10 Best — and Worst — Things to Buy Used

Books, pet supplies and glassware cost much less secondhand

Bruce Horovitz and Daniel Bortz,

Updated April 30, 2025

AARP

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En español

Published March 18, 2022

/ Updated April 30, 2025

AARP; (Getty Images, 6)

Spring is that peculiar time of year when we clean out our garages and attics so we can rush out to yard sales, garage sales and thrift stores to land bargains on stuff that others are cleaning out of their own garages and attics. And with President Donald Trump's globe-spanning tariffs expected to raise prices on a variety of imported products, buying used can be an even bigger money saver for consumers.

Still, you should only purchase items that you can feel confident buying secondhand. That means not only shopping for certain products but also buying used wares from reputable retailers and online stores that you can trust — not peer-to-peer online marketplaces like Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace, where criminals use a variety of scams to steal shoppers’ money.

According to four thrift-shopping gurus, these are the 10 best things to buy used. (To avoid making a purchase you might regret, check out our list at the bottom of the worst things to buy used.)

1. Books

Books are “the ultimate good-to-buy-used category,” says Kate Holmes, a resale industry consultant and author of Too Good to Be Threw: The Complete Operations Manual for Resale and Consignment Shops. Even if you don’t plan to read the books, she says, “a little bundle of similar books, tied with a burlap bow or a satin ribbon, makes a wonderful accessory on your bookshelf.”

For shopping expert Trae Bodge, reading a used book can be the most pleasurable of experiences. “There’s something lovely about reading something that you can see was also read by someone else who left a little dog-ear,” she says. In fact, she bought most of her own book collection secondhand from the semiannual college scholarship fundraising book sale at which her husband volunteers.

Looking for gifts for the grandkids? Children’s books are terrific to purchase used, says Andrea Woroch, a consumer money-saving expert. At a farmers market, her kids picked out brand-new “used” editions of Disney’s Bambi for $4 each, which she estimates is about a two-thirds discount. And when it comes to coffee-table books, which are meant more for display than reading, she says buying used is by far the most cost-conscious route.

2. Pet items

There may be no savvier way to pick up basic items for your pet than secondhand, says Chism, who sold the $150 dog crate she had for many years on Craigslist for $60. Few things sell more quickly at garage and yard sales than pet crates, because they are very costly when purchased new. She also encourages dog owners to buy feeding bowls, leashes and collars secondhand, since they can be pricey at the pet store. But she advises against purchasing a used pet bed unless there is a tag still on it that assures you it was never used. Otherwise, it could be an invitation for fleas, ticks and dust mites, she warns.

3. Musical instruments

For parents — or grandparents — of kids who are considering taking up a musical instrument, Bodge says that used is by the smartest way to go. This is particularly true for brass or woodwind instruments, though you’ll certainly want to replace the mouthpieces, she says. Same for guitars and violins, though the strings will often need to be replaced. Years ago, Bodge purchased a used keyboard for her daughter, who was showing interest in learning the instrument. By buying it secondhand, she says, she paid about 30 percent less than it would have cost new.

4. Vintage and fashion clothing

It’s smarter to purchase clothing used instead of new — particularly for items that you plan to wear only occasionally, says Woroch. At consignment stores and online thrift shops like Swap.com, TheRealReal.com and Thrift.com, you can even find “used” clothing with the original tags that has never been worn. “Why spend $80 for a fashion clothing item that you can buy used for $15?” Woroch asks. One time, Woroch was invited to a 1980s-theme prom party, and instead of spending hundreds of dollars on a new prom dress, she bought a like-new one on eBay for $50.

5. Holiday decorations

America is a nation that often seems to lurch from holiday to holiday, and decorating for all those holidays can get extremely expensive. That’s why holiday decorations are terrific items to purchase used — as long as you’re fully satisfied they are in good condition, says Chism. She particularly enjoys finding “unique” one-of-a-kind ornaments for her Christmas tree at secondhand shops. She encourages folks to pick up secondhand decorations for other holidays, too, including Hanukkah, Thanksgiving, Halloween, Valentine’s Day and Easter.

6. Glassware

New fine glassware can be extremely expensive, but purchasing it used can save you hundreds of dollars, says Chism. She is still gloating over an eight-piece set of designer glassware she purchased years ago at a garage sale for $75. The sets of matching water glasses and wineglasses had elegant gold edging and were probably worth upwards of $500 at the time, she estimates. “I was so excited to get them that I paid the full asking price and didn’t even bargain.” After years of use, she sold them at a big profit.

7. Sporting goods

Bikes, skis, golf clubs and other sports equipment can easily cost hundreds of dollars new. So Woroch suggests doing what she does: buying them used. For example, years ago her daughter wanted a pair of pink skis. After some searching, Woroch found a pair on eBay (with bindings) for $100, less than one-third the cost of purchasing them new, she says.

Helmets, however, should be purchased new (more on that in the sidebar).

8. Fitness equipment

One of the few things pricier than sporting goods is fitness equipment. When purchased new, items like quality treadmills, stationary bikes, stair climbers and weight machines can cost thousands of dollars, Woroch says. But there’s an art to buying them used, because you want assurance the items are still in good condition. She was looking for a Spinning bike when she noticed a local gym was undergoing a complete renovation. Woroch phoned the gym — which was in the process of replacing all its equipment — and purchased a Spinning bike for $100 that she estimates was probably worth $1,000.

9. Wooden and yard furniture

While upholstered furniture is a no-no to purchase used, since it can attract bedbugs and other pests, Bodge recommends buying wooden furniture as well as most yard furniture secondhand. Of course, you’ll want to inspect it for cracks and damage.

10. Electronics

You want to be very savvy about purchasing used electronics, but the savings can be great, says Woroch. The key is to source them properly. Instead of getting used gadgets at garage sales or thrift shops, Woroch recommends purchasing certified refurbished electronics (with warranties) from reputable vendors like Best Buy, Walmart, Verizon, Apple and eBay that sell refurbished tech, from laptops to smartphones , for 20 to 60 percent off the retail price. In some cases, she says, purchasing with your credit card will extend the warranty.

10 Worst Things to Buy Used

Buying used or pre-owned items can save money, but some products are safer when purchased new. Here are 10 things to avoid buying used:

1. Mattresses. You don't know who (or what) slept on the bed. You also don’t know if it has dust mites or bedbugs. The same goes for used comforters, sheets and other bedding.

2. Shoes. Used shoes, slippers and boots could be filled with bacteria and possibly even fungus that can lead to athlete’s foot. Also, since the shoes have been worn by the previous owner, they have become fitted to that person’s wearing pattern — not yours.

3. Medicine. Outdated prescriptions, vitamins and pills are absolute no-gos. It's always best to buy them new from a pharmacy, so you can be sure they're safe to consume.

4. Large appliances. Used refrigerators, washing machines, clothes dryers and other big household appliances can be found at garage sales, thrift shops and online secondhand appliance retailers at alluringly-low prices, but they're hardly a bargain if they don't work — or if they break shortly after you buy them.

5. Cookware. Used pots and pans often come with all kinds of large and small scratches — and therein lies the danger: Cookware that's rusted, scraped or burned can leak toxic chemicals that you definitely don't want in your food.

6. Cosmetics. Used perfumes, colognes, lotions, and makeup can be breeding grounds for germs and potential infections.

7. Helmets. Whether you're a bicyclist, skier or snowboarder, you don’t know if a used helmet — typically built for one-time emergency use — has already served its function in a previous accident.

8. Stuffed animals. Bedbugs and other pests aren’t reserved for bedding — they can also latch onto stuffed animals.

9. Vacuum cleaners. Buying any kinds of used electronic is risky if you can’t plug in and test the device, but secondhand vacuums pose an additional risk: They could be clogged with dust or hair.

10. Baby bottles, bedding and other products for newborns. You don’t know if they've been properly sterilized, or if they've been recalled or redesigned for safety reasons.

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Bruce Horovitz is a contributing writer who covers personal finance and caregiving. He previously wrote for The Los Angeles Times and USA Today. Horovitz regularly writes for The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, Investor’s Business Daily, AARP The Magazine, AARP Bulletin, Kaiser Health News and PBS’s Next Avenue.

Daniel Bortz is a personal finance editor at AARP, where he writes and edits money content for the website, from saving and budgeting to building wealth and money management skills. His work has been published by the New York Times, Washington Post, Consumer Reports, Entrepreneur, Kiplinger, Newsweek, Money and other national publications.