Researcher Cindy Isenhour featured in UMaine Today article “Secondhand Chic”
For the full article in UMaine Today go to Secondhand Chic
Cultural anthropologist digs into the roots and relevance of Maine’s reuse economy, and its sustainability value
For many summer visitors, the thrill of the hunt is part of the Maine vacation experience.
That might mean stopping at a renovated chicken barn to find a used book for afternoons lounging by the lake or visiting antique stores in search of the perfect lamp to complete the interior design of a summer home.
But for many Maine residents, the exchange of secondhand goods plays a more practical role in everyday living, from back-to-school clothes shopping at consignment stores and thrift shops, to trading in bikes and skis that children have outgrown at swap-and-sell events, to scanning Facebook Marketplace or the printed publication Uncle Henry’s for furniture, or holding a yard sale to earn a little extra pocket cash…
“I really do think it comes back to this idea of thrift and ingenuity. The cool thing here in Maine is that it’s not shameful at all for most people to shop secondhand. Instead, if you find something really good, it’s like bragging rights: ‘You won’t believe what I found.’”