BUFFALO, N.Y. (WBEN) We all know the phrase, one man's trash is another man's treasure. It truly is, in Western New York.
Buffalo, it turns out, is the 3rd most 'thrifty' city in New York State, with residents seeking out thrift sites via apps. Empire Stakes sorted through Google searches and Google Maps data to compile the rankings.
Only New York City (1) and Bronx County (2) are ranked higher.
It comes as no surprise to Michael Chamberlain, owner of Hertel Home Consignment. "I've been thrifting my entire life, with my grandmother, my mother and aunts. I've been going to consignment stores and estate sales." He said the opportunity for him to open a store fell into place for him about five years ago.
"There's a huge drive for thrifting. People are looking for extra money. People are looking to downsize and to reuse things."
Chamberlain has two stores, in North Buffalo and Williamsville, that sell furniture and home decor.
"In Buffalo there are a lot of discount stores. All of the high end stores have left. We still have high end furniture at a great price point."
Vintage is a buzz word lately when it comes to secondhand sales.
"Vintage means an item is usually 30 to 50 years old. Antiques are 80 to 100 years old. Items that are even older are labeled 18th century or 19th century. No matter what you call it, there's always a need for a used item that has value and life left in it," noted Chamberlain.
He said thrift stores are popping up everywhere, reusing, repainting and re-purposing items. "People are turning pianos into bars. There's no limit to people's creativity."
When it comes to secondhand shopping, people love to share stories.
"People love to tell a story about grandma's bed, or how they saved their money to buy a sofa. There's always a fun story to go with it. I love hearing the stories and people will even ask for a story when they're considering buying a piece of furniture."