© Unsplash / Charisse Kenion
With the growing awareness of the impact of our fast-fashion, throwaway culture, secondhand is becoming the a normal for eco-conscious shoppers in the GD.
With unique pieces to discover, more affordable prices and a much lower environmental impact compared to buying new, it’s easy to see the attraction. It’s also complemented by the trend of aiming to buy less through reusing or repairing the things we already own, such as visible mending and upcycling.
Check out these local events, shops and initiatives to help you buy more consciously and give a second life to the clothing and items you no longer need. And don’t miss our own Secondhand Saturday event this coming weekend, hosted at the Oddhaus Vintage showroom in Gasperich!
Secondhand events
There are many events around the country where you can find affordable secondhand items, from clothes to furniture and more. These range from community markets, where anyone can reserve a table to sell their things, to pop-ups by local businesses.
March 19th - Secondhand Saturday by Neighbour
Come browse through The Green Library’s secondhand book collection, dress yourself in Pilea’s spring finds, discover upcycled accessories from Dimanche Matin, look around the Oddhaus Vintage showroom and enjoy some treats by Kesselbetrib this Saturday March 19th, 2022. Our cozy secondhand market is an occasion to shop more consciously while also supporting local small businesses with a positive impact.
Luxembourg City Vide Grenier - 1st Sunday of every mont
On April 3rd, Luxembourg City’s monthly ‘vide grenier’ will start up again at Glacis. Unlike the traditional Brocante flea market, this event gives individuals rather than businesses the chance to reserve a table and sell their secondhand items. You’re bound to find a huge variety of items at great prices.
Kanner Floumaart - dates vary by commune
If you’re looking for secondhand kids clothing and accessories, the key words to look out for are “Kanner Floumaart”. Just about every commune organises their own market once or twice a year, and anyone can reserve a table to sell their boxes of outgrown kids’ items. These markets are overflowing with clothing, toys, games and more, often in excellent condition, and are also a great place to meet your neighbours.
Check your local commune’s agenda, or Supermiro for listings around the country.
Upcycling & Repair
Upcycling is the practice of using broken or discarded objects to create ‘new’, one-of-a-kind pieces. By using existing materials, fewer emissions and waste are generated. Upcycling can be used to create unique clothing items or to give old furniture a second life among other things. A number of new initiatives offer workshops in both repairing and upcycling all sorts of items from electronics to clothing.
Repair Café Lëtzebuerg
Do you have a small appliance at home, say a toaster, that could be repaired but you aren’t sure how to do it yourself? Take it to your local Repair Café! Open to all, these free community events feature volunteers who can show you how to repair your household items - everything from electronics to clothing to bicycles.
Lët’z Refashion
This pop-up store by Caritas at Place Royal-Hamilius in Luxembourg City features upcycled and sustainable fashion by designers from around the region, as well as a regular programme of workshops around upcycling and clothing repair. Upcoming topics include upcycling jeans, an intro to crocheting and creating jewellery from textiles.
Benu Couture
Part of Benu Village, an eco-village in Esch-sur-Alzette, Benu Couture’s in-house designers create upcycled clothing and accessories from donated secondhand items.
Dimanche Matin
Unique, upcycled accessories and home decor are Dimanche Matin’s speciality. Found online and run by siblings Jim and Jessica, the brand is inspired by 1970s architecture from the French town they grew up in: La Grande-Motte.
Pop-Up Store
This online shop offers creations by local designers and artists. Their upcycling section showcases upcycled keychains and necklaces from broken skateboards, plastic bags from advertising banners, and lamps made with recycled gin bottles.
KuddelMuddel
The recently opened KuddelMuddel in Dudelange focuses on local, hand-made and upcycled items from Luxembourg. The shop features upcycled furniture, accessories and home decoration alongside other creations.
Digital Inclusion
Not a place to shop, but a place to donate your old electronic devices. Digital inclusion repairs and refurbishes laptops, tablets and smartphones and provides them to refuges free of charge.
Secondhand books
Whether your aim is to read more this year or to be more green, it’s a win-win situation when buying secondhand books. If you’re looking to support some local initiatives when it comes to reading, here are the ones to look out for:
The Green Library
This recently launched secondhand bookshop sells a selection of hand-picked, pre-loved books in English, French, German and Luxembourgish through their online shop. You can also donate or sell your books on consignment. Focusing on convenience and sustainability, the shop delivers the books straight to your door in recycled mailer bags.
Bicherfrenn
The Bicherfrenn secondhand bookshops are located in Bourglinster and Wiltz and are run by volunteers. The NGO operates on donations and sells a kilogram of books for just €4! Books are available in English, French, German and Luxembourgish.
Walfer Bicherdeeg Secondhand Book Market
The annual Walferdange secondhand book market will take place on the 19th and 20th of November, 2022. The market hosts an incredible amount of affordable, pre-loved books alongside food trucks, talks and workshops for fellow bookworms.
Furniture
Secondhand furniture has been a favourite for many generations. Also dubbed ‘vintage’, older, unique pieces have always been in style due to their scarcity and the generally more intricate designs that stand in contrast with modern mass-produced furniture.
Oddhaus Vintage
This vintage showroom located in Gasperich offers offbeat vintage furniture and decoration with a modern Scandinavian twist. Carefully curated to bring a vintage charm and unexpected touch to the modern home, Oddhaus aims to make vintage accessible to all with affordable pieces and an online shop.
Subtile
Subtile, located in Belair, mixes antiques, vintage and contemporary pieces to help you achieve a unique interior. They combine sustainable design with vintage and modern furniture from different styles, eras and origins.
Rob Vintage
Rob Vintage originally opened its doors in 1957 as the first design store in Luxembourg. They turned to selling vintage in 2012 and now stock an array of vintage furniture, lighting and accessories. Their showroom is located in Hollerich but they also have a selection of their pieces that can be viewed online.
Okkasiounsbuttik
Located at the Belval Plaza in Esch-sur-Alzette, the Okkasiounsbuttik sells secondhand furniture with hopes of giving old pieces a new life. The shop is open Monday-Friday and has affordable pieces. They even offer some creative, upcycled pieces and sell items at half the price for people on social benefits.
TROC
Found in Esch-sur-Alzette, the TROC depot sells and buys an array of furniture, electronics, tools, multimedia, books, and instruments. You never know what treasures you’ll stumble upon there!
Secondhand fashion
While rewearing what you already own is the most eco-friendly option, buying secondhand comes in close second. Fashion production makes up 10% of all carbon emissions globally - that’s more than maritime shipping and flights combined! Luckily the Luxembourgish fashion scene is slowly changing, making room for more sustainable, affordable options, and RTL Today has a great series of articles highlighting some of these shops. Here are a few more to add to the list:
Lena
This secondhand shop focuses on luxury clothing and accessory brands for women. People can buy secondhand items in-store or equally sell their items with the shop.
Vintage Mood by The Red Cross
Vintage Mood, run by The Red Cross charity, sells secondhand clothes and furniture in Hesperange. The shop operates on donations and profits go to raising money to buy clothes for the disadvantaged.
Secondhand4kids
This shop in Ettelbruck offers a wide range of secondhand clothes and accessories for babies and kids at affordable prices. Look out for their Kasecha truck, which makes regular stops in front of different creches in the north of the country.
Online
The internet is full of platforms ready to help you sell your clutter, buy secondhand items at discounted prices and find the best services to repair your broken equipment.
Benu-Reuse Platform
The Benu Reuse Platform helps promote a circular economy in Luxembourg by letting you donate or search for secondhand items from furniture, construction materials, multimedia and more. The platform also facilitates the transport of the items to their new owner.
Flecken a Leinen
The online platform for repair and rental services in Luxembourg, Flecken a Leinen, does just that: lists all of the repair and rental services throughout Luxembourg for you to contact. With their easy-to-use and intuitive website, companies are listed with their contact information, opening hours, languages spoken and a small bio.
Kid2Kid
Kid2Kid is a secondhand marketplace for families in Luxembourg. The online shop sells pre-used children’s clothes, toys and books for up to 90% off. Parents can also equally sell items their children have grown out of through the website.
Facebook secondhand groups
There are numerous Facebook groups in Luxembourg dedicated to selling and buying secondhand items:
Luxembourg Second Hand Flea Market
Second Hand Electronics Luxembourg
Neighbour Magazine
Neighbour Magazine is a new English-language print and digital magazine that encourages sustainable and regenerative living with a focus on Luxembourg and the Greater Region. Order your copy of Issue 1 or get an annual subscription at www.neighbour-magazine.com
