The Significance of the Secondhand Trade in Europe, 1200-1600

We tend to think of the trade in used clothing and other goods in past economies as secondary to the trade in wholesale or luxury items. Instead, the medieval economy was a multifaceted one, with many points of entry. The concurrent expansion in both trade and fashion in the Middle Ages resulted in a larger inventory for secondhand dealers, and the ways in which credit undergirded exchange allowed for a deep and varied clientele. The purpose of this article is to suggest, through a review of what we know about the trade in secondhand goods, that by considering this vital commerce, we can expand our knowledge of asset preservation, sartorial expression, and commercial exchange in medieval Europe. Rather than an indication of poverty, the trade in used clothing and goods was an expansive and adaptable trade that reflects the complexity of the medieval European economy. Further, it was a trade to which the majority of people had access. By selling, loaning, renting, coveting, valuing, and refurbishing secondhand clothing and other goods, women and men actively shaped their economy, and the space in which they lived and worked. Video (click to view)