Sale of second Hand Interim Presentation 09/03/06

Starting point • Emotionally durable design • Product rebirth

With everything that involves • Cleansing • Celebrity • Packaging

To reassign new meaning and value to discarded object

It is important for me to get clean what Product Rebirth means:

Physically: the act of cleaning, repairing, repackaging (making new) and selling on of second hand objects. Emotionally: disconnecting objects from previous owners or keepers, to allow them to be owned by a different person, through the act of product baptism.

Allowing second hand objects to be loved again

So what is product baptism?

Product baptism The physical manifestation of the re-birth process, involving cleaning, repairing, and repackaging. Comparable to Christain total immersion baptism.

Christian baptism – Product baptism. • Visually similar • Spiritually the same • Cleansing • Allowing a new life to be born Product baptism is hard to explain because of its spiritual nature so here is an explanation

(Here i would have shown a short film depicting product rebirth and product story)

Definition of product story

The life of an object, from the hands of the maker, to its owners, and ultimately to its destruction. Product story can be especially rich with second hand .

Most objects do not have a well documented product story

This cup has a documented story, because of my work with it over the past 2 months, but so do objects

• That we personally cherish eg gifts • That we have kept for a long time • Because of some sort of attachment

And it this Attachment that is important

So we have established what Product Re-birth means, and the importance of product stories. now I want to • Look at how they are sold • Explore what second hand objects mean to people • Find a home for product re-birth

Best place to start was Oxfam • Understand their work • I'd read about their boutique in New Bond Street

So I decide to visit two shops one in Streatham and the one in New Bond Street Slide 12 STREATHAM • Standard Oxfam set up • Grey carpet • Beige walls • Suspended ceilings

Almost all products • Showed signs of use • Stratches, cup rings • They themselves were showing a well documented product history

I left Streatham and head to new bond street expecting • A new flag ship shop • A boutique style shopping experience • Å new type of charity shop • Maybe even Re-birth?

When I arrived I found • Quality clothing brands

• Some antiques even From Oxfam sources all over London

But it was still the charity shop experience • Hand written notices in the window • Tatty interior, Suspended ceilings etc • The clothes looked like they’d just been taking out from out a bag • There was no evidence of re-birth

a Charity Shop… • But with no PRODUCT HIDE AND SEEK the joy of charity shops

• Everything was laid out ready to be found

There was no opportunity for a relationship between object and owner to be built

A bond built in a common past.

This bond is import because…

It will lead to stopping the need to constantly renew / replace what we already have

Saving the earths resources etc

Of course.. • This is not in Oxfams remit

They Don’t have

• To provide a commercial style shopping experience

• To provide product hide seek

BUT

Humanitarian Organiastions like Oxfam

Should preach sustainability

As a way of life

Starting in the developed world

but reaching around the world

Re-birth is sustainable

From this point I wanted to

• find out more about commercial 2nd hand shops • aestics • ?why are they so different to charity shops? • Is there scope for rebirth in this sector?

Mrs o’Claires shop in Islington

• Product hide and seek • The joy of discovery • Jumble sale aesthic

• Real drama • Maze of Hidden product stories • Nothing like a charity shop but selling exactly the same type of products

Should this be the future for charity shops?

• No, I doubt Mrs O’Claire sells much

• Its dangerous..

But..

• Points can be taking form Mrs O’Claires shop

• The Drama and excitement of searching and DISCOVERING a bargain

• A different aesthic why should all charity shops look the same?

Suspended ceilings, beige walls etc

What next? I NEED TO • find out more about high street consumer experience

• answer the question why we feel the need to constantly renew?

For me This will lead to

• Charity shop Manifesto for creative change

Will make STEPS TOWARDS:

• Changing perceptions of charity shops • Changing perceptions of shop hand • But retain product hide and seek • Find a future for charity shops in a world of decreasing quality in clothing • Make them the face of high street sustainability