Denmark's Big and Wonderful Second Hand Economy

Hello and welcome to the How to Live in Denmark podcast. I'm Kay Xander Mellish. I missed a gala opening last week. It wasn't of an opera or a nightclub, but of Copenhagen's big new Genbrug Center, a place set up by the local government where people can leave stuff they don't want and other people can take it for free. The party seems to have been a hit. I saw photos of people leaving with some chic leather chairs, kitchenware, lumber for building, even an electric guitar. There is a network of these genbrug, or recycling stations, all over the country— 13 in Copenhagen alone— full of lovely things that people simply can't use anymore. Maybe they're cleaning out the basement or a storage locker. Maybe they've fallen in love and are moving in with someone who already has a toaster. While secondhand goods are considered poverty markers in many cultures, They're mainstream in Denmark. The Danes are practical people. Why should something be thrown out if it can be used again? And their passion for sustainability means it's cool to reuse something that already exists instead of manufacturing something new. My daughter's generation of teenagers likes vintage clothing in part because it doesn't have the environmental impact of fast fashion. The secondhand economy is everywhere in Denmark. Many apartment complexes have special areas where tenants can leave things they no longer use for other tenants to pick up. In the summer, many neighborhoods set up flea markets where children can sell the dolls and toy trucks they no longer play with to younger kids. There are Facebook groups like Free Your Stuff Copenhagen where you can give away things you don't need and get stuff for free. I once saw a company that had gone out of business giving away all of its almost new office furniture. Just come pick it up, they said. And charity shops are everywhere in Denmark, from the biggest cities to the most rundown towns. Kirkens Korsær, known in English as the Salvation Army. Red Barnet, known in English as Save the Children. And the entirely Danish Folkekirkenes Nødhjælp, have locations all over the country. You'll often find the nicest stuff in the richest parts of town, but not always. While there are some good vintage clothing shops in Denmark, in particular in student areas, the real heat in the Danish secondhand economy is housewares. I can say that my own home is a mix of new and secondhand items, including a beautiful 1950s lamp and a bedside table I got when a former neighbor died. His family cleaned out the mementos that had meaning to them and then just told the neighbors to take whatever they wanted. Classic items like Jørgensen silver bowls are often family heirlooms. But if someone dies without heirs, or the heirs don't want the items because they've gone out of fashion, they may end up on the secondhand market. If you like porcelain tea sets, perhaps Royal Copenhagen, or high-end silver cutlery, you'll find a vast selection at secondhand shops in Denmark. New generations often don't want them because they can't go in the dishwasher. The real center of the secondhand economy in Denmark, however, is dba.dk, or Den Blå Avis, the Blue Newspaper. It's a Danish institution, now entirely online, where thousands of secondhand items from all over Denmark are for sale. It's owned by eBay. I recently decided I would like an antique cigar box to store some of my electrical chargers, And I found plenty for sale on DBA, from the mundane to the collectible. DBA also has a dark side in that it is where a lot of the stolen goods in Denmark turn up. If your bike is stolen in Denmark, people generally tell you to look for it on DBA. But most of the goods on sale are pretty innocent. Children's clothes are a good thing to buy on DBA. People often sell them in giant sacks sorted by size and gender. It's a great way to get your kid plenty of play clothes that they are welcome to get messy in. DBA is a mix of amateur and professional sellers— people who make a business out of secondhand goods. These are people who profit by buying low and selling high. So if you've ever worked at a flea market or recycling center, you may have experienced that these professionals come early to get the good stuff. Once I was working at a suburban recycling center as part of a charity project, And we had to have some of the bigger men guard the gate to keep these professionals out until the place officially opened. When we did, they swarmed in like a school of piranhas. We had 2 women in a fistfight over a lamp. So when you're doing vintage shopping, you'll run into some professional sellers. Some have truly valuable stuff, like real Werner Panton lamps from the 1970s or classic Danish design chairs. You'll also run into people selling stuff that they want you to think is valuable, in particular if they can tell you're not Danish and might not know what is classic and what isn't. So always compare prices before you buy. dba.dk is good for that. And be sure before you buy, because there are usually no refunds. MobilePay, the app most vintage sellers use for payment, has no buyer protections. Once the money is sent, you can't get it back. That's why it's always a pleasure to get things for free at your local recycling center. Remember, you can drop things off there too, at the same time you're picking up things for yourself. Anything that's clean and in working condition is welcome. And with the holidays coming up, perhaps you can use some of your findings to celebrate sustainably. Recycled clothes can be a very good basis for a Halloween costume. And if it's been a tough year for you financially, you might even find an item you can upcycle into a Christmas present. Denmark's secondhand economy to the rescue! And that's the How to Live in Denmark podcast for this week. Remember, you can see all of our books at bookshowtoliveindenmark.com. Or you can book Kay Zander Melish—that's me—for a live or virtual event at events.howtoliveindenmark.com.