Home
Second Hand Masterpiece
Ollie PeplowThe second-hand market has very rapidly grown in popularity, websites and apps such as eBay, Facebook Marketplace and Vinted are becoming peoples’ go to place when shopping for various goods. With the rapid advancement of the digital age, car boot sales are becoming more and more scarce, and the online marketplace is the norm forowners wanting to sell their belongings. But why is this? Being able to use sites like eBay and Facebook Marketplace is less hassle and stressful for sellers. Simply snap a photo of the unwanted item, list it on the site of your choosing, snap a couple of quid for your troubles and send the item off through the post. Better yet, you can have the seller come to your house and collect it from you. The online market is so much more appealing for sellers, instead of going through the hassle of setting up shop out of the boot of your car and having to sell your items face-to-face. Not to mention possible weather disruptions that you would have to endure. Making you think to yourself: “Is this really worth the hassle?” Well, now you can do all the work on your phone from the comfort of your own home. However, with the minimal effort it takes to sell your items, the same effort carries over when it comes to packaging the items. Unorthodox packaging is becoming more and more prominent; it is not uncommon to order an item off vinted and it comes in a Greggs bag or an Asda carrier bag. It is ironically creative and lazy at the same time.
This project explores the creative and unorthodox packaging choices when getting these items delivered to your house. Imagine your camera batteries and charging kits being delivered in a fajita kit box, or your birthday gift comes in a folded and taped-up bag for life. The aim of this piece is to showcase and highlight the humour in these packaging choices in a professional, studio environment. Bright coloured backgrounds, along with professional studio lighting, almost feel as if they are being advertised as some sort of first-class packaging. The typology layout with different colours for each item gives a unique personality. Allowing the images to pop out to the viewer and forcing them to question ‘why on earth would someone use that as packaging?’
The work is photographed in a professional studio setting. Which creates a juxtaposition between the second-hand, preloved item, and photographing them as newer 1st hand products. There is also a juxtaposition between the photography on sites like eBay and Marketplace and the studio setting. When people normally list items on these sites, they take a clear and concise photo, with not a lot of effort needed to be put into it. Showcasing the item itself as preloved and now uncared-for. However, going through the effort of photographing these items in a studio setting, taking time to get the correct composition and lighting settings, brings back a sense of care and love for the items. Therefore, blurring the lines between whether the items are first or second hand.
This project explores the creative and unorthodox packaging choices when getting these items delivered to your house. Imagine your camera batteries and charging kits being delivered in a fajita kit box, or your birthday gift comes in a folded and taped-up bag for life. The aim of this piece is to showcase and highlight the humour in these packaging choices in a professional, studio environment. Bright coloured backgrounds, along with professional studio lighting, almost feel as if they are being advertised as some sort of first-class packaging. The typology layout with different colours for each item gives a unique personality. Allowing the images to pop out to the viewer and forcing them to question ‘why on earth would someone use that as packaging?’
The work is photographed in a professional studio setting. Which creates a juxtaposition between the second-hand, preloved item, and photographing them as newer 1st hand products. There is also a juxtaposition between the photography on sites like eBay and Marketplace and the studio setting. When people normally list items on these sites, they take a clear and concise photo, with not a lot of effort needed to be put into it. Showcasing the item itself as preloved and now uncared-for. However, going through the effort of photographing these items in a studio setting, taking time to get the correct composition and lighting settings, brings back a sense of care and love for the items. Therefore, blurring the lines between whether the items are first or second hand.