My son is turning 2 in May, and I have set myself the challenge to source as many of his birthday presents as I can can second hand. I wanted to document this to prove that it can be done, and that you can source good quality items. I am posting this now, to give myself enough time between now and then to keep my eyes peeled for bargains.
We have a list of things we definitely want to look out for. This way, we can be focussed on our hunt for bargains.
- Toy car garage
- Car related items
- Four wheeled scooter
There are other things that we will consciously keep an eye out for, but these 3 three are the main ones we want.
If you are planning on doing something similar, here are some excellent places to look for your second hand, bargain presents.
Facebook Marketplace: This is my go to for local items for sale. You can ask to have a look at the item before purchasing, and there is no postage if you collect. Be wary of buying items further afield. Weigh up the cost of the item and the cost of your fuel/ bus fare etc.
Charity shops: We have a good selection of charity shops in my town and I regularly pop in for a browse whenever I have to run errands in town. The more often you go, the less likely you are to miss out on a deal. Some charity shops will hold bigger ticket items for you as they want a sale. If you cannot collect something until the next day for example, ask and see if they will reserve it.
Ebay: I use Ebay occasionally and only if I see a great deal. I don;t mind bidding on items, but I prefer the buy it now options. You need to be aware of postage costs for the size of item. A t-shirt will cost about £3.00 to send (UK), so anymore than that is overpriced.
Car-boot sales: I love car-boot sales, but they are a summer event. I picked up about 5 of my son’s Christmas presents at car-boot sales for brilliant prices. People who sell at boot sales usually don’t want to come home with a boot full of stuff, so they price very reasonably.
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