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AIBU?

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Original poster

To buy baby clothes from Ebay?

468 replies

memoo · 27/01/2009 19:37

Long story short, I'm pregnant with my 3rd, baby isn't due til sept but we are absolutly broke, struggling to pay the rent let alone buy new baby things.

So I decided to start buying a few little things each week from ebay. I've bid on some babygrows and a pramsuit, both used but look lovely and clean.

I was casually telling a work colleague about it today and she turn her nose up when I told her I was getting stuff from ebay. She said she "would never put her baby in second hand clothes" and "you don't know where they've come from" she went on to go on about how baby clothes aren't really expensive anyway etc etc

Maybe I'm being over sensitive but she made me feel really bad, as though I was getting second best for my baby but the way I look at it is that the baby won't know or care and newborns are only in stuff for 5 minutes so even second hand stuff will have lots of wear left in them.

Like I said, maybe I am being over sensitive (pregnancy hormones are raging) but she has made me feel like I'm not doing the best for my baby.

Is it really so bad to get second hand clothes for a new baby?

OP posts:
Tidey · 27/01/2009 20:39

Pretty much all of the new clothes that DD has had have been gifts from family and friends. Everything else has been from eBay or charity shops. There is absolutely nothing wrong with it as far as I can see. Don't let daft people make you feel bad about it.

leya · 27/01/2009 20:39

Where on earth are you coming from daftpunk???
Clearly you are using this as a 'BOASTING' opportunity! I have 5 dc's, and have been very fortunate to not have to cut back a little on my spending with any of my dc's. I think your being very unfair in saying that it is wrong to buy used items, it's also degrading. If I have bought anything from Ebay, I check out the persons profile first, and only buy from 100% positive feedback seller's. Go for it, buy used, we are all supposed to be promoting recycling, your helping the enviroment!

swampster · 27/01/2009 20:39

Since cotton is the single most-sprayed crop on the planet and most likely to contain toxic residues, I would like to buy organic, unsprayed cotton every time. but I couldn't possibly afford to. Second-hand is clearly the next-best option.

leya · 27/01/2009 20:40

Where on earth are you coming from daftpunk???
Clearly you are using this as a 'BOASTING' opportunity! I have 5 dc's, and have been very fortunate to not have to cut back a little on my spending with any of my dc's. I think your being very unfair in saying that it is wrong to buy used items, it's also degrading. If I have bought anything from Ebay, I check out the persons profile first, and only buy from 100% positive feedback seller's. Go for it, buy used, we are all supposed to be promoting recycling, your helping the enviroment!

KingRolo · 27/01/2009 20:42

A tip for those happy to buy second hand - go to the most affluent town or city in your area and hit the charity shops. The quality of stock can be amazing in posho towns, it's super cheap, you're recycling and helping the charity to boot.

leya · 27/01/2009 20:42

'Sorry' not sure why my post came up twice.

leya · 27/01/2009 20:47

'Sorry' not sure why my post came up twice.

daftpunk · 27/01/2009 20:48

leya..i'm not boasting;

aibu to think a new born baby should be dressed in new clothes?...jesus christ, you can buy them for next to nothing in asda/tesco...that's not boasting is it.

Surfermum · 27/01/2009 20:52

I don't think daftpunk is boasting. She just has a different opinion about this and fair enough.

choosyfloosy · 27/01/2009 20:54

I don't think daftpunk was boasting, she was responding to the thread. And I do know people who don't like second-hand stuff for all sorts of reasons, but I can't really understand why. Being the 15th of 17 cousins, I had about five actual new garments in my entire childhood. Who cares? All the stuff I had was great. It's one of those cultural things though - either you love second-hand and can't see the problem, or it makes your skin itch to look at it. OP, your colleague was very wrong to impose her hang-ups on you! Enjoy your lovely ebay bargains.

cali · 27/01/2009 20:55

nothing wrong at all with buying baby clothes off ebay, have done so with both my dd's.

all the clothes have been good quality and once washed, you can't tell the difference between hand me downs from dd1 to dd2 or the ebay clothes. Actually think the ebay clothes are in better condition.

can afford to buy new clothes but get far more for my money buying off ebay.

now sell baby/childrens clothes myself and take pride in the clothes that I sell - as the sellers I have bought from in the past have done.

leya · 27/01/2009 21:01

Well some people sometimes have to cut back so much that even shopping there, is too expensive. I am sure I would look elsewhere if I had to cut back. Just put yourself in her shoes. I have friends who wont even think of buying new until, they have looked on Ebay, in charity shop's etc. I think nothing less of them, & the clothes their dc's are dressed in are gorgeous! Do you wash your brand new baby clothes, before putting them on your dc? They could have been bought, taken home, tried on, thrown on the floor, and then returned to the shop, then bought by you, and put on your dc. Just because they dont always have a label, does not mean they are of less quality!

leya · 27/01/2009 21:04

Sorry my post at 21:01 was for daftpunk with regards to shopiing in supermarkets.

pebblecat · 27/01/2009 21:05

I don't think Daftpunk is boasting either. It's her perogative to dress her newborns in new clothing.

I do think there's a difference between sharing second hand newborn clothes between friends, and buying it off strangers tho. A lot of baby stuff can only be washed at 40 degrees if you read the labels and that's not a high enough temperature to kill off certain bacteria. That would be my reason for not wanting pre worn second hand newborn stuff from the world wide web, nothing to do with being snobby about it being second hand per se.

Having received a variety of crap stuff and items covered in cat hairs and stinking of smoke despite the "no pets/non smoking household" claim, I am about a lot of internet auction stuff anyway.

leya · 27/01/2009 21:10

If daftpunk is not boasting, then what is her post at 20:26 all about then???

pebblecat · 27/01/2009 21:11

Quick search gives a small example of what I mean:

"While washing at 30°C will remove allergy and asthma irritating droppings, it only kills about 6% of dust mites, which are the source of the problem. A hotter wash (around 60°C) kills 100% of dust mites". (source: www.which.co.uk)

There's bound to be more re: different types of bacteria.

DorisIsAPinkDragon · 27/01/2009 21:17

tbh pebblecat I stick any new stuff in at 60 with a cup full of vanish and powder. If it doesn't survive the wash i've not really lost anything but everything's survived so far

stleger · 27/01/2009 21:18

I loved charity shops for baby clothes - I used to walk to 'a better area' to get a selection of great ones!

pebblecat · 27/01/2009 21:19

You mean this post?

By Daftpunk 20:26

"seeker;

the point is...i wouldn't dress my babies in clothes bought from strangers... it's not right..... well, not for me anyway.

and of course i wouldn't throw out clothes my baby was sick over, because it's my babies sick...not a strangers.

thankfully i was able to dress all four of my children in the most beautiful baby clothes (all new)"

Statement of fact or boasting, it depends on how you view it.

seeker · 27/01/2009 21:23

Daftpunk - so you don't mind dressing your babies in clothes made my other children in sweatshops, then?

To my mind buying very cheap clothes is morally wrong. Buying second hand is guilt free, and means my children have always been incredibly well dressed, and we can afford to eat well as well!

weblette · 27/01/2009 21:23

Yes I could have bought all new beautiful clothes for my 4th child, and my 3rd for that matter, I eBayed instead and used a boil wash before they wore them. No big deal. I'd never put little boys into smart stuff anyway, waste of money.

leya · 27/01/2009 21:24

Yes that's the post I mean.

daftpunk · 27/01/2009 21:27

leya;

i'm thankful i wasn't the type of mother who would buy 2nd hand for new borns...the beautiful clothes i dressed my babies in wern't expensive, just new.

i've never looked on ebay so i don't really know how much you are buying baby clothes for, 20p..50p?...i haven't got a clue, but i guess i'm also thankful that i could afford to buy new.

i'm sorry if i come across as smug...i'm not at all.

leya · 27/01/2009 21:30

Well said seeker! Supermarkets buy clothes from country's where slave labour is still very much in fashion!

pebblecat · 27/01/2009 21:31

60 degrees only relates to dust mites in the example I found.

Don't know what temperatures are required to kill off bacteria but TBH I still wouldn't really want to risk it for a newborn.

That's why we sterilise baby bottles rather than just wash them in hot water - because newborns are more vulnerable to infection.

I will keep second hand clothes principles for older babies, toddlers and kids that are hardier and far less vulnerable. That's just me. I'm not concerned if other people think differently for their newborns, that's fine.

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