What toys have you bought used for your DC?

[ourbabygirl]

I'm thinking about Christmas presents for the kids & wondering what I can get used for them (they'll be 1 & 3), to get more bang for the buck. :)
What bigger items have you gotten used (CL or eBay, something that could be searched for vs. happening upon at a garage or consignment sale)? Which ones would you recommend, and which things would you just buy new?

For DD, I bought her Learning Tower, FP Learning Home, Cozy Coupe (though I ended up selling it for more than I paid & bought the new version with the removable floorboard :)), and some other random toys. For DS, just some Ikea toys- abacus, bead maze, and a couple of other random wooden toys (M&D train, Haba puzzle thing).

I'm also thinking of getting a doll house & possibly an easel.
What have you bought used, and what are you in the market for?

[vonfirmath]

almost everything has been bought used when I can find it!

I won't buy shoes, pacifier used. But baby's bottles are used. So are the cloth diapers i ended up not using yet (move,tired,disposable gifts,front loader, etc)

If I really want a specific item and can not find it used I'll buy it new

[Melaine]

I would buy most stuff used and have bought tons of stuff used. If I think it can be found used, I try to get it that way first.

[kristac]

I would buy most stuff used and have bought tons of stuff used. If I think it can be found used, I try to get it that way first.
:yeahthat: I try used first when possible.

[KrisM]

Tons of stuff. It's harder as they get older and have very specific wish lists though.

Our Laugh and Learn home was bought new for $55 back when they first came out in 2004!

But, used: exersaucers, swings, bouncers, Legos, Duplos, Imaginext stuff, dollhouse, Corolle dolls and clothes, American Girl stuff, board games, marble runs, etc.

I always look for used things first. Garage sales, mom2mom sales, CL, ebay are great.

[brittone2]

Some items that I can think of:
FP Loving Family dollhouse w/ all of the furniture (30 dollars)
wooden marble maze/track (added on additional pieces on our own over time) ($1 at a waldorf tag sale)
M&D wooden castle (3 bucks at goodwill)
wooden cash register (8 dollars at a Waldorf school tag sale)
Just picked up a Trek Mystic for DD at salval for 19 dollars (in fantastic condition)
Scooters in various sizes for the kids through the years, ranging from 3-10 bucks
Playmobil at deep discounts from a local consignment sale
Playmobil castle (a big one, not a take along) listed for free on CL from a subdivision just down the road at the time
FP Learning Home (20 on CL)
Adorable RF 4 wheeled small toddler ride on toy NIB for $5 that has gone through all 3 kids now
Toysmith toy shopping cart ($10, thrifted)
wooden Thomas the train stuff (to add to the items we purchased new through the years) for 1-3 dollars per item, including some nice destination pieces
One of those sit on excavator toys for the sandbox (manually operated)-$10 at a yard sale
Baby swing (after selling our old graco six speed from dS1 and DD, we bought a 2nd hand papasan style swing for DS2)

I've gifted some of those items (in like new condition) to my kids through the years.

We will shell out for better items/brands, but have no problem buying quality used toys in great condition.

eta: agreeing w/ KrisM that it is harder as they get older. I keep a list of upcoming wants/needs and we scour for 2nd hand sources first. We were considering buying new bikes for them for Christmas, as we had been looking for a while and felt some of the used prices have been a bit high, or we couldn't find what we wanted in terms of brands of bikes. Many times if we plan in advance we can find it used in like new or EUC.

[essnce629]

For more expensive things, I always check CL first and will only pay full price if I really can't find it used. Things I've bought used on CL in excellent condition:

Guidecraft Solid Wood Natural Kitchenette Center
Wooden unit blocks
Guidecraft Kitchen Helper
Step 2 Naturally Playful Teeter Totter
Step 2 Naturally Playful Sandbox
Books
Bumbo
Fisher Price Jumperoo
Ikea Expedit units!

[citymama]

Lots of things - hard goods, games, ride-on toys but not plushies/stuffed toys.
--Kettler trike
--bike
--board games (Goodwill/yard sales)
--books
--M&D play food and toy kitchen accessories
--swing, play mat and other infant gear

Currently looking for used:
--strider bike
--learning tower

Bought new, but looked for used and would have bought used if amazon.com didn't have them cheaper than used at the time!
--Radio Flyer walker wagon
--M&D easel

Bought new without looking for used:
--wooden play kitchen
--teethers, stuffed toys, loveys

Many of our favorite toys are gifts from MIL, all new - rocking horse, wooden barn, musical instruments, etc

[crl]

I am not always as good as I should be about looking for used. But I did buy our sand table used. And I bought ds' first bike and scooter used. All good things to get used, IMO.

Catherine

[♥ms.pacman♥]

i have bought some stuff used, mostly train table and accessories.

i bought a few lots of Thomas stuff to give to DS for Christmas...trains, tracks, accessories...$1500 worth of stuff for less than $300. Thomas trains and accessories are very pricey bought new, but you can get a good deal used, and then you can resell later and recoup most of your $$.

[mikala]

I'm fine with anything used that can be fully cleaned but steer away from anything plush or chewed.

Good finds include new in box Robeez for 50 cents at a garage sale, t-ball and other outdoor and ride-on toys, puzzles, Little People, train pieces, Duplo, etc.

My biggest challenge has been seasons. It's cake to find cheap toys in the early spring when most garage sales run in our area. By late summer/fall it's slim pickings and all of the Craigslist sales tend to be for higher value items where people take the time to look at the online price before listing them for a steal.

[MissyL11]

I bought most of our outside toys from CL or Ebay. I am on the hunt for some playmobil stuff.