What do you buy used?

LillibetteV

I got into a discussion about used baby stuff recently because people either seem to love it or hate it. I personally love it and have been taking all the hand-me-downs I can get (except safety items like car seat and crib), but that got me thinking what else does everyone prefer to buy used? What things would you never buy used? 

jtmh2012

For me, it has to be something I can completely clean.  I see what my kid does with stuff and I'm sure other people's kids so similar.  So we keep it mostly to hard surface toys and clothing.

csuave

When I wanted a jewelry box and wallpaper steamer I checked CL first and found what I needed used.  Along the lines of the steamer I think tools are probably good to buy used.

When we were dating H needed a new vacuum and his parents bought him a used one.  It ended up not working well so I would be skeptical to buy another used vacuum.

It wasn't used (it was NWT) but my all time favorite CL buy was my wedding dress.  It fit the bill of what I was looking for and was something like $150 with slip and veil included.

labro

We buy a ton of stuff used.

Our table saw is used, a guy pulled in front of us and happened to be taking it to Goodwill to donate it, we followed him in to the parking lot and DH said he'd take it off his hands. I think we'd take basically any tool used as long as it wasn't completely beat to crap and unrepairable/too expensive to repair.

Clothing - I've bought some really cute stuff from ThredUp. Outfits and toys (plastic) for my niece from garage sales as long as they seem to be clean and in good condition. Shoes in good condition from a couple of people I know well.

Some electronics. DH likes to tinker.

Hard surface furniture and decor - again if it's in decent enough condition, clean, cheap enough and/or something that's hard to find in good quality new - like a walnut cabinet.

Books

Fabric remnants for sewing. They go straight into the washer on super high heat and if it ruins the fabric, then oh well, $2 gone, no big deal.

What I would NEVER buy used -

A carseat for a child.

Eating utensils/dishes. I'd consider buying a serving dish used if it was something I really desired, but that's about it.

Tires

Vacuum cleaner/broom/steam mop, anything used to clean my house basically.

brij2006

What don't I buy used is probably a better question for me.

Whenever I need something I usually try to find it used first. 
Shoes for H and I are probably the only thing I won't buy used.  That's just because we get our use out of them.
Right now I'm in the market for a nice double jogging stroller and even with discounts it's still insanely expensive new.  So I stalk craigslist and ebay weekly trying to find it used.

vlagrl35

when DD was little I bought her used clothing and toys.  Used clothing at her age now (6) would not look good instead very used.  Babies barely use their clothing.

I buy used yoga clothing.  I'll find lulu lemon stuff 2nd hand for half the price and it barely looks worn.  I always get compliments.

short+sassy

There are very few things I won't buy used.  I try to buy whatever I can used.

I've bought a lot of used appliances and, up until recently, had good luck with them.  But now it's looking like I'll need to buy a new washer for a rental after having two used ones fail within a year.

I'll definitely buy used clothes.  I'll buy used shoes if they're in excellent condition and look new.

Love to buy used tools if they are in decent condition and don't have components that can break, ie motors.

Items I "generally" won't buy used:

• Anything upholstered or mattresses.  Because of bed bug concerns.
• Most electronics.  We won't even buy refurbished.  My H is a computer guy and he just thinks it is a bad idea.
• Tools with components that can break, ie motors.  Those items can be touchy anyway.  This actually very recently came up.  We needed a new lawnmower for one of our rentals.  And I tentatively threw out, "Should we look at CL?"  We decided not to and bought new from Sears.  But I also had Sears reward points to get it for free.  Yeah! 

LillibetteV

@labro you might not want to come to cocktails at my house then - the vast majority of my glassware and serving platters is used! I love finding fun new pieces that coordinate without being matchy matchy. I do thoroughly handwash everything AND then run it through the dishwasher before it ever gets used though. To me it's no grosser than eating out. I 100% agree with the rest of the items you get new though! 

@short+sassy we've had pretty good luck with used electronics actually. I haven't bought a new phone in YEARS (although I'm looking to order a new Google Pixel...oops hehe). My husband bought me a refurbished tablet too and I absolutely love it. I'm not super techy though - so long as it works properly I don't care if it's the latest and greatest. The only reason I'm wanting the Pixel now is (a) my current phone is dying and half the time won't make calls anymore so it is time for a replacement, (b) the camera is amazing and based on the amount of photos I take of my dog I think it's safe to say I will want a great camera for when the baby comes, and (c) it supposedly can do Facetime with android and iphone users which I'm secretly hoping will satisfy some family members that will want to visit the new baby far more than I will want them in my space right after pushing a human out of my body. 

short+sassy

LillibetteV said:

@labro you might not want to come to cocktails at my house then - the vast majority of my glassware and serving platters is used! I love finding fun new pieces that coordinate without being matchy matchy. I do thoroughly handwash everything AND then run it through the dishwasher before it ever gets used though. To me it's no grosser than eating out. I 100% agree with the rest of the items you get new though! 

@short+sassy we've had pretty good luck with used electronics actually. I haven't bought a new phone in YEARS (although I'm looking to order a new Google Pixel...oops hehe). My husband bought me a refurbished tablet too and I absolutely love it. I'm not super techy though - so long as it works properly I don't care if it's the latest and greatest. The only reason I'm wanting the Pixel now is (a) my current phone is dying and half the time won't make calls anymore so it is time for a replacement, (b) the camera is amazing and based on the amount of photos I take of my dog I think it's safe to say I will want a great camera for when the baby comes, and (c) it supposedly can do Facetime with android and iphone users which I'm secretly hoping will satisfy some family members that will want to visit the new baby far more than I will want them in my space right after pushing a human out of my body. 

I knew it!  That has been my H's thing.  I've always side-eyed it a little, but never had proof, lol.  Really, though.  For as much as we use our major electronic items, I probably do want new.

Cracking up at the other two bolded.

jtmh2012

short+sassy said:

Most electronics.  We won't even buy refurbished.  My H is a computer guy and he just thinks it is a bad idea.

I agree with your husband.  Primary because you don't know why it was refurbished.  Some are just retailer returns.  Nothing wrong with them, but they were sold, unboxed, and returned.  Others they might have had the case replaced.  Those will all work fine.

It's the rest that worry me because I don't trust companies to do the bare minimum to get it back out the door.

Xstatic3333

jtmh2012 said:

short+sassy said:

Most electronics.  We won't even buy refurbished.  My H is a computer guy and he just thinks it is a bad idea.

I agree with your husband.  Primary because you don't know why it was refurbished.  Some are just retailer returns.  Nothing wrong with them, but they were sold, unboxed, and returned.  Others they might have had the case replaced.  Those will all work fine.

It's the rest that worry me because I don't trust companies to do the bare minimum to get it back out the door.

Back in college I bought an unboxed used computer and it turned into a nightmare. The original owner had password protected it before returning it, and the guys at Best Buy spent hours trying to unlock it before just giving me a new computer for the unboxed price (that part I liked!)

I'll definitely go used on kids' clothes. I would go used on a car or major outdoor appliances like a snowblower, but H is very against it. He likes stuff shiny and new, which we don't see eye to eye about.

Getting into cloth diapering, I've learned that there is a huge resale market for cloth diapers. I haven't been able to get over the hump of buying any, but they hold their value pretty well and I definitely do plan to sell as we outgrow ours. I won't say I'll never do it, because everything can be sterilized with bleach, but it is a pretty big mental hump to get over.

Mustard76

I'm really weirded out by the thought of used stuff. I can't think of anything that I do or would buy used other than a car, and I'm not super keen on that, either. And really, I feel pretty bad for whoever buys my car when I'm done with it. Ha!  I totally get why people buy used, it's just not my thing. I'm too germ-a-phobe for stuff like that. 

als1982

I had to think about this... Honestly, we just don't buy much stuff!  

All our bedding, kitchen items and dinnerware were from our wedding, and my grandpa made our coffee tables, headboard, TV stand and other furniture (though our dining room table and chairs are from a garage sale).  Cars we definitely buy used, letting someone else take the hit of depreciation!  As for clothes, I pretty much wear a uniform of the same thing every day so I watch carefully for when those items go on sale and then buy in bulk and wear until they have holes!

MommyLiberty5013

Kid gear, except for car seats. I have a ton of awesome Craigslist finds for solid wood furniture. My dining table is solid wood, with three leaves (seats up to 12) and has a cool French country feel, which is my style. $70 on Craigslist. Black ladder back chairs (6) also solid wood I got for $125 on Craigslist. A black ladder back two seater bench, solid wood. $100. Awesome mint condition hutch with rounded glass doors. $100. Antique carved dresser $100. My dining area is all solid wood, not matchy-matchy for less than $500. We buy the kids muck boots used when possible. With online sales these days, I don't think it's worth it to buy much clothing used for them. Used jeans at Once Upon a Child cost $8. I can buy new ones online at The Children's Place for $9.