New vs. Used
Here's a conundrum: Is it less desirable to buy new clothing than second-hand?

I typically buy clothing at thrift stores. I find all sorts of nice-looking shirts there, along with my ever-present shorts (I'm a Hawaiian shirt & shorts guy), for a steal.

But with the weather turning cold, I wanted to pick up a few long-sleeve t-shirts for running. I also wanted a pair of fleece sweatpants to put over jeans for extra warmth when I'm out on the sailboat. I picked these items up at Target today. It's easier to find these things new than used (I didn't want the t-shirts to be advertisements, which limits the thrift store selection).

I prefer to get things used, giving more life to existing products rather than making new ones. But come to think of it, I usually wear clothing until it is completely worn out. So it's not like I'm buying something which will be discarded early in its lifespan. To the contrary, my clothing doesn't go in the trash before it has big holes in it, and has been torn up and used as rags for awhile first.

I do miss living in the middle of San Francisco, where I could easily toss worn out shoes on the sidewalk for homeless folks to take and use. Now I have about three pairs to be discarded in some fruitful fashion...