When Vinted follows you into the sea

Resale platforms like Vinted have given us something incredibly useful for sure. We can pass on clothes we no longer wear, give items a second life, and keep things out of landfill. On so many levels it makes sense, feels responsible, virtuous even. But I can’t help sensing there’s a paradox in there as well...

And that’s because resale platforms make it easier - to buy more. We have an exit strategy. If our purchase doesn't work out, we can always resell. And that safety net inevitably encourages more consumption, not less. And suddenly we're not just shoppers, we're small business owners - photographing, listing, packaging, posting, watching YouTube tutorials on how to beat the algorithm. And I find myself asking - wouldn’t it just be easier to - buy less?

Last year I went for a dawn sea swim at a popular spot where a cold water swimming group regularly meet. It was a special moment - the sun rising over the Welsh coast, the water gentle, my body fizzing with cold. Then I noticed behind me there was an animated conversation unfolding between a group of swimmers - all swapping strategies and tips on how to best make use of Vinted. 

I want to be careful about how I frame this because there are so many reasons people use resale websites, not least because during a cost of living crisis, we can’t afford not to sell on things we’ve bought. Furthermore - swimming groups like so many other outdoor groups - are often about meeting up, socialising, feeling more connected, so who am to dampen this very vital part of social connection?! And yet (if I may venture)…what struck me on that early morning swim, was that even in the water, even whilst catching the sun as it rises - we somehow struggle to switch off from the machinery of buying and selling. And yes, resale platforms have given us something incredibly handy, but they've also given us another job amidst a myriad of other jobs - another screen to check, another package to send, another way to be both consumer and competitor…another layer of stuff to manage.

When I’m in the sea, the ice cold water delivers this shock of - life is happening right now. It feels elemental, your breath is sharp and all your senses are alive.

What if the answer isn't just better systems for moving our purchases around, but permission to step back? To restore the sacred. To allow our bodies to resist the imperative to consume...Maybe just watch the sunrise. To just…watch the sun…rise…