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30 People Share Things That Are Not Worth It Or Even Dangerous To Buy Secondhand
Interview With Author
There are a lot of advantages to buying things secondhand. It’s light on your wallet. It’s eco-friendly. You can stumble upon some truly cool and weird treasures in thrift shops. And there’s a deep sense of satisfaction when you give new life to items that would have otherwise ended up in the junkyard. However, this doesn’t apply to all used objects. Some things are best completely avoided if you ever spot them at a secondhand store!
One redditor started up a very interesting thread on r/AskReddit, asking folks to share their opinions about what they’d never, ever buy secondhand. Their answers were illuminating (with the exception of a few dumb jokes), and you’ll find them as you scroll down, dear Pandas. We’d love to hear what used items you’d be on the fence about getting. Be sure to share your thoughts with all the other readers in the comments!
Bored Panda got in touch with the author of the viral thread, from the UK, and they were kind enough to answer our questions. They noted that for some people, like them, secondhand items can be literal life savers. Read on for our full interview with the redditor.
This post may include affiliate links.
"I didn’t expect it to get much attention when posting it I was just curious what other people would not buy secondhand," the author of the thread told Bored Panda about what inspired them to ask the question in the first place.
"I buy a lot of clothes secondhand as I’m not very well off so I was surprised to see people say they would never buy clothes."
They said that secondhand shopping "is great" if you don't happen to have much money. You can find some high-quality items that you can nab for very little cash.
"It can make clothing cheaper and even give you opportunities to make a little money. For example, the jacket I bought for £2 was actually worth more than £40 due to its rarity. This allowed me to have more money for the week and do some actual food shopping," the OP shared.
RELATED:
#3
Sex toys. The fact that there is even a market for used ones is highly disgusting and disturbing.
DannyDorito96 added:
a vibrator. I worked at goodwill a handful of years ago, and someone donated a "lightly used" body wand. one of our managers decided she wanted it... she hid it where she thought no one would see it. at the end of the day, me and my coworker watched her take it from her hiding spot and stuff it in her purse before we locked up and walked out together. I couldn't imagine using a pre-owned toy.. I'm assuming she cleaned it before using it at least, but I genuinely wouldn't put it past her to skip that step.
In the redditor's opinion, the secondhand market will grow much bigger than before due to the cost of living crisis that's very apparent in the UK.
"People here in England can’t afford to warm their house up never mind spending £100 for a jacket so when these cheap opportunities come along it’s nice. Also, other people don’t know it’s second hand so you won’t be judged," they told Bored Panda.
"Some shops near me selling second-hand clothes and utilities are life savers and if it wasn’t for them, me and my family would be struggling to eat."
#4
Makeup, never know what germs or smth they have
Headless Roach 2 years ago (edited)
As in "lipstick for sale, would you like to taste my herpes?"
#5
Skydiving equipment / climbing equipment / anything safety related.
#6
Pacifiers.
When I was pregnant, my mother in law gave me a plastic baggie of used pacifiers. She had bought them at a garage sale and told me they'd be fine to use if I just boiled them first. No. Hard pass. They went straight in the trash when I got home.
We also enquired the redditor about the current cost of living situation in their local area of Doncaster, in England.
"We are one of the worst cities to be affected by the cost of living. My shopping bill has almost doubled in the last 3 months," they told us that they can only afford to pay the bills. Meanwhile, luxuries and fun activities are out of the question.
The redditor’s thread went viral almost immediately. At the time of writing, the OP’s post had over 26k upvotes (and counting!). It just goes to show how many people are fans of secondhand shopping. And that definitely bodes well for the environment.
Making new clothes, for instance, uses a ton of water and energy. That’s on top of the fact that the clothes then have to be shipped to stores the world over. When you buy secondhand, you’re essentially giving the clothes an extended lifespan and helping reduce emissions from transport. Not to mention that you’re supporting local businesses.
So long as an item of clothing is neat and clean, it’s generally fine to wear it and love it and show it off to all of your friends. But not every item is as forgiving when it comes to use.
#8
It bothers me the amount of half used product i see in thrift stores. Half empty bottles of shampoo, toothpaste, deodorant....
Who is donating a bottle of lotion that's 2/3s of the way empty? Why is the thrift store not throwing it out? And even worse than those two points, why are they charging almost new bottle price for it?
I could understand if someone down on their luck purchased it for like .25-.50 cents but $4.99? For a USED bottle of product??
InvincibleRodent 2 years ago
I always thought these things were like left in purses that were donated by accident or something. Still, one would assume they'd get tossed...
For instance, Market Watch warns people not to buy things like baby cribs, car seats, or helmets if they can’t fully verify how they’ve been used, and if they’re not defective. In short, you can never truly be certain whether or not they’re safe to use. It’s generally best to err on the side of caution and always spring for a brand new version in these cases.
The same goes for mattresses. You have no idea what’s hiding in the middle. Bed bugs. Rot. Decades of sweat. Yuck! Just say ‘no.’
You should also exercise caution when buying secondhand smartphones. They might have been stolen and resold. They might have unwanted software and malware inside of them.
#10
Baby carrier or child seat. Only from friends were i can be sure that they are accident free and clean.
Some black giirrrrllll 2 years ago
Did anyone else see an alien holding something up in the shadow or is it just me?
#11
A couch. I used to work at a pest control company, and the #1 thing that brought them in was used furniture, but usually a couch.
Those f***s are terrifying- they hide in tiny cracks and crevasses during the day and then come out to feed on you at night. You don't notice until it's too late. You'll start waking up with itchy bites, see little red sprinkles in the seams of your mattress, and eventually see them. One single pregnant female on a throw pillow is all it takes. The male stabs the female in the abdomen (literally) one time and she's pregnant for life and off to make your life miserable. Then you have to pay $2500+ for a company to treat them. And if they miss one pregnant female...
Happy_Muscle added:
I know people buy them second hand often, but I find it’s easy to conceal prior spills on certain couches. Most couches are disgusting after a few years of use.
Talitha Jansen 2 years ago
We don't have bedbugs where I live, so used furniture isn't a problem. Just a steam clean and it's good to go.
#12
Earphones.
indiecognition 2 years ago (edited)
Used earbuds may sound gross...but audiophiles have a thing for music on wax
As for antiques, we might love them, but one thing that you should consider is if an object has been crafted with toxic materials. For instance, a piece of furniture that you spotted at your local thrift store might look fantastic in your living room, but if it’s coated in lead paint, you want to pass on this. Lead-based paints were banned for residential use in the United States only in 1978. So keep this in mind.
Similarly, be wary of any used toys that you think your child might like. Some toys get recalled because they are unsafe. Don’t automatically assume that what you’ve got your eye on is 100% safe. Be critical. Be skeptical. Be objective.
#13
I do a bit of outdoor climbing and anytime I see a rope or harness for sale it makes me cringe. Like you need to trust your life to this equipment so spend the extra £30 on it.
#14
My local goodwill sold bathing suits, used bathing suits. Used lingerie too (just the tops), once my big sister was going to buy both but assumed they were new but given to goodwill because the person who bought it ended up not liking it or something. She even asked the lady at the desk about it. When we got to the car she found out both were stained especially the lingerie. You can assume with what.
I could never buy either of those used, especially after that.
#15
Breast pumps. Unless it’s a closed system. When mine were small, most were not closed systems, which allows aerosolized breast milk particles to get places you can’t clean. FDA does not recommend it.
Nadine Debard 2 years ago
You often can buy a brand new kit including tubes and membranes, in addition to breast shields.
Anyone who’s looking for cool and unique items ought to visit their local flea markets, garage sales, goodwill shops, and antique stores on a regular basis. You never know when something new (well, old, but you get it) might show up. If you get along with any of the shop owners, they can also inform you about new inventory if you’re looking for something particular, too.
If the current economic climate grows worse, it’s very possible that more and more people will buy and sell secondhand items to make ends meet. So if there is a global recession in the coming years, you can probably bet your bottom dollar that the popularity of secondhand clothing and thrift shops will explode, massively.
#16
Puzzles.
I couldn't handle not knowing if ONE piece is missing until the end
Awkward Lady 2 years ago
If it's cheap enough, I would take a chance. New jigsaw are about £15, and one from a charity shop is around £2 or less.
#18
Air Conditioners. I bought one from a thrift store once. I gave it what I thought was a thorough cleaning on the inside. Then, for the next week, I suffered awful flu-like symptoms. Runny nose, headaches, the works. Turns out it was mold poisoning from the AC. Took that unit out and was fine by the next morning. Never going to risk that again.
#19
A Tesla.
SaCTaCo replied:
There is a reason it's up for sale. It will be all cool the first day you bought it but than there is this rattle that you just can't pin point where it is coming from and it will drive you crazy and no one can fix it as they (Tesla Service) would say it is normal.
A month goes by and now your friends and love ones are noticing it too and ask you "Hey what's that noise?" You snap at them because you are already irritated you bought this $50,000 rattle machine.
Half a year goes by and you've had enough, now it's time to sell it to some poor soul, but you do not disclose the rattle and you have every tire kicker in town coming over and haggling you on the price till you've had enough and sell it at a lost.
After 2 month of selling the Tesla, you get a message from the buyer cursing at you for making their lives miserable and want their $40,000 back.
#20
I never understood the used tire market. I know they’re expensive, but for something that literally separates you from a 70mph fiery death, I’d rather make sure I’m getting ones that are new.
Chucky Cheezburger 2 years ago
Former tire shop employee here. Some used tires are ok. Mostly used as a spare when you get a flat. As long as the tread isn't worn out and it hasn't been repaired too many times.
#21
Dentures and hearing aids. I have seen used hearing aids for sale
#22
Plunger.
Hard pass. I'll buy it new.
UncleRussian 2 years ago
Why would you buy a used plunger? They are they expensive, they are like 10 bucks
#24
I play paintball. General rule of thumb is don’t buy anything used that protects your eyes or touches skin. Pre owned everything else.
#25
Kevlar.
#26
Bed sheets. No thanks. Hard pass.
We don't even bother trying to give them away to other people. Best we can do is donate to animal shelters so the furry ones have something soft to snuggle around in.
Talitha Jansen 2 years ago
We sell those in our thrift store, but everything we sell is clean. Bedsheets can be washed you know.
#27
Luggage. You don’t know what the former owner had in it, could set off dogs at the airport
#28
Mens pj pants. My husband started to look at some and I said, “nope. no way!” Some men wear pj pants all night and all day with no underwear for days at a time. Like the same pair for multiple days of sitting around the house not showering. Also not to mention teenage boys. I can’t get myself to let my husband buy used ones. It grosses me out.
Talitha Jansen 2 years ago
There are these handy machines that will clean clothes, even pants. You put them in with detergent, let the machine do its work and hang the pants to dry. And you'll have clean pants.
#29
E-bike batteries, you never know what they've been through and when they explode they cause serious damage
#30
Water cooled graphics cards for a gaming pc. Made that mistake once. The seal broke in more than 1 place within 5 mins of taking it out of the pc. Only took it out bc temps were not making sense and I thought it might be low on water.
What do you think ?
VonBlade 2 years ago
80% of this list can be boiled (heh) down to "I've no idea washing machines exist".
Ivan Petrov 2 years ago
I don't know, most of these were "You can buy used {object}?" for me. Safety equipment, adult toys, consumables. The Tesla one was fun, though.
Load More Replies...
karma rose 2 years ago
My thoughts exactly. Growing up most of the stuff we had was either handmade, bought at a second hand store, given to us used by friends, or a cheap lucky find. We never owned a new piece of furniture and we also never got bedbugs we treated everything multiple times before bringing it in.
Load More Replies... Rabbit Lord 2 years ago
Lots of these "No-No"s seemed to be added by either people with phobias or people who want their stoy telled as disgusting as possible. Others simply add a word without any explanation. I'm not sure if these advises are really helpful...?
VonBlade 2 years ago
80% of this list can be boiled (heh) down to "I've no idea washing machines exist".
Ivan Petrov 2 years ago
I don't know, most of these were "You can buy used {object}?" for me. Safety equipment, adult toys, consumables. The Tesla one was fun, though.
Load More Replies... karma rose 2 years ago
My thoughts exactly. Growing up most of the stuff we had was either handmade, bought at a second hand store, given to us used by friends, or a cheap lucky find. We never owned a new piece of furniture and we also never got bedbugs we treated everything multiple times before bringing it in.
Load More Replies... Rabbit Lord 2 years ago
Lots of these "No-No"s seemed to be added by either people with phobias or people who want their stoy telled as disgusting as possible. Others simply add a word without any explanation. I'm not sure if these advises are really helpful...?
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