According to the owners of the webs premier site for advertising Garage Sales, YardHopper.com, one of the most common items you will find at a garage sale is baby stuff. They say about 4 out of 10 sales posted on their website offer items for newborns and toddlers. In some cases, many of these items are almost brand new!
After recently having a baby of my own, I realized why this is. Not only do infants grow really fast and grow out of their clothing, carriers and high chairs, but also, when a family is expecting their first child, they go to their local BabiesRUs and register for a bunch of stuff they THINK they will need. The fact is, the only things they really need are diapers, burping cloths, onesies, and a diaper genie. That is pretty much all they need. They end up with swings, bouncy chairs, boppys, Baby-Bjorns and many other items that they and/or their child may use once and shortly thereafter it begins collecting dust. Enter the garage sale. I for one know that I have a Baby Bjorn that costs at least $120.00. I've used it about 4 times. If I could get $20.00 for it at a garage sale, I'd be happy. I have a bouncy chair that plays music. My newborn hates it. If I could get $10.00 for it at a garage sale, I'd be happy. The list goes on and on. I received two boppys for our baby shower, a real nice one that probably cost $50.00 and a hand-me-down. Guess which one my infant likes. Yes, the hand-me-down. If I could sell the "real nice one" (which was used only once) for $10.00, I'd be ecstatic. The point is, there are great deals to be had on relatively new items!
If you are shopping for infant products at a garage sale, you must be careful however. Buying from a garage sale comes with a few risks. It is no secret that babies spit up and use the bathroom quite often. It is very important to wash and/or sterilize just about any item that you purchase from a garage sale. Many baby safety products (car seats, swings, chairs, etc…) are regularly upgraded and improved upon for safety regulations. If you purchase a car seat that was manufactured 5 years ago, it may not be equipped with the most recent safety technology. Another thing to watch out for are items that have been recalled. Infant products are recalled every day. To determine if an item has been recalled, you can use the BabyCenter.com recalled item lookup tool.
In closing, providing for your newborn or toddler does not always have to break the bank. Garage sales offer a great alternative to the inflated prices of most baby mega-stores. If you are careful and selective, you can find great items for your newborn, and maybe even a little something for yourself.