I am very big into thrifting. I love the thrill of the hunt and I love the feeling of finding something really special. I also love saving money and getting a great deal, and the idea of using what is already out there. With kids especially, they go through clothes, shoes and even toys very quickly. They develop and grow quickly, so a lot of their gear doesn’t stick around too long. So, we buy a lot of Lucian’s things secondhand.
There’s a bit of a stigma around thrift stores and used items. And while there are certainly some not so clean and not so great smelling items and places. There is so much good and so many great reasons to buy secondhand. Let me share some of our favorite secondhand finds and where we scored them from:
Light Table: We got this light table at goodwill for about $8. They don’t sell this version anymore, but new it would have cost about $200 new. Lucian would definitely not have one of these new!
Cars Table: We scored this on Facebook marketplace for $15. It had all the pieces and was hardly used at all. New, it would have been $160. And let me tell you, Lucian has worn the thing out! The faces and details have worn off of all the cars from the amount of play.
Y Bike: We bought his Ybike from a consignment shop for $15. It sells for $55 new. We used this inside for a few months then outside and Lu loved getting some movement on it!
AirFort: I grabbed this Airfort as soon as I saw it pop up for $15 on Facebook Marketplace. New, they are $50. I had been thinking about purchasing one for Lu, but so glad I found it less expensive.
Dress Up: After Halloween, you can score great deals on costumes! We have a huge collection and kids really enjoy dressing up! It’s great for encouraging pretend play. There’s almost always a pirate or superhero running around here.
Almost everything in our yard is secondhand. Our playhouse/swingset, a sand box for rocks and one for sand, a roller coaster and kid sized picnic table. All for about $130. And we have 3 power wheels. A John Deere Tractor that I got for free when my last job was getting rid of it. A Grave Digger Monster Truck that a friend got for $5. And a John Deere Gator that the same friend saved from the dump! My husband converted the monster truck and the gator to run on drill batteries. 🙂
A large majority of Lu’s clothes and shoes are secondhand. They’re a mix of hand-me-downs and Goodwill finds. All of his vans, nikes, crocs and cowboy boots were secondhand finds! We like a good Poshmark find too!
Lucian loves to go thrifting. Just a couple of weeks ago, he found this 3 Little Pigs set and has played it at least a thousand times ( I am probably UNDERexaggerating here). And I love that he doesn’t care that toys are used. He loves a good find just as much as I do! A lot of his Christmas gifts were secondhand this year!
You don’t have to spend a certain amount on your kiddo. You don’t have to feel like you have to keep up with others. You can find some great things secondhand. The trick is, you can’t be in a hurry to find something specific. You kind of have to let stuff find you. 🙂 But when it does, it is super exciting!