getting only the best for your child

Jessica - posted on 11/05/2010

A lot of the consignment stores have items that still have tags on them. We buy a combo of new with second hand, but we haven't gotten too much for our second one as we have two boys so he wears his older brother's clothes. We don't go to consignment stores a lot, but we do once in awhile... you'd be amazed at the great quality and condition of the clothes for awesome prices!

Ella - posted on 10/18/2010

I have brought everything brand new for my daughter (she is my first) since she was born. I dont have anything against second hand things but i dont want my daughter having them and especialy since if you dont get them of family members or close friends you dont know where they have realy come from.

Kristy - posted on 10/12/2010

I consider myself really lucky, when I was pregnant we were given a pram, cot, change table, high chair.. my Dad bought us a car seat. The only thing we bought was a chest of drawers for $60. Then when we had her we were given a lot of clothes , and toys from friends at work and neighbours. We don't have the money to buy brand new all the time, she grows into a new size every 2 months and with everything we've been given, she has enough clothes to wear until she's at least 3.

Amanda - posted on 10/12/2010

I buy mostly 2nd hand items. They do grow out of so many things so quickly. And I can get him soooo much more by buying used.

Erin - posted on 10/11/2010

I personally feel that getting the BEST for your child does not mean going out and getting them brand new things, but making sure they have what they need. There is nothing wrong with second hand stores. Me being a single mother I live for second hand stores. But I see where your husband is coming from - if I had they money I would be buying brand new things probably

Mariana - posted on 10/11/2010

Ok Im not going to lie I do shop at kids boutique stores for my son. Considering mum is a big fashion fiend I only thought it fitting for son to be just as fashionable lol but I wouldn't be opposed to second hand shops either I just haven't found anything that I like in them yet. And while he has grown out of a few things I figure Ill just keep the clothes around incase I decided to have more or if my friends start having babies. Honestly it doesn't bother me how much I spend but luckily Dad and I are in good circumstances that we can.

Celissa - posted on 10/09/2010

I'm like you on this one, I don't mind buying second hand items, although I can afford not to. I personally love the rush of getting a good deal and talking them down in their prices. I recently got my son a whole wardrobe of winter clothes, all name brand like timberland, carters, polo, gap, ect, for 15 bucks. All looked brand new ; Coats, pants, shoes, shirts, sweaters, hoodies, sleep clothes, everything. I was so excited! I am kind of picky about what I buy him, however. He's six months old, so any toys I buy him second hand have to look brand new, and be able to be submerged in water, either entirely or come out of their electronic components so I can wash it. I've saved a ton of money by buying second hand. He has two high chairs, one antique wooden one I got for four dollars, and a graco one that my mother-in-law got him for 5. He has a jumparoo that his aunt bought him for two dollars, decorations for his room, a very nice crib set (his first one we bought new and it ended up not being very good) and various toys. I also got him well over 100 books, alot of them older little golden books (which I think matters more to me than him, hah) for 10 dollars. Every one of these items look brand new. As long as I can clean it really well, and it looks nice to begin with, I don't mind to buy it. I however won't buy things like mattresses, car seats, cribs, ect. Anything that could hold germs or that he could get hurt on had it been damaged at all, I won't buy. I think being thrifty is a great idea, but it doesn't suit everyone.

Rosy - posted on 10/07/2010

I do a bit of both, but I personally don't see a problem with second hand clothing if it's in good condition, I just don't understand why people wouldn't buy second hand, once you've put a new clothing item on your child for a few weeks it's no better than anything you're going to find second hand, that's the way I see it! Plus it saves a lot of money, which is important for my partner and I right now.

We've received a lot (well, most really!) of our accessories (crib, car seat, buggy, bumbo chair etc) second hand. The swing was something I bought new (on sale!). And heaps of clothes second hand. I usually throw out or sell the ones that aren't my taste so technically I'm picking them out hehe

Marieli - posted on 10/06/2010

This is also my first child and I buy both new and from 2nd hand stores. Of course I do look at quality and condition. Getting everything brand new is a waste of money that can be going to the baby's future. Plus, they grow out of EVERYTHING so fast that I still have things he still has not used.

Monique - posted on 10/06/2010

i have 5 kids so I'm all about second hand or discount stores like Ross or bells outlet. i would rather save on cloths and spend more on toys and outings.

Liz - posted on 10/06/2010

for things like clothes i don't see the problem.
i have a friend who works at a second hand store and half of my sons clothes r from there. i wash them right away in hot water, and u can't tell the difference, it saves money, and it'll teach ur kids later not to care so much about where things come from.
there r things that should be brand new like a car seat(any safety device) but other than that i don't think it should matter

Deborah - posted on 10/05/2010

Clothes, some toys, and shoes we have bought second hand. I have been to a local thrift shop and found clothes that still had the tags from macys or jcpennys on them along with the tag from the thrift shop and I just can't see paying the department store price for something that my boys would grow out of before they got to wear it more than once. I have even bought some gear second hand, like a high chair, a play pen, and a stroller. Car seats and cribs, I buy new. The carseats because you just never know the history of them, and cribs just because they change so much. Look at the last recall.

Renee - posted on 10/05/2010

I am all about getting Greyson the best of whatever it is out there. I have style myself and I want my daughter to be stylish too. When I was growing up my mother did not teach me about how to wear clothes and I would go around look sloppy. I never going to do that with my daughter. I say that if it is second hand and look new and good nothing wrong with buying it. My cousin gave me some clothes and they where old and trashy looking. I put them right in the trash.

Taylor - posted on 10/04/2010

I will take secondhand clothes IF they are in pretty much pristine condition or from a family member. I'm just really picky about styles and fabrics and things of that sort. Other than that I buy everything new or make it myself. Most of that is probably just from working in fashion and retail my entire life. I hit up Once Upon A Child every once in awhile, but it's hard for me to find things i like!
.I ALWAYS buy baby gear new. Clothes can be washed and all that, but baby gear... I dunno, i just don't want something plastic or porous that some random baby has drooled all over. Plus safety requirements get renewed so often it's hard to know what's still considered "safe" when it comes to secondhand.

Jodi - posted on 10/03/2010

i never buy my daughter brand new clothes at full price, almost all of her clothes are brand new but were on clearance or atleast on sale!! today i got her a bunch of clothes for next summer at old navy for $1 - $3 a piece, such a good deal!! i have gotten some clothing from yard sales or my moms neighbor has a daughter 2 months older. i'm saving everything she grows out of incase we have another girl. babies grow too fast to buy top of the line clothing. however when it comes to safety (carseats & stroller) i did buy her best safety rating ones

Leslie - posted on 10/03/2010

Some new items are a must for me, but I am finding I can buy GAP, GYMBEREE and other expensive lines of clothing for a fraction of the price at second hand stores. I just bought my son a pair of gap baby jeans for 2.99. I would not pay full price for an item like this when they only wear the clothes for one season. I didn't think I could handle the second hand stores but I love them and think this is the way to go!

Darby - posted on 09/30/2010

I have four children. I went through the stage of wanting everything new. It passes. At least it did for me. I do buy some brand new clothes at times because my kids do get a lot of hand me downs. Clothes from my almost 12 year old daughter are still circling back from my nieces to now, my 6 month old daughter.

Melissa - posted on 09/30/2010

i have to say cot highchair carseat all handed down from big brother this time he is 3 so they are still really good we got them all brand new at the start so we know they havent been dammaged and the car seat hasn't been in an accident but if we didn't have those we would have bought them new

Melissa - posted on 09/30/2010

my hubby and i have the same argument so i just stopped telling him where i got the cloths from lol he see's them and say oh that cool and if he askes i just tell him i picked it up at the shop and it was a bargen lol

Amy - posted on 09/30/2010

I think second hand clothing is fab! They grow so fast I can't justify spending a lot of money on something that might only be worn for 3 weeks. Plus my little one throws up on anything anyway so it doesn't stay looking nice and new for long! I did buy his pram car seat and cot new but I bought within my means, they might not be the best out there but they were the best that we could afford.

Stephanie - posted on 09/30/2010

A lot of my daughters clothes are second hand from other family members and most of what I have gotten her has been discounted. They grow so fast, what is the point in spending all that money on new, name brand stuff? Luckily my husband agrees with me, even if his mother doesn't LOL

Jaiy - posted on 09/30/2010

I'm more apt to get second hand clothes or accessories, but when it comes to things that have safety features - highchairs, strollers, car seats - I get new. They're constantly making updates to those things and little changes that don't make the older models dangerous, but do make the newer ones safer. Clothes, though, can be washed and are fair game for second hand.

Amanda - posted on 09/30/2010

I started out buying brand new, then when i found out it was twins that was the end of that.. I have gotten some really great clothes from Once upon a child and paid a fraction of what i would of if they were brand new.. And when I see my boys grow in and out of that pair of designer jeans within a week and i glad i only spent 7 bucks on them instead of 40.

Renee - posted on 09/29/2010

My son gets almost 99% of his clothes as hand-me-downs from his older cousin. They are basically like new and some even still have tags on them. My sister shops top of the line for her son so I guess my son gets some really nice hand-me-downs. My daughter on the other hand has no one in the family to get hand me downs from, but my sister buys her a lot of clothes (she is the god mother). I also get a lot of nicer brands on clearance with coupons. Otherwise she is also wearing some clothes from her brother that are gender neutral as well as Wal-Mart clothes. They grow out of them so fast that I can't see spending more on my kids' clothes then I do on my own.

♏*PHOENIX*♏ - posted on 09/29/2010

I do the samething...i wash all my sons stuff...

Amanda - posted on 09/28/2010

I love 2nd hand. Babies grow too fast to be buying them everything new. I got my son a calvin klein sweatpant outfit and a Nike sweat outfit at Once Upon a Child and they looked brand new. They were like 12 dollars a piece for the outfir but could you imagine how much they were new?? Buying 2nd hand saves you money that you could be putting towards something else, like bills, babies' christmas gifts, or even his college fund.

Katie - posted on 09/28/2010

I agree... I have bought all new stuff for my first baby, and figure if I have another boy, he can use his brothers second hand clothes and toys.

Sheila - posted on 09/27/2010

Me personally since this is my 1st child I'm all about getting her the best of whatever it is she needs. From carseat, stroller, shoes, books, etc. I'm a very picky person as well when it comes to clothes for my baby, even after I purchase her clothes I wash them. I've gone to a few 2nd hand stores and I'm not into the selection. My niece's mother buys her 2nd hand clothes...but that's not my thing. Certain things I would get but not clothes.