Previously loved toys
@beautyqueen26 (16030)
United States
June 11, 2007 6:20pm CST
My daughters two favorite toys happen to be from second hand thrift shops. Once we brought them home and cleaned them up, they looked just fine. And, I thought it was normal to buy toys at yard sales, until recently.
Turns out some moms prefer to have nothing but new toys for their kids. I'm not sure why. They just do.
Are you that way? Or, have you joined the army of moms saving money on second hand toys that the kids are going to hate in less than a month, anyway?
3 people like this
18 responses
@creematee (2810)
• United States
12 Jun 07
My kids get new toys, but the ones they play with most often are the garage sale toys. My youngest has a stuffed puppy that we picked up for 25 cents. She doesn't put it down... carries it everywhere. I don't see the love with the expensive bears and other animals that we have.
Same with my son's hotwheels tracks. I can't afford the store prices, but $3 at a yard sale, and I have a toy for life.
I guess if they don't get played with, or get broken, I don't feel too terribly bad then.
2 people like this
@beautyqueen26 (16030)
• United States
26 Jun 07
I think we got her favorite stuffed cat for a similar price. She can't live without it!
1 person likes this
@crazynurse (7482)
• United States
12 Jun 07
When my children were young I always checked yard sales for toys that could still be used! My children loved their little tykes coupe car which was bought second hand. My daughter loved her Fisher Price toy kitchen set that was second hand. They had numerous puzzles and books that were second hand. All the things I bought were very gently used and had a lot of life left in them! The money I saved was phenomenal! Why just spend money to be spending it? People who think that everything has to be brand new are just crazy in my opinion! I have already begun scouring garage and yard sales for my baby granddaughter!
2 people like this
@beautyqueen26 (16030)
• United States
16 Jun 07
Kids just grow out of perfectly good toys. And, parents have to get rid of them.
And, that's when you'll find your best deals and bargains.
Best of luck finding future bargains for your granddaughter.
1 person likes this
@maryannemax (12156)
• Sweden
12 Jun 07
i am not a mom yet. but i have this friend who never believes that second hand toys are good enough for her daughters. she buy really first hand toys which are so expensive. and ended up that after sometime, kids just dump them at a corner since they are used to playing with them and wants another toy. it's just like my friend's wasting too much money for this.
but if i become a mom, i will buy second hand toys just like you. ofcourse, toys that are still in good condition. in this case, i won't feel so bad when time comes that my kids don't like those toys anymore... anne
@princessmom1011 (719)
• United States
12 Jun 07
With my first i had to have everything brand new no hand me downs clothes or toys but once the second came i realized i was CRAZY kids change their mind constantly and its to costly to keep up so def i buy second hand as well as bargain shop for new items marked down in stores . with baby # 3 on the way by no means can i be picky and my children dont even know the difference
@beautyqueen26 (16030)
• United States
16 Jun 07
Isn't that the truth! Kids don't know the difference.
And, when they turn down the expensive toy or get bored with it, they don't realize that mommy had to work hard to pay for that thing. They just know they don't want it anymore.
In March I bought 15 brand new computer education CD-Roms for my three year old. She played with them for all of ten minutes and hasn't touched them since. The novelty wore off quickly.
Now she prefers playing with our cat. I'm sure that will get old soon too. Kids are like that.
I was smart though, since I got them at one of those online discount CD-ROM shops. That way I didn't have to pay that much.
Maybe in a year or two, she'll like them and think they're brand new.
Or, I'll save them for the next kid.
Did you see the links I posted on page one of the discussion. There were some name brand toys at clearance sale prices. Just saw the links while I was online shopping one day and wanted to pass them along.
All of us smart moms have to stick together!
Thanks for dropping by and sharing your wonderful insight!
1 person likes this
@lavenderbloom (1057)
• United Arab Emirates
12 Jun 07
As long as the toy is in good condition and hygiene to use, no problem. It's a great way of saving money. kid's play with toys for some time and then they throw it away or just forget about it. so, i think it's a good idea.
1 person likes this
@maryannemax (12156)
• Sweden
12 Jun 07
yup. we can clean them anyway before letting our kids play with them. saving money even with the toys we can get for our kids is one great thing in budgetting. some moms just don't get the importance of this idea... anne
1 person likes this
@beautyqueen26 (16030)
• United States
16 Jun 07
If I didn't buy second hand toys and clearance sale items, I'd have to stop being a stay at home mom and go get a job!
Whenever I feel bad that I can't afford the high priced items, I try to think of that.
1 person likes this
@FSCAries (881)
• United States
12 Jun 07
I don't have kids, but I do have a younger sibling, and it seems only logical to buy second hand toys. Between how rough kids can be on toys, how quickly they grow out of them, and how they always want more stuff, it makes good sense to buy cheap to me.
1 person likes this
@nancygibson (3736)
• France
12 Jun 07
I don't believe any responsible parent would want to add to the problems their child will face when they grow up in respect of a damaged environment, overflowing landfill sites and limited resources by insisting on new every time. It makes no sense at all if something really good can be re-used.
I'm completely in favour of second hand or shared toys, you can still clean them up, even sterilise them if you are unsure of their origen, but I hat the waste of constant plastic toys going into landfill, thats so irresponisble.
1 person likes this
@jeanena (2198)
• Bucklin, Kansas
12 Jun 07
My hooligans always had second hand toys,I buy them for my grandson too. I will admit I have bought more new toys for him than I did the kids when they were little.I have seen too many little kids that get brand new expensive toys and break them first thing.
@emptypurse (16)
•
12 Jun 07
I'm definately of the thrifty pursuasion when it comes to toys! Hand-me-downs, charity shops, boot sales, atc are excellent for bargain toys because you KNOW that in a weeks time they'll be sitting at the bottom of the toy box all forgotten about. It's such a waste of money to only buy new stuff and it doesn't teach the child to appreciate things if they're constantly being bought brand new toys. Even as a kid I loved being "treated" to a shiny 50p to spend however I wished at a garage sale or in a charity shop and now that I'm older I'm always in and out of charity shops with my head held high. (and armfuls of dirt cheap stuff!)
1 person likes this
@steney (1418)
• Philippines
12 Jun 07
I don't see anything wrong with buying second hand toys. Only that here in the country, we seldom have yard sales to go to. Mostly are on ebay or through other online means where you can't really see the items up close. Toys that are in good condition are fine most especially because they are priced relatively cheaper than the new ones.
1 person likes this
@happythoughts (4109)
• United States
12 Jun 07
I just reciently discovered the joys of second hand items. With kids they grow out of things so fast that you can find great items that are almost new. It all began because we are on a budget and money was extra tight. We have a little more financial flexability now but I still always check the second hand shops first. We can save up for a vacation with all the money I am saving. It also feels good to know tat we are helping the environment by using things that would have otherwise ended up in the landfill.
Toys clothes or anything we can wash up well. It is all an exciting adventure.
@yamahagirl (415)
•
12 Jun 07
Hi there,
Theres nothing wrong with second hand toys every sunday im at the boot fairs and i pick my kids up alot of things.
must chepper than the shops i see nothing wrong with this.
1 person likes this
@dheng30 (88)
• Philippines
12 Jun 07
there's no big deal on buying second toys,if the toys still look good and value for your money, then, grab it...you're just being wise...nowadays you really have to find out how to budget your money...and its not good that kids always have new things...later on they wont use their old things even it is still usually or still good coz they were used of having new things everytime...
1 person likes this
@danishcanadian (28953)
• Canada
6 Jul 07
It depends on the toys and on the kids. From a trusted place, I might get a second hand toy, but I try not to do it too often, because one never knows where these toys come from, or what kind of home they came from.
Just today someone in my family gave me a big bag of clothes, that I really like. My fiance mentioned a trift store for more clothes, and I said "no way!" I like the stuff that Ashleigh gave me because I know and love Ashleigh, but I'll neer buy clothes from a strnager, because of all the rotten stuff Dad used to bring us from garage sales, just because it was CHEAP!
@horsesrule (1957)
• United States
12 Jun 07
New toys cost so much! We do give the three boys new toys sometimes but most of their toys do come from thrift stores and yard sales. It's very upsetting to see that the boys have broken their brand new toys in half an hour of getting them [and yes, they do this often!] but when the used cheap ones get broken, it's not quite as upsetting.
1 person likes this
@Married2aMarine (1273)
• United States
12 Jun 07
90% of my son's toys are free or dirt cheap. We get a lot of secondhand stuff from his older friends, thrift stores and yard sales. There is always that temptation to get him nice new toys but I can't justify paying the full price when I can get a used one that works perfectly well for less than half the price. Some of these toys, he doesn't even touch anymore or only plays with them occasionally. The only new toys I've bought for him are the ones I can get from the dollar store!
@HighReed1 (1126)
• United States
12 Jun 07
Our kids got quite a few toys from yard sales. I never saw a problem with it and they loved them just the same.
A relative of mine is the opposite. Nothing used for her kids.
1 person likes this
