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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to give my son second hand toys for his birthday/xmas?

55 replies

luckylucky24 · 10/10/2016 20:46

Seen an amazing deal for some used toys and want to buy them for DS, It is his birthday this weekend so could give them as a present but DH says it is wrong.
He can have them either way but it seems logical to me. We have bought him some presents already. Brand new.

OP posts:
SendARavenToRiverRun · 10/10/2016 20:48

Nothing wrong with clean, good condition secondhand stuff. Nothing at all. Why does your husband say it's wrong?
My kids love a good rummage in the charity shop/boot sale. Saving money and the planet, what's not to like?

MissKatieVictoria · 10/10/2016 20:48

So they're pre loved. If they're good condition, what's the harm? To the kid it won't make a difference, a toy is a toy. A good life lesson about recycling/reusing too.

yellowsquarepostit · 10/10/2016 20:48

Nope, I have before, it's fine. Enjoy!

AstridPeth · 10/10/2016 20:51

Last Christmas I bought dd3 (9) a whole bundle of design a friend dolls for £15 second hand, they came with a load of accessories and were like new. Dd was made up at having so many and didn't notice or care whether they were new or not. I would say go for it.

Fairylea · 10/10/2016 20:53

Go for it! Grin Kids love toys- doesn't matter if they are second hand or not to them.

Cabawill · 10/10/2016 20:54

Last Christmas I got a massive bundle of Sylvanian Family items for £50 that would have been bought new for about £300. They were in brilliant condition and after one play you'd never be able to tell the difference.

Haggisfish · 10/10/2016 20:55

Yanbu

kktpj · 10/10/2016 20:55

My youngest always gets presides recycled from his(much older) siblings.....saving money and the planet........Love is more important than the monetary value

Wrinklytights · 10/10/2016 20:55

Yanbu

Arfarfanarf · 10/10/2016 20:57

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

BrianMolkoismyPlacebo · 10/10/2016 20:58

Yes yes yes! Go for it! Money saving, less new crap bought, kid won't even notice. Win win!
My ds 1st bike was 2nd hand, given at christmas.

Last christmas we also made a big deal of ds gifting his old balance bike to his sister as his special present to her

MrsJamin · 10/10/2016 20:59

How old is your Ds? Especially fine if you have younger kids and they have no concept of new or used. I did a lot of local ebay purchases when mine were young and still do for things like skylanders characters that are really expensive new but 10% of the price second hand.

lucy101101 · 10/10/2016 20:59

I will do this for as long as I can get away with it! I grew up with mostly secondhand gifts though, our bikes etc. always seemed to have got scratched coming down the chimney... apparently....

Selfimproved · 10/10/2016 21:00

We do it often. This year one is getting a 2nd hand drum kit for his bday and the other a 2nd hand bike. We have also done plastic toys and puzzles.
It's silly to go to a shop and pay double for something.

Coulddowithanap · 10/10/2016 21:00

My family will do this for my children (give them their children's old toys) the they will also give me some money to put in their bank accounts.

PrincessHairyMclary · 10/10/2016 21:00

I often get the new stuff out and set up (battery's in, play mobile built etc) ready for the birthday/Christmas morning no different to giving 2bd hand. Kids aren't interested in the boxes they just want to get the toys out. You could put them in a nice storage box as a gift box and possibly wrap it too and they won't know any different.

rewardformissingmojo · 10/10/2016 21:01

Go for it!

5minutestobed · 10/10/2016 21:01

Last Christmas DS(then 2.5) his big present was the ELC garage which I picked up from Gumtree for £10! Total bargain, I'm still pleased about that!
Go for it, as long as the stuff is in ok condition then why not!

MumOfTwoMasterOfNone · 10/10/2016 21:03

We've bought a 2nd hand pirate ship for my little boy off eBay for Xmas as it looked better than anything we could find in the shops. There's nothing wrong with it at all. I try and put some money away for the times when I won't be able to do this!
I used to be really funny about 2nd hand stuff but I prefer to buy it now if I can.

ThoraGruntwhistle · 10/10/2016 21:04

How is it wrong to buy toys minus the cardboard and plastic around it? Will your children miss the parts that go in the recycling? I doubt it. Nothing wrong with saving money where you can and kids won't care.

yerbutnobut · 10/10/2016 21:04

Couple of years ago we bought DD a preloved Nintendo ds xl as it was a pokemon limited edition and worth a lot more, it was in excellent condition, DD knew it was second hand but wasn't bothered, none of her friends have the same one. I say go for it.

IckleWicklePumperNickle · 10/10/2016 21:05

Absolutely fine Grin

IfAtFirstUDontSucceed · 10/10/2016 21:07

I bought DS a haul of second hand brio and trains and gave them to him for his second birthday. It is the best thing I've ever bought him, a year and a half later he still plays with it daily!

I also bought a stack of second hand books and gave him on his 3rd birthday. All in really good nick - such a bargain!

ipswichwitch · 10/10/2016 21:10

I've just got a second hand imaginext spaceship for DS2's birthday. It's in brilliant condition, all pieces working. He will not care one bit that its second hand, just that its a space ship and he'll probably have me demented by the next day making me countdown for him to blast off!

Sierra259 · 10/10/2016 21:18

I just bought a massive bundle of Octonauts stuff from eBay yesterday for DC1. To buy it all new would have been triple the price, at least. Younger children particularly are so fickle in their likes and dislikes that I'd be kicking myself for buying new if she lost interest after a few months. Not to mention trying to limit waste from an environmental perspective.

There will come a time when they might not want second hand stuff, so I'm saving my money now!