Thrifters Around The World: Elle From The Philippines

[I love Elle's interior design blog, Switcheroom. She designs blogs, too.]

Tell us a little bit about yourself, Elle.

I'm a freelance graphic / web designer and decor lover from Manila Philippines. But since we're going to talk about thrifting, I should say here that I'm very proud to call myself CHEAP. Not in the slutty kind of way of course. :)

When and why did you start thrifting?

When: I started thrifting when I discovered tons of ukay-ukay stores (clothing thrift shops) in Baguio City. It's about a 6 hour drive from where I live, and I make it a point that I hit the shops when we visit Baguio. That was around 8 years ago. Now, we have lots of thrift shops here in Manila as well.

Why: Just because I find joy in searching racks upon racks of clothes to find amazing pieces.

[Thrift store (ukay-ukay)  in the Philippines. Image Source: Pinay Shopper]

What makes thrifting in the Philippines different than thrifting in the United States?

The only time I tried thrifting in the US was at Goodwill, so I can't say much about the difference since I haven't had much experience in your part of the world. I think the BIG difference is when it comes to furniture thrift shops. I'm always amazed when I see stuff US bloggers find on craigslist, garage sales, and thrift shops. I'm green with envy!

 [Check out Elle's Cute "Wall Stamping" Idea: I might have to steal this one!]

We don't have much second hand furniture shops here that carry items with great bones on a very cheap price. There's some "Japan Surplus" shops where they have old furniture from Japan sold here, but it's still quite expensive!

What are the names and nick-names for "thrifting" in the Philippines?

We call our clothing thrift shops here Ukay-Ukay. I think (not really sure) it derives from the word hukay, which means dig.

Is there a large thrifting/junking/second-hand shopping culture where you live?

There are a growing number of personal online shops that sell second-hand clothes. It's for people who don't have the time or patience to dig though all the loads of stuff to find the great ones. They sell it with a good mark-up but still cheap. Those who buy knows for a fact that it's thrifted, and still patronize it because of all the unique goodies they find.

 [See Elle's Dramatic Secretary Before & After]

Is there a stigma against second-hand shopping in the Philippines? Is it seen as dirty?

There's always people who will find it dirty or gross, but the majority embrace the culture. You can always wash and re-wash it until you're perfectly happy, but you can't find a Marc Jacobs top for less than P50 (around $1) anywhere else. Like I did. :)

Are there any flea markets in the Philippines? What are they like?

I don't know any flea markets here like the one in the US. The only one I know is at Bangkal, Makati, where there are strips of second-hand furniture shops around the area. Most of the shops have good vintage items with lots of intricate details, and crystal chandeliers! I love it! But as for the price point, it's a lot cheaper than store bought, but still not flea-market-cheap. (For my wallet that is!)

Are there many dumpster divers and curb-side shoppers in your area and beyond?

No, we don't have that here (not that I know of). I guess the reason for this is we don't move around often that there's no need to leave stuff that doesn't fit! and we usually use stuff until it's even barely standing, or give it to friends or relatives.

 [See Elle's Simple Chair Re-do]

What are thrift stores like in the Philippines?

It really differs. There are those huge well-lit stores, and there are those little nasty ones.

Where do people do their second-hand hunting in the Philippines?

For clothing, it's at Ukay-ukay stores, hands down. As for decor stuff, I guess at Japan Surplus and Bangkal. We also have Sulit, a free online ad site, but it doesn't even compare to Craigslist! Though I recently found a secretary desk, and a pair of lamps that will have a place in my bedroom when I'm done refinishing them (See her post here).

[Elle's thrifty Bedroom Gallery Wall]

Where is your favorite place to thrift? The United States? The Philippines? Elsewhere?

For clothes, I love to shop here. But for furniture, even if I haven't tried it yet, definitely the US. If only I can fit chairs in my luggage when I visit US. :)

Afterword: Thanks Van for inviting to be part of your series. I can't wait to see how other countries do their thrifting, this will be interesting! And for any Filipino readers, if you know any flea markets / second-hand furniture shops here in Manila, please, I beg you, tell me! :)

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If you would like to be featured in Thrifters Around the World, shoot me an e-mail. I would love your feedback on this new segment, let me know what you think in the comments below.

Past Thrifters Around The World Interviews:

[2/15/2011] Thrifting Pro Miss P From the UK (Part I)

[2/22/2011] Thrifted Treasure's Alice from Australia

[3/01/2011] Thrifting Pro Miss P From the UK (Part II)

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