ABOUT SECOND HAND NEWS

        SECOND HAND NEWS began publishing in 1993 as a 44-page, 5x8" guide to San Diego, CA thrift stores, resale and vintage shops, specialty and second hand stores, pawn shops, and collectible repair. The magazine also featured a Calendar of Events and Rummage Sales. The idea for SECOND HAND NEWS came about when the publisher, Patricia F. Doering, was visiting a San Diego rummage sale and someone attending the sale stated: "you should publish a book -- you have a great deal of knowledge about local thrift stores, rummage sales, etc." After much research, we originally planned to publish a newsletter but this later evolved into the 5x8" guide format.

        In the beginning, SECOND HAND NEWS was distributed to a small but devoted group of subscribers. Later on, as revenues increased we were able to distribute the publication in major San Diego thrift stores. Initially, advertising support was minimal (totally only seven advertisers). Yet, by 1999 we had published 56 pages and received advertising support from seventy-five San Diego businesses. Over the years, we published articles about some of San Diego’s best thrift stores: GOODWILL INDUSTRIES, the SALVATION ARMY, ST. VINCENT de PAUL and others. Articles included information about Resale Shopping, Buying Antiques and Collectibles, Where to Find San Diego’s Best Rummage Sales and lots more! Some of our quarterly coverage covered rating thrift stores and rummage sales by content, size and pricing. We also featured "People & Places," which brought you profiles of owners and managers of local second hand stores, rummage sales and thrift stores.

        In 1998, we decided to move much of SECOND HAND NEWS online to our new website http://www.bargainlink.com -- a site we maintain today. Although our web site contained much of the information published within the printed copy of SECOND HAND NEWS, it did not contain feature articles. We are pleased to announce, though, that beginning in the Summer of 2004, we have completely revised our web site, adding tons of new information and resources, and have also added a new online newsletter, again called SECOND HAND NEWS. This newsletter will be published quarterly and will contain three or four feature articles along with other featured information and artwork. (It will be distributed initially free of charge; however, we are considering a small annual charge beginning with the Winter, 2005 issue.) The newsletter is aimed at providing our audience with information they may not be able to find elsewhere in addition to news directly from thrift and second hand stores about special shipments, changes within stores, plans for the future, recycling information (courtesy of the City of San Diego’s Environmental Services Division which has helped us launch the new site) and much, much more. We will also add an "Archives Section" as soon as possible, which will contain historical material from past issues of SECOND HAND NEWS.

        Because we wish our website and this newsletter to provide you, our subscriber, with the kind of information you need, we have added a new Discussion Board where you will be able to comment on our site, or write about thrift stores, charities, resale shops and, in addition, be able to buy, sell or trade your treasures online. We are not involved in the logistics of doing that; in other words, you can post your messages on our Discussion Board and those messages will be sent via email to the members within that list. Buying, selling or trading from that point on remains your responsibility.

        We hope you are as delighted as we are with our new web site and the launch of our online newsletter. We would love to hear from you after you have had an opportunity to review both of these ventures. You can contact us by email or you can visit our Discussion Board and comment there. Enjoy your visit and come back often!