Everything Parents Should Know About Buying Secondhand Baby Items

According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), in 2015, it cost an average of $233,610 to raise a child from infancy to 18.1 years old, per Very Well Family. The more children you have, the more the cost. Thus, many families spend much less on child-rearing, but unavoidable expenses are still costly.

Parents start accepting secondhand items from their friends or family members as it can help them somehow with their budget. They also purchase discounted, gently-used items to save. Aside from saving on costs, used items help reduce waste and lessen the carbon footprint if you need more reasons to buy used items.

However, parents must remember that not all baby items are safe to pass down from child to child because kids, particularly babies, are overly sensitive. 

For instance, car seats should be brought to proper recycling centers once they are no longer usable as they pose a health risk, especially when not in brand-new condition.

Here are some items you can reuse to save money and baby items that can no longer be safe to use twice.

Baby items that are okay to buy used

Used baby clothes

Purchasing used baby clothes is one of the best ways to save money. Newborns grow so fast that they don't typically stay the same size for more than a month or two. This only means that only some of their clothes are worn very often. When buying second-hand clothes, ensure nothing is unraveling and avoid anything with drawstrings. Also, check if all the buttons, zippers, and clasps are working and secure.

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Used Shoes

Shoes are also one of the things babies grow out of quickly. Infants barely need shoes, so instead of investing in a pair that will only be worn a few times, why not buy reused shoes if you want to dress your child up in an adorable pair of sandals or tennis shoes?

Secondhand hats and coats

Parents stated these types of baby items will be only used for a few months and can be soon passed on to the next baby. So, if you need a warm coat or a trendy hat for your baby, why not buy an item that is not expensive but reusable?

Baby essentials that are not okay to buy used

Used cribs

The primary advice when buying used cribs is to refrain from purchasing any of these, as the rules for how cribs must be made took effect on June 28, 2011. So, most cribs sold before that mentioned date are obsolete and unsafe. Moreover, most cribs in thrift or second-hand shops are particularly dangerous, especially drop-side cribs. They can no longer be sold in furniture stores in the United States as they will be considered illegal, but you can still see them at yard sales.

Used crib mattress

This baby item should be avoided for sanitary reasons as another baby might have peed, pooped, or spit on them, so the item can be contaminated with certain bacteria and mold. Also, mattresses become softer with use, so it's always a good idea to buy a new and firm mattress to help prevent Sudden Infant Death Syndrome or SIDS.

Used playard

Consider the place when buying a playard. Some playards in second-hand stores are not strong enough, which can put the baby at risk. Per What to Expect, playard is more likely to adhere to safety standards that went into effect on February 28, 2013, which rectify issues with earlier models, such as collapsing top-rail hinges.

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