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Christmas

From present ideas to party food, find all your Christmas inspiration here.

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Original poster

Second hand toys

42 replies

17caterpillars1mouse · 19/08/2021 13:46

What age do you think I can get away with Santa bringing second hand toys?

Last year dd wanted a sylvanian house and I managed to get her a second hand bargainwith loads of furniture sets plus a car. It was good condition but not as new. To buy it all new would of cost well over £100 and I only paid £45 so she got slot more than if I'd bought new and didn't seem to notice.

This year she will be 5.5 and is wanting the barbie plane and a my little pony ice castle. To buy both new would be over budget, but I can get both second hand, plus again with more accessories, but at 5 is she likely to notice and question why they are not new in box

OP posts:

AliceMcK · 20/08/2021 00:04

She won’t notice. My 7yo has 2nd had gifts last year and has no idea. Just clean them up and set them up nicely, she will be too excited to notice or care.

LilQueenie · 20/08/2021 00:18

Brand new in box but damaged box? - Santa dropped it coming down the chimney. Silly Santa.

Second hand no box - No time to box as its a special delivery straight from the workshop.

Second hand with minor damage fault (we got a retro hard to get toy has a few marks ) - Santa and the elves found a lost toy in the workshop and wanted to gift it to a special girl or boy.

We have saved tons of money though we do buy mostly new.

ClaryFairchild · 20/08/2021 00:36

Mine are teens now and still value/appreciate getting 'more' or 'better' because it's second hand.

I've never hidden it from them though - and their 'Santa' gift was never their main present when they were little.

missnevermind · 20/08/2021 01:40

We have never done actual Santa presents but Santa does bring all the presents. We use him as a sort of Christmas clearing house. Everybody sends the gifts to him and he just passes them on. A few times when mine were smaller I would have them with me while shopping and would see something for them for Christmas or they saw something that they had to have. So we would buy it and send it to Santa in case he couldn't find it for them later or if it was the last one in the shop.

Lockdownbear · 20/08/2021 10:07

Santa set it up - why would he leave it in the box?

Surely even parents who buy new tend to set things up, remove the boxes, and have stickers on, ready to play with?

Our Neighbours in used to make use of our bin so their kids wouldn't see the boxes.

TheFormidableMrsC · 20/08/2021 11:08

DS aged 10 is happy with second hand stuff and loves a charity shop rummage too! I got him an Xbox a couple of years ago, second hand, I just wrapped it in a box with big ribbons. He was delighted and has never questioned that it wasn't new in the original box.

My own view is it's good to encourage reuse and recycling and it's a habit they should learn from an early age.

mam0918 · 20/08/2021 14:49

@missnevermind

Thats exactly how ours started... spoting the last of something in the sale and buying it to 'send to santa' lol.

mam0918 · 20/08/2021 14:53

@Lockdownbear

Santa set it up - why would he leave it in the box?

Surely even parents who buy new tend to set things up, remove the boxes, and have stickers on, ready to play with?

Our Neighbours in used to make use of our bin so their kids wouldn't see the boxes.

I grew up with everything out and ready to play with like that, I have found out as an adult this is apparently 'odd' though.

I have even been called joyless because apparently the whole point it to open the wrapping paper and see the box lol.

New or not I personally think most little kids prefer not to have to wait for things to be built and with teens gadgets take forever to set up im sure they would rather have the boring bit or reboots and uploads/download and several dozen pages of terms and useless questions pre-done lol.

Lockdownbear · 21/08/2021 23:32

For older kids and tech stuff, I'd open it set it up, then put it back in the box and wrap.
Christmas day is hectic enough if your hosting to be trying to build up toys, or get tech to work on Christmas morning.

NoWordForFluffy · 22/08/2021 07:38

Our two have had done second hand stuff. DS wanted a discontinued Lego set which was available either used or at an extortionate price. I told him that if he really wanted it, it would have to be used already, and he said he did. He was ecstatic to just get it!

mamatoTails · 22/08/2021 08:07

I'd definitely get second hand if you can and in good condition!
No box is fine, I always get rid of packaging and have toy put together before I wrap as then they can play straight away.

Lemonsyellow · 22/08/2021 08:14

At any age. Mine were getting second hand stuff in their teens. And one got second hand stuff last Christmas when she was 21.

PoshWatchShitShoes · 22/08/2021 23:05

I usually set up our DCs' big gifts. So this year DH and I will be building a paw patrol tower and some kind of gigantic hot wheels track on Christmas Eve 😂 Then we're careful to hide the empty box. It means we don't spend Christmas morning faffing about building and DC can immediately start playing.

No reason why you couldn't set up whatever you buy that's already constructed. Add a big red bow and your little one will be thrilled

Treezan82 · 23/08/2021 17:09

My dd is 5 and wouldn't question it (but I have always got them a mix of new and 2nd hand for bday and Xmas)

NuffSaidSam · 23/08/2021 17:23

Toys from Santa don't come in boxes.

Santa's toys are made by the elves obviously. Toys in boxes are from shops, made by people in factories.

This is supported by many films and books that show Santa leaving presents unboxed!

Clymene · 23/08/2021 17:25

Any age. If it's in good nick, it's fine. We should also be teaching our children that they don't need brand new stuff - particularly when it's stuff they are going to grow out of.

gemilyx · 23/08/2021 19:31

@CatOfTheLand

In our house we leave out a box/bag of old toys for Father Christmas a week before Christmas Day. These toys are then given to other girls and boys as an extra gift if he sees something he thinks you'll like.

Yes we do this too! At the beginning of December we have a clear out of toys that are no longer played with and we send them to Santa (charity shop) for other children to enjoy! It helps make room for their new Christmas toys and they learn to understand that not everything has to be brand new and can be reused and reloved! If they receive second hand toys then we say that another child must not have played with it anymore and Santa chose them to have it 😀

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