How to buy a pre-loved gift someone might actually want

If you plan to regift, consider second-hand handbags, watches, jewellery and outerwear, as these are popular items among recipients

Ms Merle Brown, a 53-year-old writer from Scotland, buys most of her gifts second-hand.

"I love the thrill of finding something unique and special that I can't get anywhere else," she says.

She looks for vintage glass and kitchenware, Christmas cards and puzzles - all things unavailable in conventional stores.

This Christmas, about half of the gifts she has bought so far have come from thrift stores run by United Kingdom charities.

The trend is catching on across the globe.

Gifting second-hand used to have a bad rap - think last year's candle or dusty bath set - but it does not carry the taboo it once did.

In Britain, some 84 per cent of people say they plan to buy at least one pre-owned Christmas gift in 2024, according to research by resale app Vinted and the market researcher Retail Economics.

The British Heart Foundation charity - with 680 second-hand shops in the UK - says demand has surged.

In the United States, three in four people believe second-hand gifting has become more socially acceptable over the past year, according to a survey by resale app OfferUp.

Searches for "pre-owned luxury" on eBay grew by over 40 per cent in June this year, compared with June 2023, says Ms Mari Corella, general manager of global luxury and sneakers at the online marketplace.

"A couple of years ago, it was kind of frowned upon to gift second-hand. But now, it's totally acceptable, and people are more than willing to accept a second-hand Louis Vuitton bag or Rolex watch," she adds.

Second-hand gifts are better for the planet. Each metric ton of newly produced textiles creates 15 to 35 metric tons of carbon emissions, according to the European Environment Agency.