Jo asked:
I mean from a place such as ebay. I was wondering if I am being paranoid about feeling weird giving my child toys that I have no knowledge about where it has been…
I mean from a place such as ebay. I was wondering if I am being paranoid about feeling weird giving my child toys that I have no knowledge about where it has been…
Some things like certain dolls and such really cant be thrown in the washing machine, so I was just wondered how others felt. Is this something you do yourself?
Theres no need to start thumbing people down. We are not children here, and this is really a matter of opinion.
James
December 22nd, 2007 - 1:55 am
Old toys from family/friends is fine with us, but you are right about ebay. You just dont know where it has been. I bought a pony on Ebay for my 3 year old, and it appeared to be in great shape, but when we received it, it was covered in some sort of perfume or soap.. made me wondered what the hell was on it. Needless to say, my daughter didnt get it.
Were not snobs in the least, but when you have little ones that tend to put things in their mouth, or even just kiss and sleep with their special toys, sanitary is highly important.. even if its the last thing on your kids mind.
December 22nd, 2007 - 1:52 pm
I have no problem with it, I would use those lysol wipes & wipe them down really good, i’ve gotten a lot of toys from friends, as long as they were in nice shape I was happy to receive! and even if they were “clean” i would still wipe them down with a disinfectant wipe just to be sure…
December 23rd, 2007 - 6:47 pm
Toys i would, I’d just clean them first. I’m a bit funny with teddys though, coz once you wash them there not the same.
December 25th, 2007 - 4:32 pm
I don’t like ebay for second hand kid stuff. It is one of the most expensive places. You can get second hand kids toys on craigslist for half the ebay price, or for next to nothing at a garage sale. Even consignment shops charge far less than ebay. Plus, with ebay anyone can be sneaky and take a picture of the good side of whatever they are selling.
But as far as second hand toys go, kids need to be exposed to some germs. If it doesn’t smell bad give it a quick cleaning and call it good. Do you know how many germs are on the toys are daycare?
December 26th, 2007 - 4:00 pm
second hand toys is a great way to help the environment, however I would at least hand wash the toy and fix any tears or holes before giving it to my child
December 27th, 2007 - 1:52 am
I dont mind buying second hand toys or getting them from friends but i am picky about them i have to either be able to bleach or wash them…i dont think i would trust ebay because you cant see them first and your right you dont know where they have been. Someone gave us a jack in the box that smelled like smoke things like that arent even worth the effort to me./also i have a friend who sells kids stuff on ebay and i wouldnt TAKE any of her kids stuff let alone buy them she is dirty and doesnt take care of her things
December 29th, 2007 - 8:36 am
I’ve bought stuff on ebay before for my kids. You can be picky about what you buy on ebay. If you buy something, make sure you can wash it or disinfect it before giving it to your child. If you can’t do those things, buy it new.
It’s really a shame how much kid stuff gets thrown away each year because people shy away from getting it used! Take a risk.
I’m sure you’ll find that things you buy on ebay are quite all right.
December 30th, 2007 - 2:17 am
If it wasn’t for second hand stuff my children would have went w/o a great deal growing up.
December 30th, 2007 - 8:33 pm
I think secondhand toys are okay from friends/family, I have never bought any toys that didn’t say new off of ebay. But my mother has a horrible problem of buying all sorts of second hand toys that are gross, broke, missing parts, or just something ridiculous that I just throw away before the kids see them. I tell her all the time to stop but she is a garage sale junkie. If it’s in nice condition, I will clean/sanitize it but if it’s something that couldn’t be cleaned, I wouldn’t bother.
January 1st, 2008 - 7:28 am
If i can clean it or wash it then its fine in my mind. Anything else = no
January 4th, 2008 - 2:19 am
You can give the kids the toys they are toys!
January 6th, 2008 - 12:33 am
If it can’t be washed or wiped down with clorox bleach anywhere/hard surface stuff, he won’t get it.
Other than that, I have no problem with it.
January 10th, 2008 - 6:56 pm
My son had a crib toy that was the same type I had when I was kid. I washed it with lysol wipes, sprayed it with lysol and then wiped it with a clean damp rag. I couldn’t toss it in the sink bc it had stickers/pictures that would have been ruined. He was fine. He never caught any cooties off it. Just wash them well and it will be fine. I never bought soft plushy toys second hand. Only hard plastic ones that could be scrubbed etc.
January 10th, 2008 - 8:17 pm
I bought all my 21 month old son’s christmas toys on ebay this year! They mostly were tonka trucks and little people stuff so it was all washable. I don’t know if I’d buy stuffed animals or anythign else that couldn’t be easily washed. I also agree with the craigslist. I bought each of my daughter’s a dollhouse this year via craisglist and saved over $100.
January 13th, 2008 - 4:47 am
sanitize sanitize sanitize.
stuffed animals we dont get second hand.
however, you should also be careful because of all the recalls on leadbased painted toys.
January 16th, 2008 - 3:23 am
I really don’t have a problem with it. A lot of times can be washed, scrubbed, wiped down, etc. and then disinfected. I like to shop at Once Upon A Child and sometimes will buy toys from there. As far as not knowing where they’ve been, they’ve probably been the same place your kid’s toys have been… on the floor, in their mouths, etc. As long as you clean them everything should be fine.
January 18th, 2008 - 5:41 am
I give my children second hand stuff sometimes. I make sure to wash it first, as you said, you dont know where its been.
But I dont see anything wrong with it, and they dont mind, the youngest doesnt know the difference, as long as everything works the other 2 are just happy to get it, and to me thats what really matter.