At the beginning of 2017, Eva Ingabire, had so many items that she felt she needed to declutter. Rather than tossing old clothes, furniture and electronics, she decided to try to sell them.

"I realized I had so many things that I didn’t need. I was relying on temporary jobs and was not making enough money. I wanted to slowly get rid of the bills and so I created a huge pile of things to sell. I can’t tell you how many things I’ve sold that I literally thought, nobody was interested in,” the 28 year-old says.

To the popular saying, "Reduce, reuse and recycle,” today’s conscientious shoppers are adding ‘resell’. Secondhand sales business is becoming a trend for many people opting to buy used products as an affordable alternative to buying new as an ideal solution to fulfill their needs in an affordable manner without squandering their resources.

Used items may be available when a business is winding up or buying new assets and is disposing of its older ones or an auctioneer is selling off items to recover money owed by a person. Used items are also available when a person decides to sell what they don’t need.

From electronics, gadgets, furniture to wedding dresses, re-selling old stuff that you no longer use can be a great way to make some extra cash with minimal effort.

From Social media pages and savvy shopping strategies, you can make get extra cash without doing much, and make it possible for middle class to buy items sold by mostly departing expatriates.

Before moving to Rwanda, Christa Kunda decided to sell some of her items via Facebook. This she says reduced the cost of transporting furniture and other items and she used the money to buy other items once she settled in. It soon became an addiction.

"Most of my household articles were fairly new and gently used and I would have loved to move with them but it was cheaper to buy new ones.

Moving to Rwanda, I only came with two suitcases but being an impulsive shopper, a few months into my stay, items around the house started popping up that I didn’t really need. I have to keep reselling,” she says.

Emile Niyonzima created an online platform called Kigali Life Online Exchange two years ago after he visited Kenya and was inspired by OLX an online global marketplace.

On average, his page is visited by 3, 500 people every day who buy items ranging from home furniture, gadgets, electronics and automobiles. All it takes is for one to sign up as a member, and wait for potential clients.

"I wanted to make it easy for Rwandans to also be able to sell and buy quality used items with ease. I wanted it to be like a mall where people can come and buy whatever they want and I want to create awareness so that people can sell their items with just a click of the mouse since we do not have second hand stores that can help,” he says.

Taking precaution

Niyonzima is quick to add that sometimes used furniture or electronic appliances might be faulty, and it is always important to consider the cost of repair or the possible risks.

"We have terms and conditions set that sellers must agree to before they post their items, and so having a mechanic to check out appliances is a must so that clients are not cheated and the buyers are advised to try out any second-hand item before you buy it. Because of this, none of the buyers has complained about any of the stuff bought,” he says.

Alice Mugisha, a banker has bought household items from friends leaving the country. In her view, it is fine to buy second-hand items such as furniture and electronic appliances that are in good condition as they serve well as a new item at a cheaper cost but discourages fellow buyers from purchasing some items like used mattresses.

"Such an item will not last you long as they tend to wear and tear plus, you do not know how or in what sort of hygienic conditions they were used. The last thing you want to do is buy something that is infested with household pests and when you take it home pests wreak havoc because getting rid of pests is difficult and expensive,” she says.

Alain Nkotanyi, a marketer adds that there are also plenty of items that once bought start losing their value almost immediately.

Some items like electronics and gadgets, are actually hard to find new, so you will most likely get them used if you desperately want one and because they are expensive and expendable, they are likely to be candidates of resale if someone’s looking for their refund.

But most should be avoided unless you are buying from a reliable sources willing to include a guarantee that covers the risks or refund the money. Good judgment and seller guarantee should be any buyer’s best safeguard, he says.

He adds that purchasing used items is an excellent thrifty solution to shopping on a budget but there are some items out there that may be worth the cost of buying them new because you shall not get longevity out of the item.

"There are plenty of items that once bought start losing their value almost immediately. Many Rwandans buy second hand cars or gadgets online where they are subjected to a variety, most of which not only look good but have features that they fall for. 

However, beyond looking good, buyers should look out for certain aspects. Electrical goods, for example, can cause malfunctions in the circuit, or particularly for laptops, they are more likely to be dropped, banged around and spilled on, so it is important to consider the cost of repair or the possible risks,” he says.

Niyonzima also says that buyers are always scouting for designer goods and that items are more likely to sell when a description with specific details, like the brand of the item are included.

"People want to know exactly what it is they’re buying,” he says.

What tips should buyers consider when buying used items?

In some cases, there could be a possibility that the item on sale was stolen, especially gadgets, so it is important that you ask for a receipt from the seller and ensure that it has a name of the shop, its location and contact as proof that you bought the item rather than stole it.

Ann Uwase, Banker

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Ensure to test the item before you pay for it as used items don’t come with warranty provisions and the trader can’t guarantee its quality. Also, bring an expert with you or get help from a friend who knows more about quality items to help you avoid buying secondhand items that might be fake.

Brian Bahati, Marketer

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Always be sure that you are buying what you need or something that you can actually use as you don’t want to end up with clutter in your house. The ultimate goal is to save money and impulsive buying can lead to wastage.

Norman Kagabo, IT specialist

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Consider getting the items for free first. There are a couple of household articles, such as cookware, curtains and carpets, that you can consider asking your friends or relatives, that they might not need, before considering buying them.

Irene Mutesi, Student