When my son was 6, he decided he wanted nothing more for Christmas than an egg-shaped hanging chair constructed of swirling ribbons of plastic to serve as a reading nook in his bedroom. This type of frame-suspended seat, I discovered, costs about $300 new. The one he found with a big red bow on Christmas morning was from a local listing on Facebook Marketplace. Price: $50.
There’s a robust online marketplace of used kids gear, toys, clothing, and more for a simple reason: Kids grow fast, and they often outgrow their favorite things when those things are still close to new. Shopping secondhand for normally pricey kids gifts comes with several benefits. It can obviously save you money—and that’s the key concern for many this holiday season.
Buying, or simply accepting, pre-owned items is also more sustainable than buying new, especially if you focus on local groups and skip the shipping and packaging. And it can be emotionally satisfying: A pre-loved toy may feel even more special than a brand-new one, and at their best, these online marketplaces remind you that you’re part of a caring community of people eager to help others.
What to shop secondhand (and what to avoid)
As the editor heading up Wirecutter’s baby and kid coverage, I’ve spent a good deal of time thinking about what makes sense to buy new (safety-related items such as car seats and bike helmets top the list) and what items can be wisely shopped for secondhand first. I’d put baby hiking carriers, kid bike seats, jogging strollers, and high chairs, as well as expensive bassinets, bouncers, and swings that your baby may love—or definitively reject—on that used-first list (of course, make sure they’re models that meet current safety standards and haven’t been recalled).
In Wirecutter’s extensive kid gift coverage, we zero in on well-made toys, games, and gear that we’ve found stand up to many years of play and get plenty of use over time. A number of those toys are fairly expensive when bought new. The modern Hape dollhouse, which is a fantastic gift for three-year-olds, typically costs about $175. The L.L.Bean Kids’ Pull Sled that’s one of our favorites is $200. If you want to get your toddler our top-pick kick scooter—we recommend you do, it’s sturdy yet nimble and will last through multiple kids—you’ll be spending close to $100 for the ride.
These are exactly the type of items that can still seem close to new a few years later. I’ve seen the dollhouse we recommend for $100 in a local online moms group, with all the also-pricey add-on accessories included; a Barbie-pink Micro Mini scooter (with handlebar tassles!) is listed for $35 near me right now; as is a like-new L.L.Bean pull sled. It’s $100, half price.
Where to look for gently used kids items
When it comes to bigger-ticket kids toys and gear, it makes sense to keep things local. A wide variety of online marketplaces trade kid stuff, including Facebook Marketplace and local Listservs and Facebook groups catering specifically to parents. Nextdoor, Craigslist, Buy Nothing, and Freecycle groups can turn up gently used finds for kids. There are also infinite individual online resellers that will ship nationwide, as well as great finds on sites like Poshmark, Mercari, Kidizen, The RealReal, and eBay—all of which Wirecutter staffers have used to buy resale kids clothes or toys. But those types of nationwide sites are their own companies that are of course designed to turn a profit, and you’re usually adding in the cost of shipping and the hassle of potential returns. Generally, the best deals are found locally.
The norms and tone of these online communities vary widely. If you’re brand-new to them or looking to make your secondhand searching more efficient, start by reading the guidelines then scanning through the last few-dozen posts to get a sense of the specific group’s etiquette. One broadly focused Facebook moms group I’ve been in for over a decade designates Saturday as the single day of the week for posting items for sale. Another baby-supply-focused local mom board I’m on is only for giving or swapping—cash exchange is prohibited. Buy Nothing is also a cash-free, giving-based platform, and unlike some other venues that embrace an early-bird ethos, the guidelines specifically urge allowing offers to simmer—favoring equity and community over competition. (Buy Nothing suggests picking your recipient from a hat; you can also use an online tool for that.)
Buy Nothing and Nextdoor both tend to be hyper-local. With Facebook Marketplace you need to click “Local listings only” if you prefer to keep things close to home, and you can define your parameters. (I’ve often set myself a 10-mile radius.)
Target your ask
Scanning through existing listings is perhaps the most obvious way to shop secondhand, but it’s also perfectly acceptable in many groups to simply ask for exactly what you want. A couple years back I was searching for a tagalong—the sort of half-bike you attach to the rear of your own bike so a young kid can pedal along behind. These things are expensive new—currently about $420 at REI—and I didn’t know if we’d really use it that much. After too much scrolling, I posted “ISO: tagalong” in one of my local mom groups. Hours later I was standing outside the home of a fellow mom in my own neighborhood whose kid had outgrown the bike a couple years before. She hadn’t planned to sell it but was happy to be rid of it for $50 and very little effort on her part. (ISO is a common acronym for “in search of” in many groups. The Buy Nothing community uses terminology like “give” and “ask” to give or request items and “gratitude” to thank fellow community members.)
As we all know, algorithms rule the world, or at least the online shopping experience. Once you start looking for a certain item, you’ll likely see many, many more of its type pop up in your feed. If you’re using Facebook Marketplace you can further increase the chances that what you actually want will show up high in your results by clicking save on similar items—even when you know that exact one is not for you. I recently saved a driveway basketball hoop (I don’t have a driveway, but I knew a friend was looking). Now I see every basketball hoop posted in my local area. After you save a couple of dollhouses, you’ll start seeing every dollhouse posted—and you may realize that a handmade one a local child has just outgrown is even more special than the modern Wirecutter pick you’ve been shopping for.
Act fast—and reply strategically
Once you see what you want, it’s wise not to waver. To build your confidence, consider keeping a list of the things you’re shopping for used and the maximum you’re willing to spend. That way you don’t have to research prices between when you see a new listing and when someone else claims the prize. (All that searching and saving pays off when you’re confident of an amazing deal the moment it appears.)
Being personal and specific with your message to the seller may help you stand out. Most of us feel some level of emotional connection to our stuff, after all—or at least a desire to see the things that have been part of our kids’ early years find another few years of love in someone else’s home. No need to go overboard, but a simple “I’ve been searching for a play kitchen just like this for my son’s second birthday” or “your bike is exactly the right size for my granddaughter” is more endearing than just “I’ll take it.” Including exactly when you could pick it up—especially if that’s tomorrow or anytime this weekend, may also aid your case.
Say yes quickly to the thing you want, but don’t hesitate to back out if things go south from there. Look out for red flags: You shouldn’t be asked to Venmo or PayPal payment before you see the item in person, for instance. Ideally sellers post items when they are available to hand it off within the next few days. If you do arrive to see an item you’ve already agreed to buy in poorer condition than the photos portrayed, it’s perfectly normal to negotiate on price or walk away (nicely) if it’s not as advertised.
Share the love
Once you’re done shopping, consider turning to these secondhand sites to aid your own decluttering efforts. It’s so easy to let things pile up in a closet or basement. But I find it feels great to let things go—especially when they’re items my own kids have loved that have plenty of life left to share with another kid. I hope that by next Christmas, that hanging egg chair might be ready to be slapped with a big red ribbon and placed next to another kid’s tree.
This article was edited by Catherine Kast and Annemarie Conte.
