Second hand clothes

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Do you buy second hand clothes for your children and AIBU to ask why and how you feel about it?

Gosh yes at least half were second hand, especially when they were baby babies! I'd get them from shops or online - there was a particular baby site which had really cute stuff. Only once or twice was the clothing disappointing in real life. Baby Gap and Gymboree were my go to shops when not buying second hand.

Subject a child?! What do you think will actually happen? 😆

The main issue with second hand shoes is that if that child has any problems with their gate e.g. they turn in, that impression is left on those shoes and in turn your child will then take it on. You really shouldn't put developing feet in second hand shoes, if you can afford not too.

Yes, and I plan to until she's old enough to decide her own style/ want particular clothes. I actually get bundles of clothes free off Facebook market place (surprising how many people just want to get rid of baby/toddler clothes without wanting any money for them) and give them a hot wash. Not all items are winners but I just use those on "home days". I must have saved thousands in some cases! They grow so quickly!

I recently discovered that you can put fabric shoes through the washing machine and they come out really nice!

I agree with the points about gait/developing feet though - what I do is buy one pair of new shoes but use second hand ones as spares (for when the usual pair is very muddy or wet etc)

Sometimes. I buy DD a lot of the sparkly party dresses she loves off of ebay as they have usually been worn once or twice for a few hours so are great value especially for a Monsoon dress for instance.

I don't generally buy every day wear second hand.

I'm not sure how people should 'feel' about it and I really don't get the comment about 'subjecting children to that' - madness.

As I pointed out earlier though buying second hand doesn't always even mean it's been worn. I did get dd some used jodhpur boots (£5 instead of over £40) but they had absolutely no sign of wear as they'd been grown out of over lockdown when they could be used so had been worn 1-2 times max. They are worn for sitting on horse back anyway so not a huge amount of walking around done in them

@RobertaFirmino You're lucky, in the charity shops around here the clothes are all really worn. I find the occasional nice thing but it's rare to find something that isn't tatty.
The kids' clothes are a bit better because they grow out of them so fast, so they're in better condition when they get donated.
I draw the line at second hand shoes though, or even worse, second hand cloth nappies 🤢 which also seems to be a trend.

Love Ebay, Vinted & charity shops. Why pay full price when it's environmentally better and allows me to buy clothes brands I wouldn't be able to buy at full price.

I buy for myself as well as my DD.

We buy toys second hand too.

I’ve never bought second hand for my children but I do pass their clothes on.
Things have been handed down through the 3 of them but nobody else.

My twins lived in hand me downs from friends and other twin mums. Now, as fashion conscious pre teens and like most of their mates, they are obsessed with vintage (ahem this to them means 90s - since when is my era vintage?!!) sweatshirts, hoodies etc. they actually make decent pocket money on Depop and Vinted trading stuff too. It’s a good hobby.

I am quite happy to buy second hand. It means I can afford the good quality brands which I can’t afford new. I’m not talking designer labels I mean like Boden or John Lewis! 🤣
I always buy new shoes though.

Love Ebay, Vinted & charity shops. Why pay full price when it's environmentally better and allows me to buy clothes brands I wouldn't be able to buy at full price.

I know - as I said upthread, sometimes I will see something i like on a website, and go onto Ebay etc and it's already on there 'secondhand' and much cheaper.

I get tons of hand me downs from family.

My kids love wearing things their bigger cousins had.

*I buy loads second hand. Because I absolutely love a bargain.

It honestly brings me so much happiness, DM will say "oh that's a lovely dress DD's wearing today" and I'm; "Guess what!!!?? £2!!!!! eBay!!!!!!!!!!" like the Cheshire Cat.

I also then sell on everything once DC have outgrown it, often for more than I bought it for, because I take good pictures and press everything carefully. I genuinely think that all 3DC have cost me nothing to clothe, as anything new or specific like uniform will have been covered by small profits made from selling all their old stuff.

I've just got the £6k TV unit I wanted, from eBay, two years old, for £800. My dining room suite, is about £7k, and I got it for £250 because the chair pads were ripped and the seller had taken awful pictures. It's now all newly upholstered to match the new dining room curtains, which cost me £360. The Andrew Martin fabric I bought again, off eBay, the whole roll for £20.

Friends are always commenting that they don't know where all my money comes from. Our house looks lovely, with high quality items. I spend a fraction of what they do, buying their stuff all new from Next etc.

Cots, bookcases, changers, wardrobes, all solid wood, all from East Coast matching in French grey, make DTwins nursery look fantastic. I paid £80 for one set, £120 for the other, £45 for the bookcase, and had them all sanded and resprayed, for £250. To buy it all new, would have been £3850. I'll sell it all for at least what I paid for it when they outgrow.

Cars, holidays, buying a new home, we spend a lot on. But this is facilitated by the fact that 95% of things I buy are secondhand. DH has large salary, and had never lived like this until he met me. He can not believe how much we save and the misconception he had that secondhand must mean shabby or worn. He loves a bargain too now.*

All that stuff you buy second hand costs more than the stuff I buy brand new. Honestly couldn't bring myself to spend 800 quid on a TV unit, never mind a second hand one.

When he was younger I frequently bought 2nd hand. Now I tend to buy new for him purely because I'm time poor and it's easier to just go on the Next and buy what he needs. Although a large proportion of my own clothes are bought 2nd hand from Vinted.

@showersandflowers

Yes, and I plan to until she's old enough to decide her own style/ want particular clothes. I actually get bundles of clothes free off Facebook market place (surprising how many people just want to get rid of baby/toddler clothes without wanting any money for them) and give them a hot wash. Not all items are winners but I just use those on "home days". I must have saved thousands in some cases! They grow so quickly!

@showersandflowers - I’ve found loads of bundles of eg shorts for nephew, one of his favourite striped jumpers is a Tu Sainsbury’s one and I’ve got mini Boden jumpers there too. His mum prefers Zara kids clothes but I said if she fancies selling new kids clothes there which ones sell on well and which ones to buy.

I do buy him new clothes but lots of brands new like Matalan, Tu Sainsbury’s, Tesco’s, John Lewis as he grows quickly. Certain items like long sleeved T-shirt’s are great too.

Hand me downs are great and I hope are kept for his cousins or another child.

I wouldn’t buy second hand clothes for kids I don’t know well (eg other niece and nephew) unless I asked their parents as some might not want second hand clothes.

@Classicblunder

I recently discovered that you can put fabric shoes through the washing machine and they come out really nice!

I agree with the points about gait/developing feet though - what I do is buy one pair of new shoes but use second hand ones as spares (for when the usual pair is very muddy or wet etc)

@Classicblunder - good point re second hand shoes to use as spares.

For info - I and my mum have bought nephew (3.5) boots and fabric shoes/trainers from Tu Sainsbury’s and they’re excellent especially for park etc.

No. I just don't like second hand.

All that stuff you buy second hand costs more than the stuff I buy brand new. Honestly couldn't bring myself to spend 800 quid on a TV unit, never mind a second hand one.

Well no, it doesn't all cost more, does it. You aren't buying new dresses for £2. Or a new cot, changing unit and wardrobe, all for £80.

What you mean is, you've picked one of the two examples of items (where I've saved thousands and thousands) and suggested that because the amount paid is higher than a cheap new item, that this means it is expensive compared to your new items. Which is logically, nonsense. Because whether I'm saving £8 on something that would have cost £10, or £800 on something that would have cost £1000, I'm paying 20% of the new price.

Saying "oh, well I'll only pay £100 for something new, so your stuff is more expensive" actually equates to "I'll only pay £100 for something, which you'd buy second hand for £20." You're comparing apples and pears.

I'm making enormous savings. You are paying full price. What your full price is, is kind of irrelevant, as for me to purchase the equivalent would be 80% cheaper.

You're essentially saying, "I know you've just bought that £100k Aston for £20k, but I've just got a brand new Fiesta for £15k, who's the smarter shopper eh?".

ForestLake
No. I just don't like second hand.
Do you use nothing second hand?

@MollysDolly

All that stuff you buy second hand costs more than the stuff I buy brand new. Honestly couldn't bring myself to spend 800 quid on a TV unit, never mind a second hand one.

Well no, it doesn't all cost more, does it. You aren't buying new dresses for £2. Or a new cot, changing unit and wardrobe, all for £80.

What you mean is, you've picked one of the two examples of items (where I've saved thousands and thousands) and suggested that because the amount paid is higher than a cheap new item, that this means it is expensive compared to your new items. Which is logically, nonsense. Because whether I'm saving £8 on something that would have cost £10, or £800 on something that would have cost £1000, I'm paying 20% of the new price.

Saying "oh, well I'll only pay £100 for something new, so your stuff is more expensive" actually equates to "I'll only pay £100 for something, which you'd buy second hand for £20." You're comparing apples and pears.

I'm making enormous savings. You are paying full price. What your full price is, is kind of irrelevant, as for me to purchase the equivalent would be 80% cheaper.

You're essentially saying, "I know you've just bought that £100k Aston for £20k, but I've just got a brand new Fiesta for £15k, who's the smarter shopper eh?".

You're totally right. Plus it's not just price, it's about reducing waste and having an environmental conscience.

People who claim it's more expensive have have obviously never looked (the super overpriced listings are promptly reduced). If they hate secondhand so much it's unlikely they have actual seen the sites or shops themselves.

Good on you for getting a bargain, getting good stuff secondhand is so rewarding.

Yes of course, for Dcs and for me. Currently loving Vinted for clothes. Many Christmas toys and general household and furniture stuff gets bought (and often sold again) on Facebook marketplace. See if you've got a local parents selling group.

People who claim it's more expensive have have obviously never looked (the super overpriced listings are promptly reduced). If they hate secondhand so much it's unlikely they have actual seen the sites or shops themselves.

Completely agree. DTwins had gorgeous Moncler snowsuits, £565 (I think) each. Except I paid £70 each. One had only been worn once, and I had both dry cleaned, so when it came to put them on, they were new for all intents and purposes. DTwins wore these almost daily last winter. Superb quality and looked awesome. I sold them this winter for £120 each. So, my two had £1000 odd, of brilliant quality snowsuits, that I ended up being paid £100 for them to wear.

But, you know, I could have been "smart" and bought them both a brand new one from River Island for £50 each. Because who would spend £70 on a snowsuit.