Weird (and Wonderful) Secondhand Finds That Just Need To Be Shared (formerly known as Weird Secondhand Finds That Just Need To Be Shared) is a Facebook group where people from all walks of life share ‘unusual’ and ‘lovable’ items that they found at yard sales, and thrift stores. They even share inherited treasures and curated vintage collections. A group where 2.2 million people are united for the love of antique, secondhand stuff and go by under the ‘Weirdlings‘ banner.
The Story Behind Weird (and Wonderful) Secondhand Finds That Just Need To Be Shared
Malissa Franzen initiated this group with her best friend, aiming to share pictures of thrifted collections with friends and family. They anticipated it to have a dozen members. The creators didn’t expect the member count to reach a whopping 2.2 million members. They didn’t even do anything to grow it purposely except for keeping the group privacy public only. Soon people started joining, and it became popular. “The popularity of this group has truly been a surprise to us,” Franzen once shared in an interview.
Now that it’s such a big group, the admin and moderators try their best to keep it family-friendly, something that they have been doing from the very start. They have mentioned some strict rules in the announcement section of the group for the members. The interactions among the members have to be solely based on the item they posted and not personal. Moreover, one can get banned from the group upon observing any activity that deviates from the rules. For members to post a weird find, it doesn’t necessarily have to be a purchased item. However, it’s important to mention the origin of the object – from where they got it. The story of the object – the background, what makes it special, etc. Members share their thoughts, get nostalgic, and have wholesome time all along. Sometimes the comments get witty as well.
For example, this chatelaine. Someone commented, “Where did you find that cool giant crayon?”. Someone said, “It’s a barbie purse.”.
But all fun comments aside, look how much that Victorian-era thingy is worth now! I mean, I wouldn’t even know something like that existed if it wasn’t for this group.
It’s also amazing how some weird secondhand finds can intrigue the emotions of thousands of people in a group. That being said, it’s been 4 and a half years of keeping uncountable posts coming and overflowing with millions of precious stories of fine and unusual objects. Usually, people tend to associate the word ‘weird’ negatively. However, for the members of the group, aka the Weirdlings, weird means wonderful! And hence, the recent change in the group name.
Let’s take a look at some of the finest finds!
Regal Chair
Katerina Ahlawat bought this spectacular piece from the Facebook marketplace 5 years ago. Yes, Kate, we know you definitely look like a QUEEN while sitting on it. It looks so fine and is placed so perfectly there’s no way one can tell it’s a secondhand find. Sofa sets, couches, chairs are some of the common finds that people post here. This one especially looks like it was made so that it can belong where it is now.
Metal stone-studded bag
Bet this bag reminds you of Thanos and the infinity stones. (One witty member commented that it belonged to Thanos’ great-grandma and possesses superpowers). This metal stone-studded bag with a million-dollar beauty costed $10, and it’s priced at $110 online.
Oil Rain Lamp
Oil rain lamps are one of the most popular find posts in the group. This one, especially, looks so aesthetically pleasing that you can stare for hours. These oil rain lamps would cost between $300-600. The person who posted this inherited it from their granny, who bought it in 1970.
Telephone Booth
The person who posted this mentioned her dad bought this Telephone booth 30 years ago from an antique shop and wanted to know more about it. One member who happens to own a secondhand phone booth shared that they grow indoor plants inside. Another member shared that in their village, they have a mini-library inside the unused Telephone booth.
Buying Secondhand is sustainable; buying secondhand is cool!
Be it for the aesthetics, short of cash, or just for the sake of buying, buying secondhand contributes to sustainable living and helps us reduce carbon footprints. Conscious living is the new cool. There’s no way to think that a used item is less deserving of love. In fact, you can actually renovate an entire apartment will all secondhand pieces, putting them together in a way that pleases the eyes more than the brand new ones. It’s also cost-effective.
However, you might need to make few fixes to restore the newness of the furniture. And to help with that, we have our favorite YouTuber Ashley aka bestdressed. She is a fan of thrifting. She doesn’t only style thrfited clothes on her, but also decorates her apartment all by herself, with thrifted furniture. Check out the vlog to learn more and also see how she fixes secondhand finds!
Our phones have become a fidget device, as we keep scrolling for hours and hours when bored. Weird (and wonderful) Secondhand Finds That Just Needs To Be Shared is the group that makes my time in this fidget device worthwhile and manages to make me feel wholesome. It has the power to make you stop scrolling and delve into the emotions of the members. I definitely am proud of being a weirdling. Are you a weirdling too? Let us know!
