Should We Be Giving Secondhand Goods as Christmas Presents?
Money Saving
Seems like something that is unacceptable to do in modern life but its a much more environmental and economic thing to do and of course can save a lot of money. I remember when I was a kid a friend's dad bought and restored a bicycle as his Christmas present. He took the bike apart and painted the frame and forks and rebuilt it. A considerable saving and a really lovely bike. I remember as a kid myself getting a present or two from Barnados which was secondhand action men and accessories in a cardboard box covered in wrapping paper and loved it.
Maybe we should be informing relatives and loved ones that we are happy to accept secondhand goods, it takes some pressure off them?
So much stuff bought is Chinese tat that ends up in landfill pretty quickly.
That’s a very good idea rather than buying cheap tat. I hope my mother in law is reading this 
I go a step further and tell them not to get anything at all. There’s nothing i really need and unless they see something they know i’ll love it’s kind of pointless in my eyes cause it will just be clutter.
For myself i like to either get people something i know they’ll use or money so they can spend it how they wish
If you want to give gifts, this is a great idea! Unless I'm visiting someone over Christmas, I'm not buying anyone anything and have made this known to my family who agree 
I have done a lot of regifting in the past, which is slightly different but I certainly wouldn't mind receiving the type of gifts you describe. One would hope the person getting the gift would understand the thought and ethics behind it.
I’m a big fan of regifting and giving second hand goods as gifts. As long as the item is in great condition and is good quality it really is a great idea.
Hey my sister gave me something I had only just bought her for Xmas. Plus as an added bonus, some dusty old steamer she found in her garage and wrapped up. Saying ' I thought you might need to clean your house with it,as you have so many people back and fore'! No I don't and no I don't need it. Needless to say I'm not buying her anything this year.
I've given second hand presents for years. My parents, children & now my grandchildren, I take their wishlists, look at prices of everything new, decide what I'd be willing to pay for a used item, then I put alerts on all the sites that I can buy preloved items & wait. They can have at least twice as many gifts compared to if I bought it all new. I'm at the same time selling or gifting all their old clothes & toys, saving money & making money all whilst doing my bit for the environment! It's a win win.
If it is in good condition I don't see why not I got a set of books that I had been searching for for years it is one of my all time favourites and last year I got a toy I had in the 70 and it is perfect
Not a bad idea if you find something nice and there is no issue hygiene wise. I think its great
I don't see why not I worked with a girl who bought all her Christmas gifts for her girls second hand and they were so pleased definitely think it's a good idea and doing your bit for the environment to
I appreciate the fact that someone has listened to what you like and if it's more affordable for them buying it second hand then I am very grateful. It's not all about what's fashionable and the most up to date, it's what you like be it second hand or new, be grateful and spread the love 
I'm more than happy with second hand presents especially if they're quality goods they don't make anymore like early Gibson Epiphones and Vox Ac30 amps lol.Only kidding a jamboree bag will do.
No Nikes or gold jewellry in my youth squire.A gobstopper,some fruit salads and a few marbles if lucky.
I guess some items are easy to give secondhand like jewellery and watches. They can be collectable and desirable and clean up very well. I also think you do get quality fade for some items. A bit like shrinkflation they realise people are resistant to price increases so they make products more cheaply so they can maintain the same price. So last years model of something can be better. Xiaomi seems to be downgrading their mid-range phones in some way. The Redmi Note range had 4k recording for an earlier model but went to 1080p video for the later version despite being meant to be its replacement. Bicycles are a typical product that gets downgraded year by year rather than having a price increase for some models.
Some people keep their stuff immaculate too. If you buy secondhand sometimes they keep all the packaging and its as new pretty much. Still looks fantastic as a gift.
Another thing I've thought of which are terrible new are digital cameras for cheaper models. They are typically Chinese branded and terrible with awful optics and false specifications. A £50 Chinese camera is a waste of time pretty much. However £50 for an older Japanese digital camera goes a long way with decent build quality and amazing results. I would not want to be given a new Chinese digital camera even though I love cameras.
martinlufc5637 Super sensible to be honest, maximises the value when selling. I try to be like that for goods but I buy so much stuff it would be too many boxes.
BonzoBanana we have a big loft lol I realised years ago that keeping the box adds more value than the actual item, I just put the money towards new presents, anything that has a bit of wear and tear goes to the charity shop
Our sons main present last year was 2nd hand. Cost me £50 compared to £250. It came with the box and was like new so he had absolutely no idea. He loved it, still does. I sell his toys etc on when no longer needed. I would have no issue if someone gave me a 2nd hand present.
MrsCraig That is the way we need to be. I mean once its out of the box at Christmas its secondhand, just a couple of seconds and then it can never be sold as brand new again. Why pay £200 for those 2 or 3 seconds? It just seems madness when you think about it. It's like driving a new car of the forecourt, with modern cars just that single process has maybe cost you £5000 because that is the chunk of money you have lost if you wanted to sell it there and then as used. Modern performance bicycles can cost over £10k but try to sell them used a year later and you'd be lucky to get half that back when the new model arrives. Obviously you do need people to buy new products before you can buy them secondhand but so many people buy products they don't use or get bored of, makes sense for products to change hands more often and resist new expensive versions of the same product which aren't always better.
BonzoBanana loads of stuff in our house is scond hand. It saves us money and is better for the environment. We still buy new stuff but it is well used and then either sold on or given away. We want our son to appreciate what he has and he genuinely doesn't care that something is second hand, he is just happy he has it.
I have given my twins toys i have been given off a free site, they can easily tell they are used and I explain times are hard... some items are unused / new and I simply wrap them up and say nothing.. it is frugal times I'm afraid but I want the. To grow up to appreciate what they get
Funkyhousefan1 I grew up in a single parent household where money was tight. I personally think children understanding how you can't have everything you want is very important. I've seen kids have tantrums in stores because they can't have what they want and kids at school being shamed for not having the right brands on their clothes. Nowadays with the environment and economic situation of the country it makes even more sense to buy secondhand.
As a child I was desperate to have a doll's pram for Christmas. Unbeknown to me, my father had come across a second hand one which he restored to its former glory and I was so pleased with it as my best present on Christmas Day.So yes, we should give second hand goods as Christmas presents.
Nothing wrong with a second hand present, there's so many things that end up in landfill, I personally love a second hand or home made present
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