New reports have shown an increase in the number of Brits using pawnbrokers to get cash for their possessions. We take a look at this new trend and other ways in which people are trading/swapping their possessions instead of buying brand new.

10 years ago, I used to plan a night out, look forward to it all week and then go out on the Saturday to buy a new outfit, new shoes and a matching bag – all for just one night out.

A lot can change in a decade!

Now married with a baby, these days are long gone and by reading yesterday’s papers it appears I’m not the only one to think so.  Not only am I dusting off dresses worn years before to wear for everyday use, but I’m also clearing out my closet in order to sell what isn’t needed on eBay.  Glittering shoes which were once adored by many on a night on the town are now resting in my wardrobe.  And what’s even worse, when I finally decide to dust them off for an outing, I remember why I only wore them on a Saturday night out – because although they may look good… they hurt – a lot!

So, over the last few months I’ve experimented with eBay, selling my much loved but rarely worn items.  And although I’m not getting a patch of their true worth, I’m still getting something for them – more than they were earning me in the closet.

But it seems that now, the nation is going one step further.  What used to be considered a dodgy deal at the pawnbrokers, is fast becoming an acceptable way to make money in the so called aftermath of the “crunch” and at the height of the nation’s debt worries.

I think, what’s most interesting about this latest news is that somehow, with the public growing wiser to the astronomical interest rates of payday loans, other  options are being considered and becoming accepted as more legitimate.  In essence, we seem to be reverting back to tradition in times gone by – a time that generations before us found to be a genuine way of making money and paying the bills.  A trade for a trade, goods for cash or with the new stream of women’s swap shops coming up over the country, goods for goods.

As a student of CertDR (Certificate in Debt Resolution), We’ve recently read about the public approach to debt and credit over past generations.  According to the history books, it was a time when credit was something used only for luxury items.  And I must admit, my parents too often told me – if you can’t afford to buy it, then go without. So, I have to ask, from such a cautious nation – a nation of people who once, genuinely understood the value of money – how did it all change? Are we truly victims of our own selfishly indulged habits?  And as eBay, gold exchanges and pawn brokers reach their peak demand, are we finally ready to admit where we’ve gone wrong and stop spending….or are we using these resources to fuel our burning desire to spend more?