This month we dive into:
​
The Salvos dumping sellable donations
Low Buy Influencers on the rise
Last months survey results
​Stallholder spotlight - Chemo Finds

CJ from Ishtar Boutique, recently made a series of videos that has since gone viral. 

Unfortunately, we know people donate unusable items, stained, torn etc, which can never be resold, but now Salvos are throwing away clan, sellable donations, because of the BRAND?!

“After visiting a Salvos store, I noticed the racks were almost empty. When I asked a staff member why, I learned that the store has recently gone under new management. With this change, they've not only tightened their quality control but also started rejecting donations based on brand. What’s even more shocking is that non-branded items are being thrown straight into the bin. This wasteful practice has made me decide to stop donating to Salvos, and I’m calling on you all to help me find alternatives for where these donations can be redirected. If you have any ideas, comment below—let's work together to make sure our unwanted clothes don't end up in landfills.”

​Watch the full video HERE

There aren't many 'newsletters' that I sign up for. Who wants MORE stuff to read? But I love 'Your ATTN please', by The Attention seekers. They have some SUPER useful tips/links/trends to help you create engaging, organic content for your business. If you want to subscribe to them, please use this link so I can claim the referral rewards LOL. 

Recently Sophie wrote the following that I thought would resonate with our readers. 

​“Low Buy Influencers” are on the rise.
And they want you to quit it with your online shopping addiction. I know sometimes a parcel in the mail is like a sweet little gift from you to you. But 12 a week??? Get a grip. A new trend has emerged on TikTok for people like YOU (us) that are fed up with the constant barrage of marketing in their social feeds. Many have taken to TikTok to declare they are participating in “Low Buy 2025” or even “No Buy 2025” – sharing the ways they’ve learned to curb their spending.

Some examples are waiting for your makeup to hit pan before even THINKING about purchasing a new one, or “shopping your own closet” which is essentially reinvigorating pieces you already own. On TikTok, ads for phone stands, wigs and hair removal devices are nearly indistinguishable from content creators opining about reality-TV shows and politics. And this is leading to severe impulse purchasing. No Buy might be one of the first trends I can actually get behind (and need to.)

Last month, we asked you why you buy second hand, and the results surprised us, with 'affordability' coming in at number 3, while sustainability was the overall winner, then unique finds coming in second. 

​Do these results surprise you?

Meet Stef from Chemo Finds (pronounced Chee-moe).

It's always great to meet young men in the thrifting scene, and Chemo is leading the way with authentic football kits and vintage clothing for the guys. 

He's a familiar face at pop-up events around Wellington, with dedicated social media followers travelling around the region to grab his latest pieces. 

​You can find him on:
Tiktok
Instagram

Let us know what topics, ideas and suggestions you have for our next newsletter...

This survey has now ended.

Kia ora e te whanau! Welcome to this month’s newsletter. Start the new year with our tips, tricks, and inspiration to make preloved fashion your best choice. 
​
This month we're covering regifting, charities vs business, a stallholder spotlight and MWIW stallholder info. 

Apart from the fact I'm not into gift giving, (between adults), I'm more into shared experiences, there's no doubt that there is way to much stuff, bought and not wanted/ needed during the holiday season.

Obligation presents are the worst, you know the ones, you find out your co workers cousins girlfriend has gotten you a present, so you had to scramble to get a last minute generic gift so you don't look like an #&$%. 
​
So I have NO problems regifting a bottle of wine I won't drink, or a perfume I won't wear. But I'd rather go on a road trip, or lunch at the beach any day. 

Not all secondhand clothes shops are the same. Here's a little list to help guide you through. 

Charity shop - HUHA, City Mission, Hospice. These are mainly run by volunteers, with the majority of sales going towards their cause. 

Consignment shop - Recycle Boutique, Honour, Style on Jackson. These are businesses who will sell your items for you, usually splitting sales 50/50.

Secondhand/thrift shop - Savemart, Paperbag Princess, Preloved Charlies. These businesses source their items, often from overseas, to resell.

Locally curated resellers - Ishtar Boutique, Finders Keepers Co, Betty & Leroy. These small businesses are some of our favourites at My Walk in Wardrobe. They will source locally, pounding the pavement to find the best hidden gems for their curated collections that they sell online and at our markets!

Recently, CJ (pictured below) asked why a secondhand shop had priced a garment the same as what the brand would sell new, and it reached over 70K views. Check it out here. ​

​"When I’m shopping on a tight budget, charity stores all the way! When I have more excess cash to spare- I prefer consignment and thrift shops, as their collections are better curated and have a higher standard of brands and quality that they sell."
​
CJ - Ishtar Boutique

CJ from Istar Boutique (pictured above) has been a regular stallholder at My Walk In Wardrobe markets since 2020. 

Ishtar's preloved & upcylced clothing focuses on styles inspired from the 90's and early 2000's. Our range caters to adults of all genders and sizes, and is curated with vintage brands, quality fabrics and styles to last throughout the ages.

Along with preloved and vintage clothing and jewellery, she curates individualised style boxes and custom candles. You can find her on Instagram, Facebook, Tiktok and on her website.

We are all for quality over quantity in 2025. With less markets in most of our venues, we will now be carefully choosing the right mix for each event; mens, plus, petite, vintage, handmade, clearouts, upcycyled etc to ensure a bit of everything and not too much of something. 
We're are opening applications for stallholders 6 weeks prior to markets. We encourage you to get organised as early as possible so you don't miss out. Once they've gone, they've gone.

Don't forget 2-3 pictures (not of your whole stall, just a few key pieces) and a 50+ word description so we can use this to promote your stall. 

To book a stall, click HERE.