What items would you never buy used?

[Dmmetler]

On the other side, I've bought a high end musical instrument new once, when a company was starting to import that line and offered a really, really great deal in exchange for trying it out. But all my others have been used because there are certain makes/models which are known to be extremely good, and I looked for those. Because a new Selmer saxophone is not equivalent to the 1929 balanced action or 1963 Mark VI.  A new Buffett clarinet is not the same as one from the 1970's.  And the best deals come from places like pawn shops or music stores that don't specialize in winds (my 1929 came from a shop that had taken it as trade on a drumset) that don't know what they have. So buy used, take it to an excellent music store to be fully cleaned and adjusted, get a couple of awesome mouthpieces, and you've got a horn that is good for another 25-30 years. 

 

I've also bought a lot of instruments for my classroom-Pearl student bellsets are often very affordable on FB marketplace, because kids break the drums, but the bells last forever. And while I don't generally have to buy them, 2/3 of my classroom is keyboards and digital pianos that people were giving away.  And if you can get a class set from a retiring teacher, you're golden. I have hand drums from the 1970's that are absolutely amazing. 

 

We buy refurbished electronics from Dell frequently-they're ones that were used on business leases and were turned in to Dell, get hard drives replaced and new batteries, and then are sold for about 50% of the new price, with the original warranty. Plus DH's corporate discount stacks. I've also bought several old iPads for teaching from NewEgg, and newer ones for me from Apple Refurbished. 

 

I buy tons and tons of used books. Both for me and for the LFL.

 

And I am actively looking for old dollhouses to refurb and furnish, to feed my miniatures habit. Because I can't justify spending hundreds of dollars on one. 

 

I don't buy many household items used anymore, mostly because usually if I need something, I need it now. But we still have furniture pieces that were left on the curb when we were in grad school. 

 

[marbel]

Used toothbrushes? Is that even a thing? People sell them? 😱

[teachermom2834]

I like the idea of buying used but outside of houses and cars I just have never gotten into it. I always see thrift shops recommended whenever someone is searching for something and I just have never had luck finding things in those and the idea of looking through garage sales for that needed item just sounds so not fun to me.

The times I have gotten things used I have generally been disappointed. I guess I really wanted it new but for a used price 😞

I’m cheap and I’m not picky. So it’s not that I’m a snob, really. I’m embarrassed because I feel like it doesn’t really fit my personality for me to sit here saying I don’t buy things used. But I really don’t. I buy cheap crap from Walmart and Amazon and I’m not proud. I’d feel better about myself if I could claim I scoured thrift shops for high quality items that had been abandoned and I rescued them. But no. I am instant gratification cheap junk I guess. Or high quality exactly what I want when I want it if I care enough. But I haven’t had luck with used. 

It’s part snob and part lazy I guess. It’s not I “wouldn’t” as a philosophical thing (besides the obvious underwear and hygiene and personal stuff) but rather just a I “don’t” I guess.

[marbel]

22 minutes ago, teachermom2834 said:

It’s part snob and part lazy I guess. It’s not I “wouldn’t” as a philosophical thing (besides the obvious underwear and hygiene and personal stuff) but rather just a I “don’t” I guess.

Well, maybe I'm justifying my own behavior as a mostly non-used-buyer, but I don't see it as snobby or lazy. It's also a matter of time. And, to some degree, place. 

My daughter and friends can spend hours on a Saturday searching through the thrift shops, and they find stuff. But they enjoy those hours, and have the free time. And, they don't mind fabric softener smells, and fit into standard clothing, and blah blah blah.

I know people who love going to garage sales. I can't think of a poorer use of my time (no one else's) than driving around to different garage sales in the hope of finding something. I have never seen anything useful at any garage sale or flea market I've ever been to. 

Maybe I just live in a lousy area for this sort of thing. I'm told that going to wealthier neighborhoods nets better results. (I live in a pretty solid mid-to-upper middle class neighborhood.) 

I also don't buy a ton of stuff. I mean, I haven't a need for loads of clothing and when we buy appliances, they last a long time. 

 

[Condessa]

Underwear.  Toothbrushes.  Hairbrushes.

There are some items I would only buy used from someone I know and trust.  Generally these are things that can have invisible damage that is hard to detect until the product fails, such as car seats.  This week we are buying a friend’s above-ground pool (the kids’ big Christmas gift), and that falls under this category.  I’m fine with buying used in these situations if I know the prior owner and trust that the item is still in good condition and hasn’t had any incidents that may have caused invisible damage in the past.

[Pawz4me]

12 minutes ago, marbel said:

 

I also don't buy a ton of stuff. I mean, I haven't a need for loads of clothing and when we buy appliances, they last a long time. 

 

Bingo.

We bought this house and DH's truck used. Other than that it's been all new houses, all new cars. A long time ago, pre-Kindle, I'd go to the used book store. So . . one used house, one used vehicle, and books. And that's it. Everything else is bought new. Buying used stuff gives me the heebie jeebies.

But we just don't have a lot of wants or a lot of stuff. I'm pretty sure almost everybody here has more kitchen gadgets, pots, pans, and clothes than we have. We can afford it, but I have no desire for more stuff. Owning more than I need stresses me out. We also tend to get at least decent quality stuff and use it until it wears out. My current vehicle (like all the rest) was bought new, but it's nine years old and I expect it to last quite a few more years. At the rate I'm going I seriously doubt I'll need more than one more vehicle,

[MercyA]

2 hours ago, wisdomandtreasures said:

Aside from the obvious hygiene-related items, binders, games, and puzzles. The binder rings are usually bent or open too easily, and games and puzzles are always missing pieces. 

I feel so fortunate to have a Mennonite thrift shop in my area. They check every single game and puzzle, mark them as complete, and only then put them out for sale. ❤️

I love to organize. Checking games and puzzles sounds like my dream job. 🙂 

[MercyA]

15 hours ago, Ditto said:

Why?   It would never occur to me to buy one used, but is there a reason not to?

Can't speak for Indigo, but I personally wouldn't risk buying a vacuum that might harbor cat dander or other allergens. Also, my dog is little and clean and doesn't shed much, but my vacuum still smells "doggy" sometimes.

[Indigo Blue]

@Pawz4meI’m like that, too. I will buy something used, (depending on what it is) but I do prefer new. I also like owning less stuff and taking care of what we already have. Also, yes, my next car will probably be the last one. It will most likely be a very nice car (almost new) bought from Car Max. 
 

I don’t think spending hours going to flea markets and yard sales is fun. But that’s just me. 

[Indigo Blue]

Just now, MercyA said:

Can't speak for Indigo, but I personally wouldn't risk buying a vacuum that might harbor cat dander or other allergens. Also, my dog is little and clean and doesn't shed much, but my vacuum still smells "doggy" sometimes.

Yeah. It’s been used to suck up dust mites, dead skin, dirt, and allergens in someone else’s home that you don’t know. 

[MercyA]

1 hour ago, marbel said:

Used toothbrushes? Is that even a thing? People sell them? 😱

I've never seen used toothbrushes. I have seen used shampoo, lotion, nail polish, etc. And people buy them if the price is right.

15 hours ago, gardenmom5 said:

undergarments - bras included.  I thought that went without saying.

I've bought a huge percentage of my DD's clothes used, but I never could bring myself to buy used (or open package) underwear. Logically, it could easily be made just as clean as new underwear. It's just the squick factor. That said, I have sold little used kids' underwear and people do buy it. Underwear is expensive and everyone needs it. 

The Amish ladies in my town love to buy lacy bras and lingerie at garage sales. 🙂 

[MercyA]

For me it's much easier to shop at good thrift shops. I'm not talking about Goodwill, but nice resale shops. Everything is organized by type of clothing, by color, and by size. It's so much easier to quickly go through a variety of, say, short-sleeved tops, all in my size, all in the colors I like than to wander a department store. I find large stores overwhelming.

I also really like ThriftUp and Mercari. On ThriftUp, I save my favorite searches (like dresses that are short-sleeved, short length, v- or scoop-neck, cotton or cotton blend) and can easily click on those searches to see what's new.

On Mercari, I recently bought a new-with-tags Coldwater Creek dress that was, I believe, at least $120 new. I paid $14 for it. It was in gorgeous condition. I also like one particular style of Lularoe dresses and it's so easy to just use that style name to search for more. There is a ton of NWT Lularoe stuff on platforms like Mercari and eBay. I feel badly for people who got caught in Lularoe's MLM trap, but at least I can help dig them out a little bit by buying their inventory. 

[elegantlion]

undergarments, most upholstered furniture - although I bought a used loveseat at Goodwill that was practically brand new. I steam cleaned the heck out of it once I got it home though. 

I've bought used shoes. Recently, I found a pair of Birdies that had one little mark on the toe. They retail for $150 and I paid $10. They are comfortable but I would never pay $150 for them. 

computer parts - concerns of malware or not sure if things work. 

Used board games - unless I can see that it has all the parts. 

most used small appliances. 

[marbel]

33 minutes ago, MercyA said:

I've never seen used toothbrushes. I have seen used shampoo, lotion, nail polish, etc. And people buy them if the price is right.

OK maybe used toothbrushes is not a thing.

Actually I have seen a couple of examples of strange (to me) stuff on a local buy-nothing group: an opened salad dressing - the person who bought it didn't like it so offered it up for free - and a rotisserie chicken missing the white meat - the person who bought it only liked the breast, so carved that out and offered the rest of the chicken for free.

In both cases people claimed the item and picked it up. So I guess there is a market for almost anything?

Now that I think of it, used toothbrushes could be salvaged for household cleaning. I save our toothbrushes and use them for various household tasks. 

ETA: I'll add that if someone I know texted me and said they had some salad dressing or most of a chicken, and explained the circumstances, and I trusted that the stuff was fresh or whatever... I might take them up on it. But not from a stranger.

Edited October 24, 2023 by marbel

[Momto6inIN]

To all of you who wouldn't buy a used mattress - and I promise I'm not being snarky, just genuinely curious - do you also avoid hotels/airbnbs/vrbos/etc?

There's not much I *wouldn't* buy used - underwear and toothbrushes certainly. There's all kinds of things I *don't* buy used - mostly because it's so much easier to go buy it or order it myself new. But that's because I have the luxury/privilege of having more money than time at this current point in my life. I have not always been so fortunate.

Once you wash things - even things like underwear and toothbrushes - it's really just the ick factor, not the real cleanliness of the item that's the issue. There's really no difference between putting someone else's clean silverware in my mouth at a restaurant and using someone else's washed toothbruth or between sitting on a toilet seat (which I have advocated for on this board lol!) and wearing someone else's washed underwear - so I realize that my preferences aren't really logically consistent at all.

[SKL]

1 minute ago, Momto6inIN said:

To all of you who wouldn't buy a used mattress - and I promise I'm not being snarky, just genuinely curious - do you also avoid hotels/airbnbs/vrbos/etc?

There's not much I *wouldn't* buy used - underwear and toothbrushes certainly. There's all kinds of things I *don't* buy used - mostly because it's so much easier to go buy it or order it myself new. But that's because I have the luxury/privilege of having more money than time at this current point in my life. I have not always been so fortunate.

Once you wash things - even things like underwear and toothbrushes - it's really just the ick factor, not the real cleanliness of the item that's the issue. There's really no difference between putting someone else's clean silverware in my mouth at a restaurant and using someone else's washed toothbruth or between sitting on a toilet seat (which I have advocated for on this board lol!) and wearing someone else's washed underwear - so I realize that my preferences aren't really logically consistent at all.

You're right, we have the luxury of saying no to things that are actually usable.

I never need to buy toothbrushes, because we get new ones when we go to the dentist (luxury), and we don't switch them out nearly as often as we go to the dentist.  I thought the toothbrush post was tongue-in-cheek, but maybe not.  🙂

As for underwear, I might be a little bit particular in that I only want cotton ones that fit a certain way, and are not white (kuz I am too lazy to maintain whites).  I don't have the patience to "shop" underwear, new or used.  I may have bought a total of 12 pairs of unders in the past decade, so yes, ... I could be called wasteful ... but I think everyone is a little bit wasteful about something or other.  So for me I guess it's cotton undies.  😛

[DawnM]

13 minutes ago, Momto6inIN said:

To all of you who wouldn't buy a used mattress - and I promise I'm not being snarky, just genuinely curious - do you also avoid hotels/airbnbs/vrbos/etc?

I was wondering the same thing.

13 minutes ago, Momto6inIN said:

There's not much I *wouldn't* buy used - underwear and toothbrushes certainly. There's all kinds of things I *don't* buy used - mostly because it's so much easier to go buy it or order it myself new. But that's because I have the luxury/privilege of having more money than time at this current point in my life. I have not always been so fortunate.

Once you wash things - even things like underwear and toothbrushes - it's really just the ick factor, not the real cleanliness of the item that's the issue. There's really no difference between putting someone else's clean silverware in my mouth at a restaurant and using someone else's washed toothbruth or between sitting on a toilet seat (which I have advocated for on this board lol!) and wearing someone else's washed underwear - so I realize that my preferences aren't really logically consistent at all.

I feel that way too, although I won't buy used underwear or wear them.   They might be clean, but......

 

[Pawz4me]

26 minutes ago, Momto6inIN said:

To all of you who wouldn't buy a used mattress - and I promise I'm not being snarky, just genuinely curious - do you also avoid hotels/airbnbs/vrbos/etc?

 

As much as possible, yes.

If my recollection is accurate in the past 17 years I've only spent six nights in a bed that I didn't own (from new). Avoiding them is one reason we originally bought an RV.

[prairiewindmomma]

41 minutes ago, marbel said:

OK maybe used toothbrushes is not a thing.

Actually I have seen a couple of examples of strange (to me) stuff on a local buy-nothing group: an opened salad dressing - the person who bought it didn't like it so offered it up for free - and a rotisserie chicken missing the white meat - the person who bought it only liked the breast, so carved that out and offered the rest of the chicken for free.

In both cases people claimed the item and picked it up. So I guess there is a market for almost anything?

Now that I think of it, used toothbrushes could be salvaged for household cleaning. I save our toothbrushes and use them for various household tasks. 

ETA: I'll add that if someone I know texted me and said they had some salad dressing or most of a chicken, and explained the circumstances, and I trusted that the stuff was fresh or whatever... I might take them up on it. But not from a stranger.

My buy nothing group has a lot of elderly, disabled, or people with more month than money. In the last couple of years we’ve had a sharp uptick in people flat out asking for food, basic cleaning and hygiene items, and other necessaries. These people are known to the Buy Nothing community, so people usually meet the need. Between inflation and sharp rent rises, a lot of people just arent making it on their own anymore.

[Indigo Blue]

When I stay in a hotel, (which is out of necessity and rare) I try to enjoy it and try not to think about the sheets, pillows, shower, etc. I can faintly smell weird smells and see weird stains…even in nice hotels. It bothers me if I think about it, so I try hard not to. However, I am terrified of bed bugs which is the biggest reason I don’t like to stay in them. 
 

If I’m being honest, I do get squicked out by restaurant silverware if I think about it. It truly may or may not be very clean. Depending on the restaurant, how busy they are, etc. It’s not a rare thing to see dirty silverware. 

[teachermom2834]

I think to eat in restaurants and stay in hotels you just have to decide not to think about things… and not thinking about things for an hour or a night or a week is different than making a purchase that you bring into your home.

That said gross stuff happens in factories and warehouses and retail establishments so we best not think too hard about any of it. It we want things to make actual sense.

[catz]

I wouldn't buy a used mattress less because of hygenine more because they break in toward a body and I want to break it in.  I love a hotel.  Stay in them all the time!  Would travel more if I won a lottery!  I can work myself up about germs, but yay for immune systems!

I would have said a couple weeks ago I wouldn't buy upholstered furniture.  But then I discovered this habit for humanity thrift store and they really vet the stuff coming in.  I got my kid who is his first apartment as single a really nice couch there for like $75 that retails for 1200+ new and it smelled like they at least did a once over on it with cleaner.  Looks very lightly used.  I got him a solid wood coffee table there for $25.  The stuff turns over really fast.  There are college students and young adults that will definitely come pick up and maybe pay a little for used furniture but if it is ripped or smells like a dog, I wouldn't expect to sell it.  We were watching stuff on Craig's list too and some of that were listed at absolutely bonkers prices.

 

[marbel]

1 hour ago, Momto6inIN said:

o all of you who wouldn't buy a used mattress - and I promise I'm not being snarky, just genuinely curious - do you also avoid hotels/airbnbs/vrbos/etc?

Big difference between buying a mattress to sleep on every night for years, and sleeping on a hotel/etc mattress for a few nights, imo.

[Clarita]

2 hours ago, Momto6inIN said:

Once you wash things - even things like underwear and toothbrushes - it's really just the ick factor, not the real cleanliness of the item that's the issue. There's really no difference between putting someone else's clean silverware in my mouth at a restaurant and using someone else's washed toothbruth or between sitting on a toilet seat (which I have advocated for on this board lol!) and wearing someone else's washed underwear - so I realize that my preferences aren't really logically consistent at all.

To me a toothbrush falls under disposable item. So me buying someone's used toothbrush is what am I going to do with it because the bristles wear out and it's pretty useless. Then if I want a used toothbrush for cleaning I have plenty.

Unless it's for little kids I can't imagine why you would have used underwear good enough to continue using. I guess I did have a stash of underwear like that (it turned out I was allergic to the material) so really they weren't really used, but package opened and I did wear one pair.

Most people are giving away/selling worn out mattresses, I don't need a worn out mattress. I did take my in-laws barely used mattress, it was too soft for them.

5 hours ago, Dmmetler said:

On the other side, I've bought a high end musical instrument new once, when a company was starting to import that line and offered a really, really great deal in exchange for trying it out. But all my others have been used because there are certain makes/models which are known to be extremely good, and I looked for those. Because a new Selmer saxophone is not equivalent to the 1929 balanced action or 1963 Mark VI.  A new Buffett clarinet is not the same as one from the 1970's.  And the best deals come from places like pawn shops or music stores that don't specialize in winds (my 1929 came from a shop that had taken it as trade on a drumset) that don't know what they have. So buy used, take it to an excellent music store to be fully cleaned and adjusted, get a couple of awesome mouthpieces, and you've got a horn that is good for another 25-30 years. 

People pay big money for used instruments. I, too have used instruments in my home, but not the ones you pay big money for. 

[Grace Hopper]

21 hours ago, TechWife said:

Clothing - including shoes & under garments 

shoes

linens

pillows

Upholstered furniture

Why? Bodily fluids, needles, fungus and insects. 

I won’t buy these items for the same reasons BUT the possibility of needles never crossed my mind. New fear unlocked. 

21 hours ago, Clarita said:

Shoes, under garments, socks, bedding (including mattresses, pillows, and blankets, etc.), used disposable items like toothbrushes, sponges, takeout containers (someone in my neighborhood try to sell their stash), etc.

For the "snobby" part of my list:

• Carseats, which I do feel snobby for because I gave away my children's carseats to people who I know were going to use them. 
• Mobile phones, I have in the past bought a used phone (turned into used phones) and have friends bought used phones. They have all been duds. (Having been in the industry I'm not surprised, there is some trade-off between size, functionality and durability.

 

Most donation centers I’ve made drop offs to in recent years won’t even accept used car seats (or other baby items that could get them sued). 
 

I don’t buy much used, much has been mentioned. WRT houses, we’ve purchased older homes a couple of times but immediately replaced carpet. I do not like used carpet and rugs. 

Edited October 24, 2023 by Grace Hopper

[Emba]

I try to avoid buying computers/phones/that sort of electronics used unless they are professionally refurbished. I think refurbished electronics are great, but I don’t know enough about computers to buy a used one that someone hasn’t  gone over. I feel like there could be all kinds of things wrong with it, and I would be unable to do anything to fix it. 

 

Edited October 24, 2023 by Emba

[Emba]

Also puzzles are risky. Sometimes they’re complete, sometimes 1/4 off the puzzle is missing and you don’t figure it out until you’re halfway through. So I’ll buy them if they’re a quarter or fifty cents, but not much more. 
 

I’ve had good luck buying used games, but I do it knowing that it will be a risk. Not as frustrating s as puzzles, though, because you figure it out before you play, so the time investment is less.

[Momto6inIN]

2 hours ago, catz said:

I wouldn't buy a used mattress less because of hygenine more because they break in toward a body and I want to break it in. 

 

 

1 hour ago, marbel said:

Big difference between buying a mattress to sleep on every night for years, and sleeping on a hotel/etc mattress for a few nights, imo.

Good points - I was thinking more of the hygiene factor and didn't consider that angle.

 

 

Ftr, I don't think very many people (any?) are buying used toothbrushes. It was just an example of used things given above that I also wouldn't buy 😊

[TechWife]

4 hours ago, Momto6inIN said:

To all of you who wouldn't buy a used mattress - and I promise I'm not being snarky, just genuinely curious - do you also avoid hotels/airbnbs/vrbos/etc?

 

We avoid airbnbs and vrbos. Hotels we are as careful as we can be with - reputable chains, checking reviews, using one where we have frequent traveler status. 

[MercyA]

Because you can find almost anything on eBay, I went looking for used toothbrushes. There are actually quite a few used *electric* toothbrushes listed. Some say things like, "deep cleaned." 🙂 Of course they come without the heads. 

There's also an out-of-box kids' battery powered toothbrush with a non-removable head. It says "never used." 

[pinball]

Crayons

 

[Clarita]

1 hour ago, MercyA said:

ecause you can find almost anything on eBay, I went looking for used toothbrushes. There are actually quite a few used *electric* toothbrushes listed. Some say things like, "deep cleaned." 🙂 Of course they come without the heads. 

That I would buy. On an electric toothbrush really only the head goes in your mouth. I don't really know what "deep cleaned" means I would just Clorox wipe the metal part that attaches to the head again.

Speaking of weird things for sale, people have tried to sell a stash of takeout boxes in my neighborhood before... 

[KungFuPanda]

11 hours ago, HomeAgain said:

I have a long list, I feel like, but it's all because of my comfort level:

Dutch ovens

Car seats

Helmets

Hockey gloves

Socks

Shoes (past the toddler years)

Coffee maker

Sheets/blankets/towels

Sleeping bags

Jackets

 

Some of it is because I don't feel like I could get it clean enough, some because when people get rid of them, it's often because of a defect, and some because it's dangerous.  We also have detergent sensitivities and things like blankets hold too much residue from others' detergents and fabric softeners.  It's not worth the multiple washes and cleaning the machines in order to not have my kid break out in hives.

 Ok, why are people saying underwear and toothbrushes?  That's not something a thrift store would even carry unless they got it new.

The Dutch oven threw me.  Like a cast iron one?  What could be wrong with it?  You could always completely strip and re-season it.

With used shoes I'd be more worried about warts and athletes foot than the exact fit.

Edited October 25, 2023 by KungFuPanda

[Clarita]

Thrift stores aren't the only way to procure used things.

[HomeAgain]

10 hours ago, KungFuPanda said:

 Ok, why are people saying underwear and toothbrushes?  That's not something a thrift store would even carry unless they got it new.

The Dutch oven threw me.  Like a cast iron one?  What could be wrong with it?  You could always completely strip and re-season it.

With used shoes I'd be more worried about warts and athletes foot than the exact fit.

Some of ds's underwear costs about $50/pair because they're made for sports and have features like compression and velcro.  It is tempting for parents to pass them on.  That's a no here.

Dutch ovens - the kind with the enamel interior.  They can't be stripped. 

Shoes - they're not made to last anymore.  And I'm very untrusting of how people have worn them.  I don't mind a hand-me-down pair of shoes from a friend or my own kids sharing, but not from a thrift store. 

[DawnM]

I am sitting in my office drinking out of a travel mug I got this weekend at the thrift store!  😜

I don't bring expensive ones because I have been known to lose them......but for $2 I don't care if I lose it.

[historically accurate]

I went to the thrift store yesterday since newly minted CNA DD needed scrubs, and I bought some clothes and DD bought scrubs and a puzzle. I'm currently typing on a refurbished computer while sitting on my secondhand sofa. There's not a lot I wouldn't/don't buy used, but like an above poster, most of the time it's just easier to buy cheap crap off of Amazon or at Walmart. 

[Condessa]

15 hours ago, KungFuPanda said:

 Ok, why are people saying underwear and toothbrushes?  That's not something a thrift store would even carry unless they got it new.

I have probably been given bags of hand-me-down kid clothes that included underwear about half a dozen times.  I threw out the underwear.

 I was mostly joking about the toothbrushes, but even the electric toothbrushes that someone mentioned, I would not be comfortable with used.  Too close to some stranger’s mouth, and I’ve seen my kids drip drool or spitty toothpaste down the handle of an electric toothbrush while brushing.

Edited October 25, 2023 by Condessa

[SKL]

About shoes - a lot of shoes haven't been worn enough for it to affect the fit.  Kids in a rapid growth spurt; shoes the purchaser bought but weren't comfortable once brought home; shoes that would only be used for very specific, rare purposes.

My kids both had to buy "dinkles" for marching band.  These are hard, white shoes that my kids are unlikely to ever use again.  I intend to donate them once I'm sure we're done with them.  Most likely, there are younger band students who aren't rolling in dough and would be glad to have these otherwise expensive limited-use shoes.

[Teaching3bears]

On 10/24/2023 at 11:06 AM, marbel said:

Used toothbrushes? Is that even a thing? People sell them? 😱

I have never seen them at thrift stores.  People would not buy them and so why should the thrift store use shelf space for something that won’t sell and will gross out customers.  I once bought a bunch of packaged toothbrushes at a yard sale for 10 cents each.