The most sought-after second-hand items across the UK  

•  · ‘Cars’ are the most sought-after second-hand item in the UK, with an estimated 49,000 searches per month  
•  · Ranking second is ‘furniture’, totalling an average of 27,000 searches   
•  · Following third with 19,000 monthly searches on average is second hand ‘books’ 

According to new research, cars are the most popular second-hand item in the UK.   

Shopping experts For-Sale analysed Google data to find the number of searches per month that contained the key term ‘second hand’, revealing which pre-owned items are the most searched for in the UK.   

Claiming first place is ‘cars’, totalling an estimated 49,000 average searches per month. In 2021, an estimated 7.5 million used cars were sold compared to 1.65 million new car sales. New vehicles lose their value once they are driven off the forecourt; and most will have typically lost around 40% of their value by the end of the first year.  

‘Furniture’ is the second most sought after used item, with an average of 27,000 searches per month. On average, second-hand furniture is half the price of newer items, offering a more cost-effective option for people. It is followed by ‘books’ with 19,000 searches per month on average in the UK, taking third place.   

‘Golf clubs’ followed in fourth place for second-hand items with searches of 11,000. An entry-level set of new men’s golf clubs can typically start from around £250. 

Fifth in the ranking is ‘electric cars’, claiming an estimated 8,400 searches. The average cost of a brand-new electric car stands at just under £44,000. 

Totalling a search count of 7,700 per month, second hand ‘bikes’ take sixth in the ranking. 

  

‘Phones’ takes an average search volume of 6,000 making it seventh on the list. Pre-owned phones are becoming increasingly popular for many across the nation with the growing price of contract plans for the latest devices.  

Totalling an estimated 5,200 search count, ‘wedding dresses’ take eighth place. It’s estimated that 112,500 second-hand wedding dresses are sold each year in the UK.   

‘Clothes’ claim ninth at an average of 5,000 searches per month; according to ‘The House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee’, the production of clothes is the third-largest manufacturing industry behind technology and automotive. Tenth place is ‘sofa’ with 4,900 searches per month.   

Most sought after second hand items in the UK
Rank	Keyword	Searches per month
1	Cars	49,000
2	Furniture	27,000
3	Books	19,000
4	Golf clubs	11,000
5	Electric cars	8,400
6	Bikes	7,700
7	Phones	6,000
8	Wedding dresses	5,200
9	Clothes	5,000
10	Sofa	4,900