New vs Used Items: What's your preference?

dragonfly87-2 · July 2017

Just curious how others approach purchasing new vs used items in terms of your personal philosophy and what you have purchased.

This applies to clothes, furniture, toys and other items for your baby and/or children.

Please feel free to post photos of great finds as well!

lancomechica2 · July 2017

I prefer new but don't mind used too much for certain things. Husband like completely hates the idea of used anything.

dragonfly87-2 · July 2017

Personally, for clothes and toys for little ones, I prefer used in good/excellent condition. I honestly don't see a point in spending money on new clothes for babies under 1 since they grow out of them so quickly (unless it's new on clearance).

DH prefers new for some things, but when I explained the clothing situation and short use, he was on board. Also, all the clothes I got from Once Upon a Child looked like new since they were hardly worn. He sometimes says we have the money to buy new, which is true....but I don't see the point for some things

My mother used to work at a daycare and she recommended buying plastic toys used and then washing with a water/bleach solution. It is essentially the same type of set up our daughter will play with in daycare. We bought some plastic Fisher price and Little Tikes toys yesterday at Once Upon a Child for $1 each and most were $10-$20 brand new. It saved a ton of money.

For car seats, the crib and other items that expire or could be dangerous if not cared for properly, we bought new for safety reasons.

ETA: obligatory photo of the toys we purchased. I plan to wash then this afternoon with the water/bleach solution. We got Vtech, Leap Frog, Little Tikes and Fisher Price for $1 each and they work great!

kissthesky32 · July 2017

I'm okay with clothes and hard toys - anything I can super clean. If there's a part of it I can't rub down with bleach, then it's a no.

dragonfly87-2 · July 2017

@lancomechica2 It took my DH a little while to warm up to used items, but after I explained to him that children don't use some things for very long, he got on board.

kwaldy · July 2017

There's things I won't compromise on for new: mattress/car seat/bottles... a few others I can't think of off the top of my head.
But I have bought SO MUCH great stuff secondhand. We live near a military community so people are moving all the time and just purging things because they don't want to pack them. I got boxes of gently used clothes for DD for next to nothing, and they were all name brand. We got a swing that was on our registry for about a quarter of its retail price and it looked like it hadn't even been used.
Most stuff can be washed and cleaned up to make you feel better about it too. Kids use things for such a small amount of time, it's hard for me to justify spending a ton of cash on the them.

irishfrisky · July 2017

We are getting almost everything used except my breast pump, car seats, and crib mattress. Saving a little money everywhere we can that doesn't impact safety.

dragonfly87-2 · July 2017

@kwaldy I forgot about mattresses, I won't buy those used. We live near a military base as well and some of the yard sales have awesome deals when families are planning to move soon. So jealous on the boxes of clothes!

kdl89 · July 2017

I am ok with clothes and toys that are used and in good condition and can be cleaned. However any of the big items I like them to be new for safety reasons. That being said we have accepted a few used items like a swing from a family member who's baby hated it and was only in it like 12 times and looks new. I am also borrowing a couple things from my sister as she plans to have another child someday.

kwaldy · July 2017

@dragonfly87-2 if they have an online yard sale page, keep an eye of people selling lots of clothes for any given size. I stalk those pages like they are my life (oops)

MKMandeville · July 2017

Clothes are definitely about 90% used in good condition until they at least stop growing so fast. My favorite spots are Once Upon a Child and sometimes I can even find some new with tag items at the local Just Between Friends consignment sale.

I also have bought some toys, games and books secondhand as well.

Furniture on the other hand (especially for the nursery) I buy brand new just because safety regulations.

hillaryo14 · July 2017

I'm fine with used for things like clothes, blankets, and hard toys. I agree with not getting used items for mattresses, car seats, etc. for safety reasons.
My mom volunteers for a couple resale shops in her town and she got me a bag of baby clothes, bibs, and blankets. We also have a friend who is giving us their old baby monitor now that their kids are bigger.

ineedsixeggs · July 2017

We got so many hand me down and second hand things for my daughter. I'm not against it at all as long as I know who it's coming from and/or can clean it really well. That being said, I am enjoying buying a few things new for this one. I feel like now that I have a better idea of what I'm getting into, I'm more comfortable about making investments if I want to be a little more selective.

ShePersisted · July 2017

My rule is if it needs safety standards that cannot be validated and hygiene issues it should be new. E.g, car seat, mattress, soft toys ( unless washable), bath toys with chance of mold inside them etc. If it can be sanitized and is something where safety standards can be checked, I absolutely don't mind used ones. In fact I look for used ones before I buy new. There are of course some grey areas which I think depends, like we got a used swing but we knew the source and had a chance to test it before buying.

ariasbabyblog · July 2017

Clothes, definitely used. Most of my sons' clothing is either hand me downs, or Goodwill. I compulsively wash everything anyway, so I know it's clean, even if it is stained. I've already gotten some hand me downs from friends for this little girl. I do buy a few pieces for each kiddo new, but mostly because I can't help myself. We also buy a new extra fluffy and soft blanket and the going home outfit for each kiddo. It is my DH's job to choose and purchase the going home outfit.

We bought our furniture second hand, but checked the regulations and condition of the furniture first and I'll be using the same set we bought with #3 as we did with #1. Including the mattress. I got my breast pump second hand from my cousin, but I replaced all the parts for sanitary reasons. It is the motor and whatnot that is the expensive part, the tubing and flanges and all are much cheaper to replace. Baby swing and walker were second hand from Craigslist. High chair, toddler bed and mattress were on a long term loan from a friend of ours (4 years) and we just gave them back last week.

We don't really buy toys, our families buy them for us. We did buy new "special" stuffed animals for each boy and will with this little girl too, but general play toys are all either purchased by family or purchased second hand by family. Our kids are our families only grandchildren, so they get spoiled. Books are a mix of second hand and new. I recently discovered Usborne books and some ladies in my area are sellers, so I've recently gotten many new books for the boys, but I personally feel you can't have too many books.

Pretty much the only things we bought new were the car seats and bottles, and the only reason the bottles were new is because my cousin didn't have her's anymore. Unless the rubber has milk rot, a quick run through the dishwasher and they are clean and sanitary. We are cheap and not particularly paranoid, so car seats were the only things we planned on purchasing new, and for this little girl, she will be using her oldest brother's convertible as he is moving to a convertible booster and his "old" seat is still well within the expiration date and it is in good shape.

Sorry, that turned into a novel. TL:DR Almost everything is used except the car seats and some special items.

hillaryo14 · July 2017

@ariasbabyblog I completely agree with you about never having too many books. I'm a 1st grade teacher, so I would always order books when we had our monthly book order. Now with LO on the way, I will definitely be ordering more!
I will also get them from resale shops a lot because the money goes to a good cause, and I get books for way cheaper than new. I ended up getting my copy of What to Expect for 12 cents!

Asivec · July 2017

This is my second daughter so most of my stuff will be hand me downs but I did garage sale/Facebook/consignment sale most of her items especially the nb-24months. This LO will get her own crib mattress as well as great grandma blankets as a keepsake. Reuse it all I say, at least what I have kept.

cottingham3 · July 2017

I am a second hand junky! I am pretty particular and the only things I would not get used are Breast Pumps, mattresses, and formally I would have said car seat. A pretty good friend sold me her Britax that was just purchased two months ago. It was used like once. I would NEVER buy one from someone that I did not know VERY well!

In my area there are TONS of consignment shops and Facebook children's sales along with a few annual kids sales. We live in a pretty affluent city in our state and you can find TONS of nice things that have very little to no use! Even this weekend I scored a few nice things at our goodwill (no where near my favorite thrift store) for the baby with tags on!

As for bottles, those too would only be used from very close friends. I have two with toddlers who nursed and only used bottles part time. They have the Avents I love ad gave them to me. I will buy new nipples and viola!

This go around I have found most of my cloth diapers used. I came upon one lady who had 75 unused BumGenius inserts for sale. I went to examine them and sure enough, she had like to use charcoal and bamboo inserts so I got them all for $10. I have found many other barely used or unused covers from people who were deciding what they liked. I have stripped them all and they are perfect!

av2323 · July 2017

Car seats, bottles, breast feeding supplies, pacifiers, and the crib mattress all must be new. Anything else is fine used as long as it isn't skanky.

amber0529 · July 2017

Car seats and breast pump must be new. Anything else I buy used. I am cheap and I love yard sale sights and clearance racks! They stain clothes and grow out of them too fast to be buying it all brand new! With things like swings, highchairs etc I will always google it before buying to see if there has been a recall. And actually if there was a recall you can sometimes buy it, call in and get a brand new one!

ames011 · July 2017

My best friend is giving me her crib and mattress she used with her two boys (the youngest graduated to a big bed this week). Most people seem to be against used mattresses but does that include if you know where they came from?

hillaryo14 · July 2017

@ames011 I'd be okay with it if I knew and trusted where it came from.

RiverSong15 · July 2017

I'm OK taking hand me downs from friends for most things. We're getting a crib (and mattress) and car seat new because I want to make sure everything meets safety standards and also fits in our small apartment and car. I never thought about used bottles - definitely getting bottles, pacis, etc. new for sanitary reasons. I'd be OK reusing a breast pump if I could completely replace all the tubing/flanges/etc. with new pieces. But since insurance covers a new pump, I don't see the point of getting another one. We're getting a stroller, swing, bouncer, bottle warmer, and lots of clothes second hand. I'll take whatever people want to give. I'll think about shopping consignment after our shower to fill in what we need. Basically, unless it's a safety or sanitary concern, I'll take used items to save money.

bklynchica · July 2017

What about used strollers? It's hard to find the perfect double stroller for twins, and they get sold used in twin groups. I'm on the fence.

ElizabethSchuyler · July 2017

@bklynchica I'd personally go for a used stroller. Double strollers aren't cheap!

dragonfly87-2 · July 2017

@bklynchica I would buy a used stroller in good condition that could be wiped down. Just check for recalls before purchase.

NYTino24 · July 2017

Give me all the used stuff! My family members have passed stuff down and it can all be cleaned in the washer or dishwasher. Pacifiers and Nose Fridas need to be new and that's all I care about. I got an infant car seat from my one sister and a crib from SIL. Bouncer, Exersaucer, rocking baby glider, and swing came from friends or family we trust. We even got bottles that weren't used. I did buy a convertible car seat and we will get dressed and a rocking swivel glider with ottoman. We can start the college fund sooner and asked for some other things on the registry that LO can use later.

dragonfly87-2 · July 2017

@NYTino24 So jealous that you have family that can give you hand me downs! I would do used everything if I could get it from people I knew. We are having the first grandchild among siblings and extended family, so we will likely be passing on the hand me downs in the future.

NYTino24 · July 2017

@dragonfly87-2 I think it's payback for me having to share with 4 sisters and DH having to share with 3 sisters all our lives, haha. We're also 4/5 and 3/4 for having kids, so most siblings are done. Plus, a lot of our friends are done too. I feel like our baby is super loved and not any less special since he isn't first. Some people, including my twin, have commented that they can't believe we don't want new stuff for our first. Well I'm crunchy like that and hate seeing baby stuff at the curb. Plus, I love the memories of outfits and toys our nieces and nephews had in those things and will think of them when our little one uses them! PS see if your area has a local Freecycle group.

littlemissc17 · July 2017

I'm not against used for some items, but I really prefer to know who things are coming from. Since this is our last baby, I'm struggling between spending money to buy new knowing we won't use things again, to wanting to buy things new since it will be the last time I get to do this. Maybe I'm just being too sentimental.

mariposa_767s · July 2017

I think the only things I wouldn't have used are things like a crib mattress, mattress cover, pack and play, etc. Pack and plays can get really dirty and gross while being hard to fully clean. Mattresses and mattress covers follow the same principle. I am picky with used high chairs, but we found one that's easy to clean up. I will never buy a used car seat. Of course, new items are always nice too lol.

JDW0325 · July 2017

I love all the used things (besides bottle nipples, pacis, and crib mattress).
With my son we got SO MANY hand me downs. It was amazing!

kissthesky32 · July 2017

I put hand me downs in a different category. I'll take pretty much anything from a friend of family member I know well - aside from a mattress or nipples/pacis/teething toys. I am much more picky about things from a secondhand shop/consignment sale/tag sale.

cottingham3 · July 2017

@ames011 I would consider any hand-me-down a little different from buying something used from a site or store where you are not sure of its past life.

@littlemissc17 I know the feeling you have. I am trying to be reasonable since there are three other kids with needs but this being our last AND the fact that we had NONE of our stuff left has me being a little more particular about the specific things I wanted. I refused everything with 1 and 2 and #3 had lots of hand-me-downs. A good example os our crib. Although I did not spend a fortune, I picked out the one I "wanted" vs. what was most practical which is what I did when buying for #1 and #2.

samsterrr · July 2017

I got almost everything new at my shower for my first so I just kept pretty much everything, and will most likely just use all of that. His dad still uses his crib(as a toddler bed) so we will get another one of those but my grandparents want to get that as the gift so win!
I only really worry about new with bottles, mattress, and carseats. Other than that I'm all about a bargain and buying used.

jess0211 · July 2017

I am okay with most things used from friends and family. I did want my mattress and carseat new. One issue I've been encountering with hand me downs is people trying to give me gear that is 12+ years old. That concerns me.

littlemissc17 · July 2017

@cottingham3 That's a good idea. I think I might do something similar. I'll just pick a few items that I really care about and just get what I want. I am lucky in that I still have a lot of things from DD2 that are in good condition, but there are a lot of things I didn't spring for that I want now like a Halo bassinet.

amber0529 · July 2017

I saw a halo bassinet at a consignment store I deliver to and I loved it but they wanted $150 for it!

bcashaw · July 2017

Used everything except carseat.

MaximumEffort · July 2017

I've always gotten used, my parents never bought any big items. My aunt did buy me my stroller/carseat with DD. Shower wasn't very big but maybe that's because I was a single mother, I say this because for my brother they spent the hundreds on a crib and shipped it to AK. And the bio dad's side of the family didn't know about her and when they did, still nothing. This time we bought all the nursery furniture used. Today we bought second hand clothes but a new mamaroo swing (it was on clearance). I'm curious to see what DHs family buys as this is his first and they are so excited.

Bonnie Sue · July 2017

I'm pretty much fine with getting any baby stuff used, with the exception of mattresses, bottle nipples, and breast pumps. I'm a super frugal person so cheap is how I go, lol.

New vs Used Items: What's your preference?

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