Why shouldn't we talke a used crib? Need help explaining!

[knaidel]

Hi everyone,
So far, we've recieved 2 offers for used cribs. When I told my husband what it said in the baby bargains book about used cribs, he wasn't 100% sold. Someone who just offered us one a few minutes ago told me that "it meets current safety standards." She is a CPR/First Aid instructor,a nd teaches a class on child safety/babyproofing, etc...so I trust her opinion, but still, everyone says, "NO!" to used cribs. I guess I'm asking you all for convincing arguments/experiences why not to take a used one!
Thanks,
Rachel

[momathome]

I say, if it is in good shape with no missing pieces and less than 15 years-old, I would think it would be just fine. You don't want to use the crib that Grandma put all of her babies in, no matter how pretty, because safety standards did change in the '80's. If you trust the person you are getting it from (as in, not a garage sale find) and you know that the crib is not ancient, go for it. Our crib is a hand-me-down from my midwife, who happens to be a good friend of mine. It was a good quality crib (Morigeau) and is about to be used for a 5th baby and is still in perfect shape. Maybe for peace of mind, get the make and model number of the crib and do a check to see if it has ever been recalled. Otherwise, go for it - cribs are a fortune and most are durable enough to be used for more than one baby. HTH!!!

[toomanystrollers]

I have two used cribs - three kids in the span of 6 years and no problems at all. One crib is probably 10 years old and the other is about 20 years old (at Gramma's). I checked for recalls and carefully examined the hardware, joints, etc.

[pittsburghgirl]

We had a bit of a battle with MIL over DH's old crib and finally won that one (he is 40 this year!) But she ended up borrowing a crib from a friend which is about 8 years old. It seems ok although I can't figure out how to drop the sides but since it's at her house I guess I don't need to know how! I wasn't going to win the battle on that one unless I bought another crib which wasn't an option since he only sleeps in it maybe twice a month and then usually just for 1-hour naps.

If you can determine a) how old the crib is and b) are all of the parts still there then I would say ok to take a good-quality used crib. (If someone had offered me a Morigeau I might have taken it!) If the crib isn't that nice you're probably better off buying a new one, even a less-expensive model. The problem is that no one keeps the directions so it's hard to know if you have all of the parts and have it assembled correctly, besides not being sure exactly how old it is, I believe that is the main reason the Fields say No in the book. Plus, most people don't bother to measure the slats and check for any of the other unsafe designs.

If you do accept the crib don't take a mattress! Buy a new one. My MIL accepted the mattress with her borrowed crib and I promptly went to Target to buy a new foam mattress before DS got near the crib.

Marilee
mommy to James
http://lilypie.com/baby1/050120/1/0/1/-5/.png

[knaidel]

Thank you! So everyone has basically cleared this up for me: a used crib is okay if it meets the current safety standards: measure the slats, check how the matress fits, etc.... much appreciated!

[Canna]

We are going to use a used crib! Some friends have just moved their twins into "big" beds. The crib is about 2.5 years old and they had the original instructions and all the hardware. We have no problem with it!

Now...my mom sweetly offered to let us use the yellow Jenny Lind crib that I and my siblings slept in. I would LOVE that look...but using a 32 year-old crib was not something we were going to do! ;)

[symesa]

Don't forget to check for recalls on it and that all the hardware is there and secure.

Alison
3/27/05

[Laila]

I got a 1992 Bellini crib for $150 and love it. Another thing to check for are the openings to make sure heads do not get stuck.