When I was pregnant with my daughter, I scoffed at the idea of buying anything secondhand when my frugal mother-in-law suggested checking out a local thrift store. Honestly, I more than scoffed — I was offended. How dare she? Was buying used baby gear even safe?
Why buy used baby gear?
Where can I buy used baby gear?
Local consignment shops
Every town has at least one children’s consignment shop that sells gently used baby gear. You can find great deals on clothes, books, toys, and everything baby-related. The thing I prefer about local consignment shops is the fact that I can check the merchandise out before I buy it unlike when you purchase online. “I’ve saved so much money buying toys and strollers at Once Upon a Child," mom Bertha Cruz told Mom.com. “It feels dumb to pay full price for something they’ll only use for a couple of months.”
Online apps
Ebay, Poshmark, ThredUp, OfferUp, and TotSpot are just a few apps to find gently used baby gear online. Let’s face it, when you have little ones on tight schedules and there is a very real and imminent danger of a tantrum happening, online is very convenient. Just beware, because this is all a practice in trust.
Garage sales
I’ve sold so much of my children’s gently used gear over the years at a steal for my buyers. It boils down to this: I had it, no longer needed it, and someone else needed it. I'd rather the things I meticulously chose for my girls were used and loved by another family than rot in my attic. It’s a great way to recycle, save money, and find nice things for your child at a fraction of the cost of new.
Once you’ve done your research on which items you need and are safe to buy and sell used, check out the resources mentioned above. Swap groups are also popular for buying and unloading used baby gear, so check your neighborhood bulletin boards or parent groups. There might be incredible deals to be had. Buy buyer beware — not everyone has safety in mind when unloading items, so keep an eye out for unsafe resalable items.
