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 a paradox in there as well...
Because resale platforms also make it easier to simply - 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 be easier to just - 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 - who were 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 lots of 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. But what struck me, on that early morning swim, was that even in the water, even whilst watching the literal sun rising - we struggle to switch off from the machinery of buying and selling. Resale platforms have given us something useful, yes, but they've also given us another job - another screen to check, another way to be both consumer and competitor…yet more 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...To watch the sunrise. To just…watch the sun rise…