Would you buy secondhand?

[ny247]

I'm curious if anyone would buy secondhand baby gear (prams, cots, carriers, etc). What products would you buy? Would you pay more if the item is inspected for safety and cleaned?

I've bought 6 buggies secondhand. And a stretchy carrier. They were all bought direct from the previous owner on ebay etc. Most of them weren't cleaned but I was happy to give them a.good scrub down and put the textiles through the wash for a bargain price. I don't think I'd pay more for cleaning and inspection, I just judge it based on what it looks like at pickup and I can clean it myself. I couldn't justify paying for new buggies as I needed different ones for different travel purposes so they didn't get too much use individually.

I wouldn't have bought a cot secondhand as it was easier to get a new one delivered and they aren't that expensive anyway, and one cot has lasted each child until school age so we've had a lot of use from each one.

My daughter had her first baby three weeks ago and most things have either been bought second hand or given to her once friends had finished with them. Both her and her partner earn good salaries but she just does not see the point in spending huge sums on things that are not needed for long and can still be in great condition. She did buy new mattresses for the cot and Moses basket and cleaned everything thoroughly.

The one thing she insisted on having new was the car seat. She found so many things on FB Marketplace or local groups that I struggled to find something I could buy for them!

She spent ages researching pushchairs and when she’d decided on which one she wanted, a friend offered to lend the same type to her for free, her friend wants it back for her second child but not for a few years.

Just the pram and it was immaculate over £1000 new so got a bargain

I bought everything apart from mattresses, slings and car seats second hand. Try your local NCT sales and FB marketplace.

I was lucky enough to be given almost everything second hand, and bought most other things second hand. Now I’m selling or giving things on.

There’s a massive market for it On all the obvious platforms.

I wouldn’t pay extra for anyone to clean it though. People don’t tend to sell things grubby, and I’m happy to give it a scrub myself.

Absolutely. I find it baffling when I come across parents who think it's entirely reasonable to keep their first child's baby gear for their second child, yet seem to think that gear used by someone else's baby or babies is somehow unusably tainted.

I've had pretty much everything second hand, except the car seat and sling.

I have washed everything in anti-bacterial washing liquid before using and wouldn't pay extra for this.

A couple of people have mentioned they wouldn’t buy slings second hand. Why is this please? I bought one second hand and am now panicking!!

I was given almost everything I needed second hand, the rest I bought second hand. The only exceptions, as above, were mattresses and car seats.

Are you setting up in business inspecting/cleaning things and reselling?

I wouldn’t pay more for that because I can do it myself for anything I would buy second hand (cot, pushchair, high chair, clothes etc). Everything except the mattress and car seat really.

I get bikes checked but by having them serviced in the normal way.

Sorry if mine was one of the ones to panic you! I just couldn't find a sling that suited us second hand so got it new! Not for a safety reason 😊

Ah ok! I think it was just cos twice it was mentioned in the same sentence as mattresses/car seats, which are widely advertised as things you stuff buy new, I wondered if I’d missed something with slings!

We had everything secondhand - cot from a friend, carry cot from someone else. We did buy a small buggy but we were given a pushchair and I bought a second hand pram. Made cot sheets from old bed sheets too.

Thanks! I am always anxious about in-person collections, especially when it's at someone's house :D. With two little kids, and no family living nearby, it's almost always a long journey ... !

Most of our baby stuff was second hand apart from mattress and car seat. We were lucky enough to be gifted a new pram but, had we not, would have gone 2nd hand for that too....

Yes a friend of mine bought a number of items second hand. They were spotlessly clean, beautiful items that she would not be able to afford new. The family she bought were moving and gave her some other beautiful bits and pieces.

Another friend of mine sold her items to another friend of mine. The friend who sold was delighted as she had completed her family. Her items were in perfect condition but when she tried to donate she was told that they were not needed so she sold them to another friend of mine. The other friend got a bargain and got everything she needed for less that the price of a pram she had been looking at.

Car seat & mattress we had new.

Everything else second hand in good condition. We had been gifted a new pushchair but we didn’t get on with it so left that one at Grandparents (it went on to be used for five more grandchildren!) & got a second hand one.

Lots then went to my sister for her two before coming back for my second!

Only baby/kids things I buy new are
Mattress
Underwear
Shoes.
Car seats

I live rurally and have struggled to find much in the local area on Marketplace, so I will probably end up buying most things new. My friends with children already are all having their second babies now so still need everything and this baby will be the first grandchild on both sides, so again there’s no immediate network to pass things on.

We do have a local pass it on Facebook group, but I find the baby items offered on there are in a bit of a grubby state. Usually includes the description of ‘needs a clean’ and very well worn. Often pushchairs that have completely faded after being left in the rain or an IKEA high chair stored in someone’s garage for a decade. They always go very quickly though!

I did manage to be first in line for a Medala breast pump but ended up turning it down. I did a quick google and found it was an open pump, so it’s not suitable for second hand use. A close pump would be fine though.

Of course, I’m getting everything second hand apart from car seat. I’d even get that second hand if it was from a trusted friend. I wouldn’t pay extra forcleaning, can easily do that myself. And I can’t see what safety concerns they’d be - it’s not like buying a car

I brought most of my stuff second hand, not really had any problems. 2 pushchairs were second hand, I just gave them a good wash. Only things I brought new were Mattresses, bedding, socks, underwear and teethers.

We got loads second hand, apart from mattresses and car seats.

Just be wary of buying prams without giving them a push around first. we bought our first from ebay and it was rubbish, but then bought another from facebook marketplace for an absolute steal. £70 all in I think. We've had to replace one of the big screws, but that was only in the last few months after having it for a few years, its been well used for our 2 kids.

So far I have bought almost everything on our baby list second hand. As most people have said, I'll be buying the car seat new, seems to be the general advice that you get.

I will say it's just a lot of effort! I have spent hours searching, following up, driving to collect stuff. My baby gym didn't turn up in the best condition, I might need to replace it - do people like the Tiny Love ones?

I picked up a flyer in our neighbourhood for a new service: www.rekiddle.com.

I live in London, not sure if it's UK wide, you would have to check it out.

I'd buy everything second hand apart from a mattress and first shoes.