Bargain Streets a heaven for second-hand buyers

For those who are collectors and find gold in the old, Chennai has plenty to offer as it has some sprawling second hand shopping hubs. Be it books, electronics, furniture or bikes, there are dedicated places where one can find the best bargains. Though there are dozens of exclusive portals and apps for second-hand shopping, nothing comes close to the charm of visiting the flea market.  However, negotiation skills are a necessary companion. 

The demand for second-hand books is at its all-time high at the Lily Pond Complex at the start of the academic session in colleges. Students swarm  all over the place to get their prescribed books at a fraction of the original price. “A brand new engineering book can cost anything between Rs 1,000 – 3,000. At the second hand books market, it costs between Rs 300- Rs 500. We buy in bulk for the entire semester,” says Santosh Kumar Singh, a second year student and a regular at second hand book stores. Palini B. of Renuka Book Stores, says, “Rest of the year, we get an average of 10 to 15 customers on a daily basis. They usually come wanting books for casual reading. However, it is during the academic season that the entire complex is covered with students.” 

Be it for engineering, medicine, architecture or even UPSC examinations, one can find the books one needs. There are other bustling corners in the city were book lovers strike gold, like the iconic Luz Church Road, where second hand books are being sold since 1952. From Sidney Sheldon to Chetan Bhagat and from Robin Sharma to Paulo Cohelo, one can find everything. The other popular hubs include the pavement book sellers along Anna Salai, Wallajah Road and Pycrofts Road in Triplicane. 

A walk down Royapettah High Road and Peters Road, and one can find lines of furniture shops with a range of well-crafted wooden items displayed beautifully. Mani’s & Co. on Royapettah High Road has been a fixture for decades. It started in 1970 as an auctioning house and is now only into retail. 

“The second hand furniture business has been thriving in this locality for decades,” says Sarvanan B of Om Arun Devi traders on Peters Road. “We do not stock contemporary furniture here because we do not get good returns. Instead, we go for older furniture with an antique finish. We look for quality wood – teakwood or rosewood and buy them accordingly. Then we repair and re-work the pieces for sale,” he says. Shri Sangkara Enterprises in Adyar is one more name known in the second hand wooden furniture market. The oldest and most famous name is Murray and Co, the old auction house where everyone from celebrities to newly wed couples setting up  homes on shoe-string budgets, gather in numbers. 

Dream machines 

DTNext caught up with R Rajesh just after he finishes the paperwork for his new two-wheeler. “Though this is second -hand, it’s my first ever bike,” says Rajesh, who saved his pocket money to buy it. “I didn’t have enough money to buy a brand new bike. Someone suggested that I go to Bells Road in Chepauk, a second-hand bike hub, and here I am.” 

One can find all the top brands here. “We are in touch with agents from showrooms running exchange offers. We get the bikes from there. But most of the time, people who are moving cities or those who are in urgent need of money come to us. We buy and sell the two-wheelers with proper documents that is thoroughly scrutinised. We also ensure that stolen vehicles are not dumped here,” says A. Suhail of A. Grade Bikes and Car Zone. Pillaiyar Koil Street in Jaffarkhanpet and Pudupet are the hot-spots for those seeking used two-wheelers. 

People, on an average, change their mobile phones once in a year. A lot of these old phones find their way to Ritchie Street. “We buy phones based on their condition. People get bored of their old mobile sets and sell them here. The pricing is always based on the condition of the mobile phone. When it comes to buyers, most of them are people from other cities looking for cheap phones,”  says Ashok of Chennai Mobile Hub. The shops around Central Station too deal in low cost, second-hand mobile phones. But many say they are wary of buying from here fearing them to be stolen goods. 

When it comes to antiques and used utensils, New Park Road is the best destination. “Apart from the collectors, we  have people coming from movie production houses who want to create sets for forthcoming films. Architects and interior designers looking for vintage artefacts to do up a house or an office also walk into our stores. Recently, we had someone looking for cameras to do up the office,” says N. Shankar.