Second hand dresses, otherwise known as Tokunbo, have remained popular among the populace, despite official opposition to its importation. Sulaiman Salawudeen examines factors behind the trend
FOR Sandra Adetiloye, a student of the Federal Polytechnic, Ado-Ekiti, the lure of second-hand clothing otherwise known as Tokunbo (Yoruba for ‘Comer from across the seas’) or BK (Bosi koro, another Yoruba meaning ‘enter corner’) is irresistible.
Sandra, who disclosed that she ‘loves’ Tokunbo’ clothes, had gone to the popular second-hand clothing market at Oja Bisi in Ado-Ekiti, capital of the state for some tops (blouses) to go with the skirts which she said she had earlier secured from the same market.
An apparently vocal and unassuming student of Business Administration of the polytechnic, Sandra confessed she did not have alternatives for her BK stuffs: “I have needed some tops for quite a while”, she confessed, adding “This holiday is an opportunity for me to spend some time around the market to be able to make nice choices”.
Alaba Jacob, a male salon owner in the capital, was in the market to buy some trousers. “Today being Saturday, I will be busy in my shop. Customers will soon start coming. That’s why I decided to come this early to have time to get nice ones”.
The market itself bubbled this day as ever. Scores of buyers and sellers, males, females, young and not so young intermingled, exchanged banters and haggled ceaselessly. No one can guess if any particular clothing item is missing out here. You can see the wares either hanged or on mobile wooden carts. There were the males’ stuff; trousers, short knickers, singlets, ties, orthodox long and short-sleeved shirts, even T-shirts, various sizes and shapes of socks, whether worn on legs or hands, and so on. There are those selling shoes, slippers and sandals. While the females’ have most of the ones for the males, they also have the usual females only ones, including pants, braziers and other varieties of underwear.
The traders themselves who are mostly Ibos are not hidden. They announce their products in attractive Yoruba catch phrases: “Opo ju owo e,” meaning ‘it is worth more than its price”; “Olowo o r’ako se,” meaning ‘the wealthy has lost chance to pride”; and a host other ones.
As this one shouts at this end, the other holds up the stuff at another, while the buyers tugged and pushed one another for advantage. The first to notice a good and special one would do anything to buy, believing there may be no other one like it.
One of the sellers who identified himself simply as Alhaji clarified that there is no item of clothing the second hand of which could not be found in the market.
According to him, any clothing item including wears, window blinds, beddings male and females wears generally are available at rates comparatively attractive.
Regarding how they source the good, Alhaji said some of the sellers go to the border towns including Seme in the Republic of Benin, Saki in Oyo State and even Lagos while some stay at home to buy from those who went to such places.
Said he: “It depends on how much we have when in need of more stock. While some of us go to Saki, a few go to Seme, even Cotonou. Some of our people however stop in Lagos.
Attractions of the business for dealers
Alhaji further disclosed that there were always enough returns on purchases to attract those who do the business, noting however that, like any other business, there are problems in the trade.
He said: “I can say the business is good for those who persist and are patient. Some of these sellers you are seeing have two, three children in various institutions and they are sponsoring them.
“There is a widow who took over the business from her husband and now, she has bought a vehicle and has even completed their house. It is good business which has saved many people from lack.
“See that lady there she is a part-time student in one of the institutions. I cannot remember which of the institutions now. Very brilliant as you see her but she does not have anyone to sponsor her education. She joined this trade two years ago and has been coping”, he said.
Alhaji explained further that the market has, as well, been a silent protector of many categories of workers, including teachers, doctors, nurses, bankers, and civil servants who, according to him, they service “behind the scenes”.
Said he: “I have a fairly long list of people mostly women who are in various offices, including banks and other establishments who prefer our products. They don’t come to the market. We already have their numbers and each time there are new arrivals, we call them and they come.
“Even those who are not faring well also depend on us. Christmas is now around and I know the number of women who have approached and appealed to me to support them by selecting, especially good ones among the stuff for their children.
”One of my customers, Mama Rachael, has a tradition of giving me money in bits when a festival is approaching. We will be calculating and adding them until it reaches certain amount. I will then select good dresses for her children. I have never disappointed her”, Alhaji said.
Attractions for buyers
Just as the dealers consider the trade as profitable, the patrons equally admit that second-hand clothes are the best anyone can wear. Their reasons range from durability to affordability and uniqueness of the material.
Sandra spoke: “It is not just that the clothes are cheap, they are also durable. It is not the kind of dress you will wash two times and it will lose colour finally. The stuffs are equally unique. No lady likes to see the dress she is wearing on another person. I hate wearing any dress and seeing any other person wearing the same thing. It makes you feel defeated. No one likes to be copied so easily.
“Second-hand clothes rarely come in double you see only one of any unique type. If you buy and wear such, people admire you and no one is likely to look like you.
“But, some of this new ready-made wears are neither durable nor unique. You can spend a fortune buying them but they soon lose colour and texture. Their buyers always have three things to lose: they are ever costly, never durable and never unique. You too can try it, buy any new dress and go out. You will see at least two or three people wearing the same dress and attending the same function with you.
“The reason is the ones in the stores are mass produced and they could be procured by anyone. Let me not deceive you, I am a lady and the worst is going out with a dress and seeing another person appearing in a replica of your dress.
“Let me tell you another secret, many of the known centres where they claim to sell new ready-made dresses are patrons of this same second-hand clothing market because the dresses are in grades, they just select the best grades, dry clean them and put them up for sale. Many people are being deceived.
Hurdles in the trade
Dealers in second-hand clothes face challenges relating to restrictions on importation. Chidi, another seller in the market, disclosed that the problem of transporting the consignment from the borders to their markets is a major challenge which most sellers, including himself have been experiencing each time they went across the borders.
He explained that while some dealers stop in Lagos, some go as far as Cotonou, Seme and Saki which make them susceptible to exploitation of the Customs and Immigration officials.
He said: “Immigration and Customs officials are making life difficult for us. You must not make a mistake of spending all your money on purchases whenever you go for them because you must settle wherever you meet them.
“Once they stop you and found that you are carrying the second-hand clothing, they bring up all manner of excuses to delay you. You are the one to understand the language and bring something out. And we are not talking of one place or two or three. If you travel with as much as N200,000, you will ‘settle’ with nothing less than N70,000. Unfortunately, we cannot always increase the cost of the items for the people as they might find it difficult buying.
“At times, when I return from the market and I imagine what I went through, I wonder if small people like us have any meaning at all. What is our crime that we cannot buy and sell again?
“Government says they are protecting the economy by discouraging the importation and sale of second-hand stuffs like cars, freezers, clothes and others. But is it their economy (of the exporting country) they are referring to our own economy which does not have anything good to offer us.
“I appeal to the Federal Government to look into the situation for us. Let them make second-hand clothes a legitimate business so that Customs will not stop us again. This second-hand trade is the only means by which we live, feed and sponsor our children’s education.”
Possible dangers in wearing second-hand clothes
Speaking with The Nation, Dr. Oloje Oluyemi, a Family Medicine specialist at the Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital, clarified that there are no apparent medical problems traceable to or arising from using second-hand clothing materials.
Oloje explained that, given the scale and popularity of use of the clothes among the populace, there would have been reported cases of many skin problems which are the only ones likely from wearing the dresses, noting “as far as I am aware, there is no such development here in the hospital or anywhere I know of.”
He, however, urged the people to wash and sterilise the stuff before they put them on, saying “this is of course a matter of general hygiene. If one buys a second hand dress or used clothe, one should know it should be washed and taken care of well before wearing it.”
Said he: “Although, I am aware that once a woman contracted a disease on her breast by wearing a second-hand brazier which she bought, she said it started by itching her before the thing developed into a big ailment. But before and after such incident, I have not come in contact with anyone whose ailment could be traced to the use of second-hand clothes. I have someone very close to me who deals in the stuff and whose children do wear them. It is of course a multimillion naira business which is sustaining many families. It could not have survived this long if any disease has been traced to it. But people should always follow the rules of hygiene whenever they buy them”.