How often do you all buy items secondhand?

Koreans use apps like Joonggonara (중고 나라), Karrot (당근 마켓), Bunjang (번개 장터), etc. to sell used goods.

These apps are very similar to Craigslist, eBay, and Facebook Marketplace.

Especially since the COVID-19 pandemic, people are purging their old stuff and selling them online.

Younger Koreans prefer buying secondhand since it is a much more sustainable way of living.

But as this culture grows, there have been more and more unusual and interesting items sold on these platforms.

Keep reading to learn more.

Heartwarming Cases

Learn about some cute and quirky things people have posted to these platforms.

1. Selling Dreams

Have you heard of dream sales?

In Korea, if you have a lucky dream, it is common to sell it instead of simply telling people.

Then the person that purchases that dream will also receive luck.

One example of a lucky dream is to dream of pigs.

Since pigs symbolize wealth, it is common for Koreans to buy lottery tickets if they have a pig dream.

So if you have a pig dream, sell it to a friend and share the luck.

Surprisingly you can find many people on secondhand apps selling their lucky dreams.

Wouldn't it be great if you actually win the lottery from buying one of these dreams?

But there haven't been any reviews of this happening, yet...🤣

2. Show Off Pets

At first glance at these photos, you might be confused.

But if you read the descriptions, the owners aren't selling their pets.

Simply showing them off because they are proud of how cute their pets are.

For some people, it isn't enough to share cute pet photos with friends and family.

So they share them widely with others on secondhand shopping apps.

This is actually fairly popular with Korean netizens. Many have left various comments like, "I'm the only one who doesn't have a cat/dog."

A great free way to show off your pet, right?

3. Share Dog Stickers

This went viral on Korean social media.

The owner of this dog printed out stickers of their dog and wanted to share the love by giving the stickers for free.

Source: theqoo

In cases of direct delivery, the owner will bring their dog (fantastic marketing strategy?).

This has become so popular, the owner said it was two months of intensive labor.

Source: theqoo

In a short time, this received the attention of a few hundred people.

So now, instead of giving these stickers for free, there is a fee to cover production and shipping.

There is even a fan meeting for the dog every Wednesday and Saturday from 10 am to 8 pm.

Isn't that so precious?

4. Commission A Drawing

A few months ago a third-grader offered 100 won per drawing in order to make some extra money for their father's birthday present.

If you send them a photo, they will recreate the photo into a drawing.

The drawings may not be professional-grade, they are still very cute.

Plus the reasoning of why this third-grader wanted to sell drawings is very wholesome. 

Others also thought this was a cute idea, so they reached out and commissioned drawings.

Many loved the innocence and cuteness, so they left reviews that helped the third-grader gain a lot of traction.

Since then, more and more artistic people are selling their artwork.

Most of the pieces are free or for a low cost.

5. Selling Diaries And Letters

When buying a notebook or diary, you are expecting a new one right?

However, the person that shared this item described them as diaries they put a lot of effort into.

What is even more amusing is that the seller described these diaries as very fun.

Also, when the seller becomes famous, then the diaries will be worth a lot more.

The seller's level of confidence intrigued many people.

Many netizens left comments like, "Really? I want to give it a read" or "this is a great inspiration for aspiring novelists looking for new material."

Isn't it bizarre that someone is willing to sell their personal diaries?

There was someone who even offered to sell letters written by their ex-boyfriend.😂 

We wonder if there are actually people who buy this kind of stuff?

6. Catch Bugs

There is nothing worse than encountering a bug when you live alone.

Especially if you don't like catching them!

Those with extreme adversities to catching bugs posted "if you come and catch this bug, I will pay you 30,000 won."

You can really feel the state of panic of the person that posted this.

They described the bug as a cockroach the size of a thumb and had the ability to fly.

We could really tell this person was paralyzed with fear and adamant about finding someone to help.

Later there was an update posted that this person was able to find someone and paid them 30,000 won.

So next time you are in a bind, why not reach out to these secondhand shopping apps.

7. Accompany Someone For An Activity

Source: Danggeun Market (당근마켓)

There are many cases of meeting new people via secondhand shopping apps.

Since Karrot (created by Danggeun Market) is based on location, people near one another will often link up to do various activities.

People will post "looking for someone to study at a cafe with," or "looking for somebody to go jogging for three times a week."

Or if there is a restaurant you've wanted to go to but the minimum order is two servings, you can post and ask if people want to join you.

Source: mbc

You can see this happening in real-life on a Korean variety show, Hangout with Yoo (놀면 뭐하니?).

Someone posted on Karrot that they were looking for someone to join them at a KBBQ restaurant.

But the person that showed up was none other than one of Korea's best comedians and MC Yoo Jae-suk!

This must've been an amazing memory for that person,

Shocking Cases

Not all secondhand shopping platform stories are wholesome, in fact, some are downright awful.

1. Selling Children

Last year in Korea, someone posted that they were selling a 36-week old baby for 200,000 won. This was a huge scandal.

As soon as it occurred, the person in question was arrested and charged with attempted child trafficking.

This case went under police investigation.

Turns out the person that posted this was the baby's mother.

She was alone with no job and wanted someone to adopt the child. But the adoption procedure was extremely difficult.

Since Korea is a difficult environment for single mothers, it is believable that this shocking event occurred.

So, the governor of Jeju Island (where this event occurred) said they would enact policies that would provide social welfare for single mothers.

Also, the developers at Danggeun Market released a statement that they would establish a system to prevent this incident from recurring.

2. Stealing & Selling Photos

Not only has there been a case of selling babies, but there are also cases of people selling people via photos.

Last year, a photo of a young teenager with the heading, "Selling disabled person" was listed on a secondhand shopping platform.

This became a huge online scandal.

Turns out this was posted as a joke by another teenager and the photo was of their non-disabled friend.

Another case that angered many netizens was a full-body photo of a woman with the heading, "It is hard to make a living, so I am selling myself." 

People were furious since this kind of posting encouraged sex trafficking.

This was another case of someone pulling a prank.

Instances like these have occurred since the guidelines for listings are very vague.

But since the products and services offered on secondhand shopping platforms are so diverse, it is hard to set exact criteria.

We believe there is a need to be more strict guidelines to the types of things people can post to prevent illegal incidents.

Also, people should be morally aware of their actions when it comes to these platforms.

Secondhand Transaction Fraud & Countermeasures

In addition to the trading of these less than savory things, fraud is also a problem to be wary of.

Let's first look at some of the common methods that scammers use.

1. Bricks

In 2003, someone paid for a cell phone online through an online secondhand goods platform, but all they received was a brick. This ended up turning into a meme as word spread.

It is a common scam for people to send bricks or other worthless items like snack bags and mocking notes. 

2. Diving

In Korea when someone can't be contacted and no-shows, it is said that they "took a dive" (잠수를 탔다). 

There is a fraud method in which the seller is responsive until they receive a deposit, but then they go silent and can't be reached. This is known as "taking a dive". 

3. Setting a high price

Of course the appeal of buying secondhand is to find a good deal, but some people will try to sell items at the same price as buying it new or even charge more.

While most people will see the price and realize it is too high, less experienced people may fall for this and end up over-paying.

Next we will look at ways to protect yourself from scams.

1. Direct Transactions

The direct transaction method, in which seller and buyer meet in person to trade can be more of a hassle, but it is the safest way to make sure you get your product.

In particular, when buying electronics or musical instruments, it is important to test the item to make sure it works well, so meeting in person is a must.

2. Ask For A Photo

In order to see if there are any scratches or problems with the product you wish to purchase, it is important to receive clear photo and check carefully.

You can ask for photos from different angles and a photo taken showing today's date to prove that they have it and that the pictures are current.

Asking for multiple photos and specific angles can help determine if they are trying to pass off someone else's photos and scam you or if they truly have the item.

3. Use Safe Transaction Services

If you pay a fee to the used trading platform and use the safe trading service, you will pay to the platform instead of directly to the seller. 

Once the product is received, then the platform will issue the payment to the seller.

This is obviously safer for the customer, but some sellers do not like this because they have to wait for their money.

If a seller seems too insistent on being paid directly, it's a possible red flag, so be wary.

4. Check The Seller's Reviews

On trading platforms, you can check what kind of items the seller has been selling and read reviews from customers.

5. Search Bank Account Number

There is a way to check the seller's account number before depositing money.

On the financial fraud prevention service website called "The Cheat", you can search for the account number and see if there are any fraud reports on it.

6. File A Report

To prevent the secondhand fraud problem from getting worse, it is important to report all cases of fraud, even if they're small.

Most transactions are not very large, but these scam artists will con many people, so it's imperative that they be reported as soon as possible even for small transactions.

Today we shared some stories related to secondhand shopping apps that range from cute to scary.

As this method of shopping becomes more popular there are more innovative ideas, but there is also an increase in immoral actions.

We hope all remain safe while online shopping. Thank you for reading.