Hello Community,

Recently, I embarked on a quest to explore second-hand stores and made an intriguing discovery—not only about the variety of hidden treasures but also about the limitations of the existing data in OpenStreetMap.

At the beginning of my search i obviously used OSM to look for second hand shops. I used https://openstreetbrowser.org/ and created a custom category with the code

query: 13: nwr[shop=second_hand]

and discovered that there are just few second-hand stores mapped in my area. I was sure that this is not possible and so i searched the internet to create my own list while cross-referencing various websites, blogs and platforms.

To optimize my exploration, I looked to create an efficient route—the classic Traveling Salesman Problem. There are various tools and APIs that can be utilized for this purpose. After some deliberation, I opted for Routexl, which best suited my needs as its possible to use it for free if you don’t have more than 20 points.

Armed with the list and the route, I got out with my bicycle on two separate days to visit most of the second-hand stores and map them. But my journey didn’t end there. I checked again with the OpenStreetBrowser and and shared it the first time within a local community. The community then showed me another second-hand store specializing in computers—an aspect I had not previously considered, as my focus was on clothing stores.

Now there are two already mapped stores where its not clear if they are still in operation. More research and exploration is required to keep everything recent.

It was interesting to discover how these store did not get mapped previously or did not get any attention even after they got added to OSM. It was a nice experience to find something that might be needed locally.

Lets fill the map with new discoveries!