UAE: Saving big when buying, selling, swapping second-hand household goods

UAE: Saving big when buying, selling, swapping second-hand household goods

Dubai: Whether you're looking to let go of items that you don't need anymore, or clearing out your home ahead of a major move, it's best to know your options when it comes to selling or swapping items. In the current environment, having a garage sale or physically visiting a flea market isn't as quite a welcoming an option as it was pre-pandemic. However, with expats constantly arriving and leaving the country, there is a constant source of barely-used goods being bought and sold. The second-hand goods market has changed dramatically since the financial crisis of 2008 - 2009. Prior to that, the economic boom of the mid-2000s saw most spending on items that were new. Surveys from online surveys have indicated that at least six in every 10 people buy or sell used items in the UAE. Although reined-in spending patterns were visible through most of 2020, habits to buy, sell or swap second-hand goods at a bargain - mostly to make up for any loss in income brought on by the current economic crisis - has picked up since. However, just like a car loses value as soon as you drive it off the lot, most household items