How often does something new appear on this page?

Every working day we read the press of six countries. If nothing genuinely says something about the trade, nothing is added that day. That is a valid result, not a missed day.

Why is this not a blog?

A blog shows “last post: March” the moment it falls silent, and the site looks dead. This page refreshes in place: the six most recent finds at the top, everything that stood here before in the archive below.

Can I read the article myself?

Yes. Every item names the outlet with a link to the article at that newspaper or trade title itself, plus the date on which we checked it. A summary is not a source.

Which countries do you follow?

Belgium, the Netherlands, France, Germany, the United Kingdom and Denmark. The country shown comes from the outlet's own address, not from the language we searched in.

In the press — second-hand trade news

Belgium 23 October 2026

A second-hand shop in Mortsel sells a chest of human bones for 50 euros

On Second-hand Shop Day, Opnieuw & Co in Mortsel offered a wooden chest of human bones for 50 euros. A label with the bones says they were dug up in 1992 at the Groenplaats in Antwerp. By Monday the chest was sold. The shop does not know who brought it in. According to geneticist Maarten Larmuseau (KU Leuven), in theory the shop did nothing wrong: no law covers this. He calls for one, urgently. The point for anyone buying stock: not being forbidden does not make something fit to sell.

Read it at VRT NWS, Lisa Ceuppens — checked on 24 October 2026

United Kingdom 12 October 2026

British police visit around 60 shops that sell second-hand phones

Last month Hertfordshire police visited around 60 shops that buy and sell second-hand phones. Officers showed how to check whether a handset is stolen, and made clear what the penalty is for handling stolen goods. This is about phones, but the lesson holds for any dealer who buys from private sellers: if you don't check where a piece comes from, the risk is yours.

Read it at Hemel Today, James Lowson — checked on 12 October 2026

France 1 October 2026

In France, more fashion money now goes to Vinted than to Shein, while the average purchase shrinks

FashionUnited reports on a study by the cashback app Joko, which tracks the bank transactions of 1.5 million people in France. They buy clothes as often as in 2024, but spend less per purchase: 42 euros on average, against 47 euros two years ago. In 2026 the second-hand platform Vinted ranks first in fashion spending for the first time, ahead of Decathlon and Shein. About a third of the budget Shein lost went to Vinted. Note: the figures come from Joko itself, not from a statistics office.

Average amount per fashion purchase in France

2024: €47
2026: €42

Joko (cashback app), bank transactions of 1.5 million users, via FashionUnited. Figures from the company itself.

Read it at FashionUnited (fashionunited.fr), Julia Garel — checked on 2 October 2026

Belgium 28 September 2026

Namur has a new vintage fair, for professional sellers only. The second edition is planned for spring 2027

On 26 and 27 September, Namur Expo hosted the first Namur Vintage, with around forty exhibitors from the Benelux and France: clothing, furniture, decoration and collectables. Organiser William Bodart, who also runs the Arlon Vintage Market, only admits professionals with a shop or an online store. According to La DH, there were queues at the entrance on both days. The second edition is planned for spring 2027. The La DH article is for subscribers.

Read it at La DH (dhnet.be), Julie Douxfils, 28 september 2026 (voor abonnees) — checked on 29 September 2026

Germany 26 September 2026

Bavarian broadcaster auctions its props store: around 1,000 lots, bids from a few euros

Bayerischer Rundfunk is clearing out its props store: furniture, tools, ladders and set pieces from decades of television. The sale is online only, through liquidation auctioneer Restlos, until 6 October. According to the Abendzeitung, most bids are still under ten euros. Viewing is possible on 5 October in Unterföhring, by appointment. So a clearance by an institution is not an ordinary auction: no expert sets the price, and the people who come and look decide it.

Read it at Abendzeitung München — checked on 27 September 2026

Netherlands 23 September 2026

In a second-hand shop that smells of fresh laundry, customers spend more. Citrus did not help

Psychologists at Radboud University quietly placed scent diffusers in a second-hand clothing shop. With the scent of fresh laundry, customers spent more than with a citrus scent or the shop’s usual smell. In a lab test, people also rated second-hand clothes with that scent as worth more and less unhygienic. The effect was strongest among people with a fear of contamination. How much more they spent is not in the press release. The study was about clothing: whether it works for furniture or tableware was not tested.

Read it at Radboud Universiteit (persbericht, 8 september 2026), ook in Quest (23 september 2026) — checked on 29 September 2026

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