Babies can be super expensive.  When you look at all the “must have” items out there it can be overwhelming if you have a limited budget, especially if you want to buy quality gear for your kids.  Nothing makes me happier than getting exactly what I was looking for at a way cheaper price, so I’m always on the lookout for used items that I need.  I try to keep a list (in my head, I’m not that organized) of all the things the girls will need in the next few months and see what I can find used.  Our budget is limited, so I would rather get a great high-end item secondhand than a new one of lower quality for the same price.  I don’t find everything on my list, but I save enough that we can afford to get some of it new.  Here’s how I shop secondhand:

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In bigger cities, Craiglist and Kijiji are great places to find used baby items.  I live in a small town and online classifieds aren’t as helpful, but I do get a lot of things from our local Facebook buy/sell group for children’s items.

Best things to find online: 

Big ticket items are easiest to find through online listings.  Exersaucers, furniture, high end strollers, that sort of thing.  People list things online that they want to get as much money back from as possible.  I see a lot of clothes listed, but I rarely buy anything as it’s too hard to tell the quality from someone’s terrible photo and it’s not usually worth meeting up just to get a $5 dress.

Cost:

You will usually pay between 25-50% of the original cost if it’s a good quality item that many people like.  Check the going rate though; I’ve never seen an exersaucer sell for more that $20!  Clothes and shoes will be less than baby gear as they get more wear.

Tips:

– The best sellers post photos of the item and list the condition.  Some people post the manufacturer’s photo instead of taking one, so be sure to ask the condition if they do.  Don’t just assume that it’s brand new (it might not even be the same colour!).

– These are listings by real people, so you can often haggle.  I usually round down (if they’re asking $45, maybe they’ll go for $40?) and make an offer.

– Ask to see the item before you agree to buy it, and inspect it well before you hand over money!  Make sure all the parts are there and that it’s still worth the price they’re asking.

A consignment store is a shop that sells people’s used items for them and takes a commission.  A well run shop will be very curated because they only accept items they believe will sell. Check out different shops in your area as you might find that some have a wealthier group of people selling items, leading to nicer pickings for you!  Also, some shops have a different focus or accept different items (I visit a shop in a neighbouring town to find nice outdoor gear, for example).

What to look for:

I get the majority of our used clothes from consignment stores.  Sometimes outerwear and footwear as well.  Smaller gear like booster seats and baby gyms also come up fairly often.  They don’t usually have the space for bigger things.  Any toys will be clean and in good shape, and usually a nicer quality to begin with, so this is a good place to get things like blocks and wooden puzzles.  A lot of kids’ consignment stores also carry maternity clothes!

Cost:

For gear, most stores start at half of the original price and then adjust for how worn the item is.   For clothes, there is often a low set price for each things (onesies for $3 or whatever) and there will regularly be sales on older items as they don’t like to keep clothes for too long.  If they have a set price you can find real gems as a Tea Collection dress might go for the same price as one from Old Navy.

Tips:

Go often and be picky.  I try to stop in once a week as there is always new stock in and I want to see it before it gets too picked over.  I try not to buy something that I wouldn’t buy new, just because it’s cheap.  It will just end up sitting in the drawer.  If you are buying used baby clothes, avoid lap necks unless it looks brand new; they are often stretched out and slide off thin shoulders.

Thrift stores are the cheapest place to find baby items, but the original owner doesn’t get any money back from them.  Usually, this means that there isn’t much to find that’s current or worth very much, or else the parents would have used another method to get rid of them.  It’s more likely that someone cleans out their garage ten years later and thinks “I need to get this baby stuff out of here!”  That said, you can find some gems, especially if you like vintage!

What to look for:

Handmade blankets like old quilts or afghans are often around. If you find one that matches your decor, it can be a great addition to the nursery.  I have some luck with toys, although I make sure I can clean them well.  I collect Little Golden Books and love that I can often find them for 25 cents each!  Depending on the store you might have good luck with baby clothes; it depends on if there’s a consignment store nearby.  Also, keep your eye out for decor items if you love vintage or are handy with a can of spray paint.

Cost:

This is the cheapest place to get things, and often they will have bag sales (such as, fill a shopping bag for $5) to clear out stock.  If it’s smaller store, you can usually haggle if you honestly think the price is a bit high.

Tips:

When buying clothes or other textiles, check the tags.  While new baby clothes are usually cotton, there’s a lot of old polyester clothes out there which aren’t as nice on baby skin.  Items are usually unwashed, so make sure you can clean them well when you get home.  As with consignment stores, check often and shop different areas whenever you can.  I don’t depend on finding specific things at thrift stores; it’s more like a treasure hunt!

Are you getting used clothes or gear from family and friends?  Lucky you!  Now be picky!  If it’s someone with a thick skin, you can go through the items at their house and only take what you really need or like.  Otherwise, just accept with a smile and sort through it all at home.  Be sensitive — a lot of people have emotions wrapped up in their baby things and don’t want to hear that you think the dress they chose for her first Christmas is super tacky.  Even if it is.  Have a clear idea of what you need, or it’s easy to keep too many things just because they were free.  Make sure you know if they want items you don’t need back (to sell or gift to someone else) or if they just want rid of them so you can drop them off somewhere.  The advantage of hand-me-downs is that if you know the person well, you know the history of the item.  I’ve accepted things I would never buy used from a stranger, like our crib and our infant car seat, because I knew that they were safe for us to use.

If you have friends or family with kids that mesh in with yours (like you have a 4 and a 2 year old and they have a 3 year old and a baby). You can save money by swapping items back and forth.  This can be fantastic (free use of a $600 stroller) and possibly stressful (don’t wreck the $600 stroller!).  If you decide to borrow baby things, be sure to talk about the expectations the parents have for getting them back.  If it’s an expensive item, it might even be wise to write up a small contract with how the condition of the item, and what you would be expected to pay if you damage or break it.  This might seem overkill, but it could give you both more peace of mind and save a friendship ruining fight later on.

There are baby items that are always easy to find and hold up to wear well.  This means that you can buy it, use it, and then sell it for the same price.  Think of it as a damage deposit! Have a look at listings in your area to see what’s really common.   I bought nearly all our big baby items (swing, playgym, bassinet, bumbo, exersaucer, and bouncy seat) used or borrowed from friends.  Some were my taste and some weren’t, but I didn’t want to blow our budget on style for things we’d only look at for a few months at most.

If you can’t find a safety item (like a car seat) from someone you trust, then please buy it new!  If you don’t know its history it could be unsafe, even if it looks fine.  Always keep up on current safety standards as well. For example, you shouldn’t buy a drop sided crib as they’ve been recalled.  Saving money isn’t as important as safety!  I would also never buy old painted items (lead?) or anything soft plastic (BPA?) without knowing the materials in them.

I like to buy things new that I know both girls will use (it helps that they are the same gender and born in the same month!) and might not last past that.  For example, our cloth diapers were in great shape for two babies, but I’m not sure that the bigger size will be worth much by the time we’re done.  So if I had bought them used they might have only lasted one child and I wouldn’t have saved any money.  Our baby carriers (we have an Ergo and a Sherpani) were both bought new, as was our stroller because again, they’ll get a lot of use.  It really helps me feel better about buying quality items when I know that we’ll use them twice.

This season I got over $400 worth of winter gear for the girls for less than $100.  I told my husband that I should get to buy pretty new boots or something with the money I saved.  He pointed out that I had just bought pretty new boots.  Touche.  I guess I’ll just be happy with my savings.

Do any of you buy used? Any tips for me?  Stay tuned for my next post on how to sell your used baby items for the best price!