10 Things You Shouldn't Buy New, Part 2

Here's part 2 of a piece from Money Central titled "10 Things You Shouldn't Buy New":

Little kids' toys -- Parents know: it’s all but impossible to predict which toy will be a hit and which will lie forlorn at the bottom of the toy box. So rather than gamble at full price, cruise consignment shops and yard sales for bargains. My husband’s latest score: a plastic Push, Pedal 'N Ride Trike (retails for $28, he paid $10) that looks like new after a brief scrub.

Better than cheap, though, is free. Some parents set up regular toy-swapping meets, or you might be lucky enough to score hand-me-downs from friends and relatives.

Exception: Some parents get away with giving used toys for birthdays and holidays, but most of us (and our kids) have been fairly well brainwashed into believing that gifts should be purchased new. Try to opt, though, for classics, like sturdy wooden toys.

My wife is the master at finding great toys for nothing at garage sales. Yes, for certain items (like Legos, for instance) you should/have to buy new, but for most toys, used is the way to go. (And as far as swapping goes, you can use the same concept with kids' clothes.)

Jewelry -- Fat markups on most gems (100% or more is fairly common) means that you’d be lucky to get one-third of what you paid at a retail store, should you ever need to sell.

So let somebody else get socked with that depreciation. Find a pawn shop that’s been in business for awhile, get to know the owner and ask him or her for recommendations. Some readers have had good results buying via newspaper ads, but I’d want to take the piece to a jeweler for an appraisal first.

Exception: You want something custom-made. Even then, consider buying used stones and getting them reset.

This is going to shock you, I know. We don't wear much jewelry. I have a wedding ring and other than that, no jewelry. My wife has a few rings, but she's not the "let's see how many rings we can get on two hands" type (that's my mom). She prefers to wear the same necklace every day and sometimes buys new earrings, but not that often. (She has a variety of "go with anything" earrings.)

Click here to read part 3 of this series.

Comments

[javasoy]

tell that to the "no credit needed" blogger about kids' clothing.