BRUSSELS: The hub of second-hand culture
Probably the single greatest attribute of Bruxellois lifestyle is its second-hand culture. Not only is there second-hand everything shops; clothes, furniture, books, electronics, etc., but there is an entire culture that fuels it. People of all professions and social classes buy second-hand and re-sell afterwards. There is no shame, on the contrary, there is pride that things are being recycled and given a second life. I admire this of the Brussels community, and applaud them for being the motor of the second-hand economy.
Brussels is full of amazing stores, both in real life and online. Here I have made a short list of the places I frequented the most.
Jeu de Balle
Located in the neighborhood Marolles, Jeu de Balle is the largest flea market in Europe to be open 365 days of the year. Considering that it rains majority of the year, the Jeu de Balle tradition holds a lot of pride for Bruxellois culture.
Here you can buy absolutely anything, making it a paradise for skilled bargainers. The square is surrounded by cafes and bars. On the weekends, it gets particularly crowded with people out on porches taking in every ray of sun.
Marolles
Marolles is without a doubt my favorite neighborhood in the city and one I had the opportunity to call home during my last year in Brussels. It is the second-hand/vintage neighborhood and its main streets are known for its furniture restoration shops and vintage furniture galleries. Many of these shops have incredibly old and unique pieces, some of which look like they came out of a Stanley Kubrick film. Marolles is definitely a must visit even on a short trip to Brussels, perfect place to spend a morning vintage shopping and drinking coffee at one of its many patios.
Les Petits Riens
Les Petits Riens was my thrift shop sanctuary and my number 1 second hand shop in Brussels. It is an NGO whose mission is to provide economic empowerment as a tool for social inclusion. The organization provides jobs for marginalized individuals who may be at a loss of economic opportunities, as well as allocates all the earnings from the second-hand shops to support basic needs of these individuals.
I can safely say that 80% of the clothing I bought in the last 4 years were from this shop. They have dozens of stores located all throughout the city. Their “headquarters” is located in Ixelles on Rue Americaine, and this three-story building is the only location that also sells furniture and books. All other shops only sell clothing. Les Petits Riens is a success story of an amazing organization that is lifting up its community, not only socially and economically but environmentally. By having such a strong presence they are swaying consumerist culture towards second-hand shopping.
My Amazon Store
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Fox Hole
The Fox Hole is one of many vintage shops around the city. There are many stores that sell clothes by Kilo, but this shop has been my particular favorite in finding valuable and unique vintage gems. It is a cute and small boutique with affordable prices. This is another thing I love about Brussels vintage culture: it is affordable. Unlike most other major European cities such as London and Amsterdam, a jacket at any “Vintage” shop would sell well over €150, easily over €300. Fox hole will sell the same quality clothing for a third of the price.
Pêle-Mêle
This labyrinth of books is the perfect dungeness escape from the busy life waiting for you outside. I would enter Pêle-Mêle on Anspach and come back out to the world two hours later. There is no phone signal once you get inside, so it is easy to lose track of time. While most of the books are in French and Flemish, there is a small corner of foreign language books with a wide English selection.
New books can be expensive. Since I discovered Pêle-Mêle, I collected so many good reads that I didn’t buy a single new book in years. You can also re-sell your books to them when you are done with them.
Second-Hand Books
I don’t think this place has an official name, but it is a very well-known second-hand book shop right in the center of the city on Rue de Midi. Brussels is the home of bande dessinée (comic books), and this shop is only one of many on this street that sell used comic books. This was also my to go spot to buy travel guides before a trip since it is the one place I could find cheap travel guides from all over the world. While there are some books in English, their selection is not as good for foreign languages as that of Pêle-Mêle.
These are only a few of my favorite spots, but they don’t begin to cover the enormous amount of equally great stores across the city. While having such easy access to these shops will definitely be one of the things I will miss the most about my life in Brussels, I feel that after four years of being part of this second-hand culture I have already made the necessary mind switch that will help me remain part of the second-hand economy anywhere I go. Today, I find no greater pleasure than giving old and abandoned items a new life. No matter where you live, somebody’s trash will always be somebody else’s treasure.
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