On resale platforms, in thrift stores and at Réno-Jouets, second-hand games are popular. Driven by environmental awareness, but above all by a desire to save money, does this growing demand reflect the end of a taboo?
For Christmas, Jennifer Boulianne’s four children will receive mainly second-hand toys from their parents, purchased on Marketplace and in a thrift store located in a church basement. “They won’t get exactly what they asked for, but as parents, we know their tastes. I know they will not be disappointed,” says the resident of Malartic, in Abitibi-Témiscamingue.
Having started a process two years ago to reduce their environmental footprint, she and her partner decided this year to tackle the overconsumption surrounding the Christmas party. “It’s been about a year since I started buying used items,” emphasizes Jennifer Boulianne. But this will be the first time that I will give used toys to my children in front of my family. » She is afraid of appearing cheap and fears judgment, that of other members of her family – “My parents are the type to overconsume enormously” –, not of her children, who are aged 1 to 6 years old.
A fan of second-hand baby furniture, clothing and equipment, Mary Betancur was reluctant to give used items as gifts, a practice that seemed stingy to her. Until his children asked him for specific toys that were no longer in stores. “Since that time, my vision has changed and when I can find it used, but in excellent condition, I take it. » Again this year, on the gift list of her oldest children, now aged 12 to 18, there were ad links on Marketplace, underlines the Montrealer.
Founder of Réno-Jouets, a non-profit social economy enterprise in Quebec that repairs, cleans and resells used toys, Annie Asselin has seen the change in perception take place over the years, particularly over the last two years. “When I started in 2006, my clientele was mainly daycares and schools, then people who did it for ecology. But giving used toys as party or Christmas gifts wasn’t really in fashion. I saw a shift after COVID. »
Added to environmental values is the rise in the cost of living. “I have couples who told me that if we weren’t there, the children would have nothing for Christmas,” she emphasizes.
Réno-Jouets, which makes the majority of its sales in November and December, expects to beat last year’s record this year when 23,000 toys were sold in two months. In 2022, Réno-Jouets and Renaissance also opened a store in Brossard specializing in the recovery and resale of used toys.
According to data from the Responsible Consumption Barometer, published last November, 43.5% of Quebecers purchased second-hand items in 2022. The report from the most recent Kijiji Index dated 2019 already indicated that “the opinion of the society with regard to second-hand goods has changed and continues to evolve”. In five years of measurement, the number of people who said they had given a used item as a gift doubled to more than half.
“Overall, second-hand objects are less and less poorly perceived,” notes Myriam Ertz, professor in the department of economics and administrative sciences at the University of Quebec at Chicoutimi (UQAC).
The difficult economic context, the development of resale sites and applications and the marketing surrounding them have, according to her, contributed to normalizing the purchase of second-hand goods. However, there are still obstacles, linked mainly to the perception of safety and hygiene and, to a lesser extent, to “social risk”, i.e. exposure to the judgment of peers. “This is something that we have noticed more among certain communities, particularly Asian communities,” notes the woman who wrote a doctoral thesis on collaborative consumption and second-hand practices.
Judgment often does not come from children. Since becoming a father, Jean-François Paiement has given his children aged 3 and 7 used toys. “When I was young, I got used gifts and I always lived well with them! “, he said. All year round, he keeps his eyes peeled on Marketplace to find Lego, Pokémon or PAW Patrol-related items that his children will like. He supplements it with new toys if necessary.
“We went shopping for Christmas presents this weekend and a PAW Patrol truck with a man was $25. I found a set of four trucks for the same price with the tower! Even though I have a very good salary, with all the prices increasing, it encourages us to go towards used. » However, he fears that the situation will get worse when his children grow up and have specific demands or requests related to electronic products.
