The idea of shopping for your baby is thrilling at first—until you realize just how much they really need, how much it costs, and how much energy went into making it. By choosing gently used secondhand strollers, high chairs, toys, books, and carriers, you can save resources and trim your budget. Think of it as adding to the college fund.
Before you buy any used items, be sure to check for recalls on the products you’re considering. Experts recommend never buying a used car seat, and make sure any other items meet the most current standards for safety.
1. eBay
If eBay isn’t already your first stop for, well, just about anything, then you might be surprised by the extensive collection of barely used baby gear you’ll find there, from bedding and furniture to nursery decorations and strollers.
The handy search feature lets you search for exactly the brand you want, and on many pieces you can choose either the Buy It Now option (to guarantee you get that fought-over Bugaboo) or bid (in hopes of getting a killer deal).
2. Poshmark
One of the biggest online marketplace apps, Poshmark has a handy app that you can access on your smartphone. Its Kids section is immense, with sellers listing items they want to unload and buyers making offers on what they’d like (or paying the list price if they don’t want to haggle). Poshmark provides a prepaid shipping label, and you’ll get your item promptly in the mail. Poshmark is available in the U.S., Canada, Australia, and India.
3. Mercari
Mercari is another online marketplace platform created in Japan, but now available in the United States. It offers a broad range of used goods, and is described as “perfect place to go to declutter or discover items that will breathe new life into your space.” Sounds ideal for an exhausted, cash-strapped new parent who needs something fast! Check it out for baby and kid clothing, as well as toys.
4. Facebook Marketplace
A surprisingly fabulous source of used baby items is none other than Facebook Marketplace, which you can access as long as you have a Facebook account. You can see what’s available in your area and beyond by setting the geographical limits of your search. Often this is the first place where people go to list items if they don’t have accounts with more specialized resale sites, and you can snag some spectacular deals, particularly if you’re willing to go pick up.
5. thredUP
If you want to jazz up your child’s wardrobe a bit, check out thredUP. This huge online consignment and thrift store sells a range of clothing, from cheaper to designer, and sometimes you can even score brand-new items with the tags still on. If you send your own items to thredUP, you can get store credit to apply to new purchases. thredUP operates only in the United States and Canada at this point.
6. Craigslist
If you want to avoid paying for shipping—and calculating the carbon footprint of having your new crib delivered from across the country—then check Craigslist for baby gear for sale from your neighbors and other nearby sellers.
You’ll find toys and books, dolls and trucks, furniture and strollers, high chairs, and mobiles—and you might even make friends with other local parents when you’re dropping off or picking up.
7. Rebelstork
Rebelstork is an online marketplace for baby gear, created for parents by parents. Its professed goal is to reduce the environmental impact of baby-related gear, as well as the environmental impact, and to “make parenting lighter.” The site sells high-end gear—a mix of overstock, open-box, and resold—that’s been vetted by its employees and rated for safety. Much of it has never been used or even removed from its original packaging, due to the rising return rates of online shopping, but is available at much-reduced prices. Rebelstork is a certified B corporation.
