Secondhand Birthday Presents

[musicinthewoods]

Interested in mumsnet opinions as RL friend think I a BVVVVU.

DD2 is 2 next month and I've seen a play kitchen on FB marketplace that would be perfect for her- it's £30 and retails around £150 brand new.

My friends think it's totally fine to buy secondhand but not for birthdays/Xmas and that I'm tight.

Full disclosure I am the highest earner of my friendship group and they know this (not a stealth boast- we're good friends for a long time and they've seen my career progress!). I could easily afford the £150 but I don't see the point when the £30 is just as good and the brand new one will be exactly the same after a week of play! 🤷🏻‍♀️plus, she's 2 so wouldn't know (my 11 year old would probably leave home over a second hand birthday present 🙄).

So, AIBU?

P.S I will be the poster that continues to think they are not unreasonable even if you all tell me I am 🤫

[Pollywollydolly]

Sounds perfectly reasonable to me.

[Wizotto]

Definitely not unreasonable. I would do it. A 2 year old won’t know the difference and you could put it in a big box with a balloon and make it fun.

[OnceUponATime000]

Buy the second hand kitchen. YANBU. I can think of one reason why you wouldn't. She'll never know she'll just belighted with her new 'to her' kitchen. It's environmentally friendly to reuse and if it gets damaged you won't be annoyed as it was a bargain and second hand.

[FrancesHaHa]

Of course it's reasonable. Plus better for the environment if you buy second hand

[Smurfy23]

Not at all. I bought dd a second hand kitchen for her Christmas present too. She has no idea it was used beforehand (and probably wouldnt care). My attitude was it meant I could buy her more as it meant that there was more money left in her budget.

[OnceUponATime000]

Can't think of one reason 🙁

[Ilikesweetpeas]

Perfectly reasonable. Like you I could afford to buy new but frequently didn’t! We had a kitchen and lots of lovely happyland toys secondhand. Save your money for when they’re older and want expensive things that can’t be bought secondhand!!

[hormonesorDHbeingadick]

Makes sense to me. Your 2 year old won’t know or care. Buying the new one would be a complete waste.

[Vanannabananna]

I’ve bought my nearly 4 yo all second hand good condition for his birthday. He won’t know or care and means I get much more for my budget. Perfectly reasonable.

[musicinthewoods]

Thank you! I hadn't even thought of the environmental impact but given that we're on a war against plastic in our house it fits nicely with our new resolutions!

[picklemepopcorn]

Please buy the second hand one. Better for the environment, for the child and for your family.

[Thatnovembernight]

Yes do it!

[livingthegoodlife]

Definitely buy it! I gave my daughter s secondhand (but looked new) wheelybug for her birthday. It cost £20 rather than £70. I could pay the extra but it seems a waste. She was delighted by the way!

[Geminijes]

Buy the second hand one.

So what if you can afford a new one. Better for the environment and your purse to buy second hand.

I once heard......that the rich spend like the poor and the poor spend like the rich.

[Advice79]

It’s fine to buy second hand for birthdays or Xmas. My kids are 6, 2 and 7 and I do this for them for a mixture of occasions- it doesn’t make a difference to them.

[stucknoue]

I did, it's all I could afford then

[Trafalger]

I have done the same. Bought a 2nd hand wooden slide for her xmas present. She loves it still, made no difference at all to my 2 year old. It is better for the environment, it saves you having to build a new one (always a pain in the arse!) and what 2 year old will honestly notice.

[WishUponAStar88]

Definitely get the second hand one! Spend £150 on a toy and you’ll be far too annoyed when it gets scratched within 30 seconds of being played with

[Dahlietta]

Absolutely, get the second hand one. A kitchen isn't even something you would give them in the box (because from box to functioning kitchen is far too slow a process for a toddler) so you can't even say it wouldn't look new (not that a toddler would know anyway!)

[treenu]

Most of our children's toys have been second hand. There are so many bargains on fb and it's so wasteful to buy new all the time. Half of it ends up at the charity shop as they're not that interested after all!

[OhioOhioOhio]

I'd definitely buy it.

[ColaFreezePop]

A 2 year old doesn't care. Save your money for when she starts caring.

[Ohyesiam]

I’ve found that if people have problems with second hand, they can often be quite tricky.

[Charlottejade89]

defo buy second hand, I'm picking up a second hand trike for my dd's 1st birthday for £30 rather than £60 plus and its immaculate

[SleepyGuineaPig]

Yanbu - your child won’t know the difference and it’s much better for the environment to reuse!