outweighs the buy nothing newgoal. I would certainly buy used Pyrex leftover containers (with snap-on lids) used, but they’re hard to find.

The journalist wanted to know what other people’s Compact exceptions were, and I kind of drew a blank. I posted a query on the Compact Yahoo group and the answers are starting to trickle in.

Home improvement items, unmentionables, office supplies and shoes are showing up on the listserve, which brings me to the questions:

What would you never even consider buying used?

Are you okay with used shoes, but need your pillows to be new? Would you have no problem with used books, but magazine have to be fresh from the news stand?

Please share what your Compact exceptions would be in the comments section below.

Katy Wolk-Stanley

“Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without.”