Share your second hand / preloved buying 'hacks'!

[LASandOtto]

First time mum here and looking to purchase as much as possible second hand/pre-loved, especially baby clothes as I imagine they will grow out of these so fast and it seems a waste not to recycle what other mums may no longer need/want but is in perfect nick!

Been looking on:

eBay
Shpock

For prams I've seen:

Pramsy

Has anyone else got any tips for websites, tricks for landing a bargain, where to look and what to definitely get second hand? And what you wouldn't get second hand and why (mattress for cot I presume, and car seat maybe?)

Thanks! 😊

Obviously not happening currently, but something the think about for when social distancing is over... the NCT in our town run huge nearly new sales of baby equipment, clothes, toys etc. My best bargains were:

1. a massive bag of wooden building blocks for 50p. They were a huge hit. Have had them 6 years and DS still plays with them regularly.

2. Baby sleeping bags. They are generally built to last.

3. Playpens and baby gates - there are so many of these knocking about about you can pick them up so cheap.

4. Microwave bottle steriliser for £1. Also very portable so ideal for holidays, taking to in-laws houses etc

5. Baby clothes. It was always very easy to get lots of baby clothes in excellent condition up to 9months old because babies grow so fast often they would only wear an outfit a handful of times. From 9 months onwards it was harder.

6. Maternity clothes, picked up a great maternity winter coat from the NCT sale for £7!

7. Baby bath for £2

Things you definitely should but new:
Mattress
Car seat
Muslins (and get at least 20!)

Facebook market place is great! Got a sleepy head deluxe for £40

Vinted can be quite good for clothes. I like that it is fixed price rather than auction, although I still love a good ebay bargain

Ohhh thanks for all these suggestions @BatleyTownswomensGuild! I've just signed up to the virtual NCT classes in my area and seen they do sales, so once we are able to move around more freely again these might also start up again!

Will also check out Facebook Marketplace and Vinted!

Thanks!

@BatleyTownswomensGuild

Thanks for your tips! Just curious - I didn't know you were supposed to buy new muslins - we've been given some by a friend, should I be buying new ones instead? Obviously we were planning to wash them carefully pre-baby!

I find eBay to be more expensive
Shpock & FB marketplace have been my go-to's!

I've never heard of having new muslins like new car seats/mattress. We've got a mix of new and second hand ones, still going strong one year in.

Depending on your area you might find that mum2mum markets are more in abundance than NCT sales. We live in SW London (aka baby central) and our nearest NCT sale is miles away (Staines) despite there being NCT classes every mile for every month of the year. I've never bought new clothes, beyond what people buy as presents, as he doesn't need them and I'm too much of a bargain lover to miss out on getting his entire wardrobe (and sleeping bags etc) for £10 or so. I generally go alone, have a list of what I'm looking for, check out the room and see who's got what and at what price, then move in... Haha. There will be some people who are looking to make their money back and more, you want to seek out the people who are just looking to get rid for the real bargains and make small talk first

I recommend spending £2 on ebay and buying a book called 'Babynomics: Moneysaving tips for smart parents'. Its a few years old now, and the prices wont be correct, but the info was very good. What you should buy new, and what can be 2nd hand. Tips on maternity wear, what you really DO and DON'T need for a new born etc.

Oh and for big purchases that you are buying new just price watch (if you've got time) to work out when to buy. We didn't buy anything full price as we decided what we wanted and then waited until we could get a good price, usually at Black Friday/After Christmas sales. Although I do that with most purchases, not just baby gear.

And charity shops (particularly child specific ones) are also good, but again, that is very very area dependent.

eBay has definitely been my biggest one. Bundles of unisex sleepsuits in newborn and 0-3, I've bought a couple of bundles of 10 or so which I've got for £1.40! They're in great condition too as they wear them for so little time. I've also bought second hand Grobags, 2.5 tog sleeping bags (£1-£2 each) , a Tuppence & Crumble star wrap for around a fiver.. And a couple of very cute little outfits brand new with tags on that I said I wouldn't get as he/she will be in sleepsuits for months. But I just can't resist a bargain!

Ebay is my go to

I'd buy new car seat and mattresses but everything else is fine 2nd hand. (changing mat and dummies new too)

I don't see the need to buy new muslins and intend on using dd hand downs

Pram wise.. Check for how long it was used for. There is a weight limit which if people don't stick to can cause damage. Generally you'll be OK, but we got a 2nd hand pram.. Arrived broken, 2nd one smelt so strongly of smoke when they said smoke free so returned that pronto.. 3rd one was fine until dd was 2 when we invested in a new SX to better suit needs

If you are pleased with a seller and the items save them or message them for future bits. We have a couple we sold all dd bits to off eBay locally for the first 2 years, was great and they were trustworthy so we also threw in a few extras and they were always grateful

Wash everything when you get it obviously and especially toys like happy land which can get mould inside the holes so give a good hot soapy wash with bottle brush

Nct sales are good too and i set alarms for places like next when they go into sales so I can pick up bits cheaper new too

You'll also get favourites to regularly search, I like boden and next clothes for dd as they were good quality and washed well so tend to keep an eye on those. It helps to save searches on your phone and check in when you need to that way, saves a bit of time

Amazing! So many great tips already. Tomorrow I'm starting my searches properly with all your great suggestions and advice!