Lots of money can be saved by buying used goods. Children can grow out of clothes and toys quickly, so buying those goods used can save money. The clothes won’t be worn long, so it makes sense to buy them cheap.
Books, DVDs and CDs often are used for only a short time before owners want to get rid of them. The same often goes for computer software or games. These things may be popular for a while but can go out of style and go down in price. Make sure to try them out first to make sure they work.
Musical instruments, such as pianos, also are good to buy used for children. Instruments are expensive, and it’s hard to tell how long a child may stay committed to music.
Becoming involved in a hobby can be started through used goods. Other hobbyists may lose interest in a hobby and give away certain things, such as a photographer selling used lenses and camera equipment. To get into a new hobby, buy used stuff to see if that hobby is interesting. That principle also carries over to sports and exercise equipment.
Tools also are excellent used goods to buy. If a tool has fewer breakable parts in it, the tool is more likely to function correctly and be a better purchase.
If a person is good at shopping online and he or she knows what to look for, designer items can be bought for low prices. Many designer clothes and handbags go out of fashion quickly and can be bought inexpensively. The same goes with jewelry. If buying jewelry used, make sure to deal with a reputable seller. Remember, the gemstones from jewelry can always be reset if the setting isn’t liked.
A used car is an excellent thing to buy. Cars depreciate considerably in the first year. Fleet cars, such as those owned by rental companies or other companies, will have had a good maintenance record and the first-year depreciation won’t have to be paid for.
Some goods should never be bought used. These include laptops and desktop computers. Though used computers may serve a purpose sometimes, technology evolves too quickly to warrant the purchase of a used computer. DVD players shouldn’t be bought used either. They aren’t that expensive in the first place and players get a lot of hard use. Buying them new should save money and headaches in the long run.
Car seats shouldn’t be bought used either. It’s fine if a car seat is used from one child to another because its history is known, but when buying someone else’s car seat, be sure you can trust them or don’t buy it.
Shoes and mattresses shouldn’t be bought used for health reasons. A used mattress may not be sanitary. Shoes mold to fit feet, so unless they are a special type of shoe or haven’t been worn much, they shouldn’t be bought used.
Used goods usually can be bought from retail and secondhand stores owned by churches, civic groups, The Salvation Army or Goodwill. These businesses sell clothing and other household equipment. Some radio stations have weekly shows where they let people call in to sell or trade used items. Newspapers also offer advertisements for the buying and selling of used goods.
Garage sales and auctions also are popular areas to find used goods, but the Internet, with the aid of eBay and craigslist, is becoming an essential place to buy and sell used goods.
The higher a price is for a used item, the more time should be taken before buying it. If the item, such as a used car, is expensive, it may be more helpful to step back and deliberate whether to go through with a deal. The bottom line is to know what is being bought and the correct price for a used item.
SOURCE: Kathy Prochaska-Cue, Ph.D, family economist
Ann Fenton
University of Nebraska Extension
