Hello and welcome to the premiere edition of secondhandsavvy.com. I am glad that you have taken a moment to explore the site and I hope that you will enjoy your visit here. I tried to incorporate the best elements of both a good magazine and a great secondhand store--two of my favourite things. I want you to feel comfortable browsing through the site, enjoying all that you see and read, and I want you to come back often.

The idea for this site began over a year ago while I was contemplating a career change. I knew that I wanted to do something in publishing but was not sure where to begin. I had a lot of ideas but no clear sense of direction. To gain perspective, I would often go for walks and inevitably found myself wandering down Main Street in Vancouver. I loved going through all the different secondhand shops, getting lost in all the stuff. This is where I would get out of my head and back to the moment. Others go to the beach, for a run, or a swim--me, I rummage through the past.

It was on one of my many outings, peaking in and out of secondhand shops, that I figured out how I could blend my two passions--secondhand shopping and publishing. I had come home feeling thrilled about a vintage ice bucket that I had found for a great price. My first instinct was to call my friends and tell them about the find and about the store.

It was at that point that it hit me; this is what I like to do--share stories and information, especially those that relate to the world of secondhand. It took a while from that point to figure out exactly how this would work, I spent a lot of time talking to other secondhand shoppers and to the vendors as well. Eventually all paths led me to the creation of secondhandsavvy.com.

Capturing the essence of the secondhand lifestyle has not been easy, as many of us who do choose to live this way; do so on our own terms. There are many of us out there, different in so many ways but sharing the common love of all things secondhand. Whether we shop for them or we inherit them from our families or friends, each piece has a story and a place in our heart. We also seem drawn to places that incorporate this lifestyle into the décor.

As a result, my goal is to make secondhandsavvy.com the ultimate source of information on secondhand shopping in British Columbia by creating an online community of secondhand vendors and shoppers, while also increasing awareness and enthusiasm for secondhand shopping.

The Online Directory will guide you to the various secondhand stores across British Columbia (e.g., thrift, antique, consignment, etc.), and there are sections where you can post upcoming events, garage sale listings, and where you can buy and sell goods through our free classifieds in Savvy Marketplace.

The Secondhand Savvy E-zine, the online magazine, will offer you tips and ideas, while also sharing stories. In the Savvy Living section, you will find some articles on other elements of this lifestyle such as how to manage clutter. In Cents of Style, you will find some practical and affordable ways to decorate and to create a fashion style that works for you. Tricks of the Trade will provide you with some hands-on advice on tools and techniques, Vintage Value will keep you posted on how to identify antiques and determine what a piece might be worth, Garage Sale Savvy will explore all aspects relating to having and buying from garage sales, and In the Neighbourhood will highlight store profiles and listings for specific areas.

In Heritage Rescue, I walk you through the process of how my brother is restoring an old wooden cabinet that has been in our family for years. I have thoroughly enjoyed hearing the stories of the cabinet's history in our family from my mother and aunts. This I hope will inspire you to share your stories; you can send them to me at stories@secondhandsavvy.com.

Although I am initially starting this site as a resource for people in British Columbia, I do intend to expand across Canada. I am sure that many of you are like me in that we don't restrict our secondhand shopping to home. Whenever I travel, whether on vacation or visiting family or friends, I always find myself sourcing out the best areas for secondhand shopping. My goal is to eventually have the largest and most accessible database of secondhand shops across Canada.

I hope that you will enjoy the site and find the information both entertaining and useful. This site is a work in progress and I look forward to hearing from you. Send your letters to feedback@secondhandsavvy.com. And, if you would like to know when new things are posted on the site and kept informed about upcoming events and sales, you can subscribe to Savvy News, our electronic newsletter.

Sincerely,
Jo-Anne Lauzer
Publisher/Editor

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