As the economic downturn’s effects are felt more widely, consumers are shopping at second-hand stores not just for whimsical knickknacks, but for necessities, sellers of used goods say.

“People used to simply buy things on credit,” said Doug Ramey, who owns and operates D&J Sales and Liquidators with his wife, Joyce, in Burlington. “Customers are now looking for cheap and they’re looking for needs, not wants. Ninety percent of our sales these days are needs. One year ago, it was 50-50.”

Tools, furniture and clothing are flying off of many used retailers’ shelves. But the collectibles and antiques that were popular in the past aren’t as hot as they once were.

Local consignment stores are also seeing a change in customer preference.

Sandy Youngren, owner of The Encore Shoppe in Mount Vernon, said her women’s consignment store has seen people looking for more of the basics.

“People’s spending habits have changed,” she said. “Sales are about the same as they always were, but (customers) are buying more basic things. Coats and boots are huge.”

Youngren said customer traffic has been about the same as it always has at her Mount Vernon store. But an increasing percentage of those people are inspecting the store’s prices first and then comparing to department stores.

“If they need something, they’re more likely to come here first,” she said. “Even if they do have the money to buy something, they’re still being very careful.”

Sweet Repeats, a Mount Vernon consignment store specializing in children’s clothing and baby gear, has also seen a change in what customers want.

Co-owner Amy Loy said although pajamas have remained a top-seller this year, consumers are buying more big-ticket items such as cribs, high chairs and strollers, especially if they are on sale. Those customers are also comparing prices more and putting items back if they break the bank, she said.

“I’ve noticed that more than I have before,” Loy said of the change. “They think twice about it.”

Area thrift stores have an even closer view of the strained economy, partly because they rely on both donations and buyers.

Donations are actually up at Bargains Galore Thrift Stores’ locations in Mount Vernon and Burlington, according to Manager Diana Berryman. But spending is tight.

“People are giving wonderfully, but as soon as gas prices started going up, we felt it immediately,” Berryman said. “Our regular customers were not coming in, so we got hit pretty hard.”

She said clothing and furniture have been the stronger sellers at Bargains Galore. But to move merchandise, the stores have dropped prices on many items.

“It’s a shaky and uncontrollable time,” Berryman said. “Our customer base only has so much money right now.

Proceeds from Bargains Galore to support Mount Vernon Christian School.

At the Mount Vernon Goodwill, which operates under the Seattle Goodwill, sales are strong in house wares and clothing, Seattle Goodwill communications coordinator David Sandler said.

He said it’s tough to tell whether people are placing an emphasis on needs over wants, but he guesses more of them have reason to hunt for bargains.

“With the price of necessities going up, especially when gas was sky high earlier this year, people are looking to economize in any way they can,” he said.

House wares are not the only goods residents are looking to find used — housing remains a fundamental need, as well.

That’s good news for companies like Skagit Building Salvage in Mount Vernon.

Co-owners Brandon Cardinal and David Mahllum opened the store in March and have seen good business so far. The business stocks just about anything that could be found at big box stores, he said.

“We sell everything from an 1890s door to a brand new piece of molding or a toilet,” Cardinal said.

The store not only accepts donations but also gives customers a chance to trade in materials for credit, which can be used on other items in the store.

“They’ll usually go home and be excited, but they tend to tell people how little they paid for it,” Cardinal said. “We see a lot of enthusiastic people.”

Reusables even extend to raw materials, such as wood.

Minnesota-based Duluth Timber Co., which operates a mill in Edison, provides customers with reclaimed wood that can be used for different purposes, such as building a home or carving a statue.

Nearly all of the wood collected by the local mill, managed by Brandin Sears, is from old structures that have been torn down. The old-growth wood claimed from these buildings has value and character that customers won’t find anywhere else, Sears said.

Those materials are then sold to developers, contractors and timber framers.

But even used wood isn’t cheap, and a shaky economy has limited some of the mill’s local clients.

“People want it for its appearance, but they also want it the whole ‘green’ aspect,” Sears said. “A lot of the times they’re surprised that it won’t save them any money.”

But the option to purchase recycled building materials is there for customers who want it, even though it costs more than traditional means, he said.

“Sustainable building — it’s going to be a big part of the future,” he said. “At some point all people are going to be building sustainable buildings.”