Parents buying secondhand baby gear up 300 per cent

Preparing for a new baby is a daunting task, especially the first time around. Parents-to-be don’t fully know what to expect, or are not entirely sure what a baby may need. They may find themselves splashing out on equipment that just isn’t necessary. Houses can quickly become cluttered with gifts for the newborn, a growing pile of lovely new clothes, some of which may never be worn, and more swings, musical light up displays and fun, fun, fun than Blackpool Pleasure Beach.

Other parents are savvy enough to know that all these things can be purchased second hand for next to nothing. Haddled parents quickly offload most of this new stuff at a cheap price, much of it never even being used. All babies are different but we all have the same list of things to buy ingrained in our brain by clever marketing.

In a survey by a UK’s online classified ad website, research shows a massive growth of parents wising up and buying baby gear second hand.

Infact, over 300 per cent more parents are buying second hand this year compared to the same time last year.

Top second hand purchases included prams, pushchairs and cots. A huge 89 per cent of parents-to-be made more than three second hand purchases for their impending baby, and 23 per cent bought everything second hand.

Parents surveyed were unwilling to spend huge amounts of money. A stance likely to pay off. One couple surveyed had saved nearly £1,500 buying second hand.

Managing Director of Preloved, Ian Buzer said: “A couple of years ago people seemed to enjoy the thrill of spending vast amounts of money during the first few months of their child’s life. However, as babies are only in these items for a very small amount of time, people now seem to be catching on to the fact that you can get absolute bargains in mint condition if you opt to buy second hand. People no longer want to waste their hard earned money.

“This surge of demand is great for all our sellers on Preloved too as they recoup their costs and clear some space by selling these items once they are no longer required.

“We aim to bring make it easier for mums to have contact with other mums in their local area to help share the cost of bringing up their children. By keeping it local we hope to provide a safer more community feel than sites like eBay.”