Lighting exersaucers on fire, and other things parents dream about …
’Tis the season for getting rid of plastic baby gear!
We have been yard sale-ing a few times so far this summer, and seeing all of those bulky items lined up along the curbs makes me glad we are (almost) rid of all of ours.
Honestly, you don’t realize how much STUFF babies have today until you get rid of it. The swing, the bouncy chair, the activity mat, the high chair, the exersaucer (a.k.a. Circle of Neglect), the Bumbo, the Jumperoo, the Jolly Jumper, the playpen, the crib, the ride-on cars, the learn-to-walk push thingys — and that’s not even counting the actual toys!
People who don’t have kids will walk into a house of baby crap and think ‘Wow, what a lot of baby crap.’
Parents who have babies are fully aware that they’re wading through mountains of baby crap — literally and figuratively — but they also know a bouncy chair allows them to shower in peace for five minutes is priceless.
As your babies get older, your hatred for every piece of once-valuable baby gear gets more and more intense.
I used to dream about lighting the ugly exersaucer on fire and watching it melt …
… but no, I wasn’t going to give it up until my kids could no longer squeeze into it …
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(Once my daughter outgrew it, of course, I was rushing it to the next-door neighbour’s house faster than baby spit-up got stuck in the little plastic dials.)
If you, too, are overwhelmed by the large plastic monstrosities that have taken over your home — wait, this sounds like a PSA? — now is the time to sell them.
It’s yard sale season, it’s flea market season, it’s just get-all-of-this-stuff-out-of-my-house season — and here’s how to do it well …
Keep things intact.
As your child moves onto the next level of a seat/toy/stroller, try to keep all of the infant pieces (safety belts, attachments) so you can sell it or give it away intact.
I have one large bag in my basement where I keep the booster chair straps and cover, infant stroller accessories, Cozy Coupe floor, etc. as we’re done with them, so they’re always in one spot. When it’s time to sell, I’ll be able to put the item back together.
Presentation counts.
Wipe off the item so it’s not dusty (or baby-barfy). Take a nice picture in natural lighting, without a bunch of other stuff cluttering up the background.
Google the exact name of the item, and describe what it does. “Fisher-Price Laugh & Learn: Musical Learning Chair (plays six songs in two languages)” sounds better than “Terrible chair I wish we’d never owned. Plays awful music. Occasionally squeaks in French.”
Price things reasonably.
I roll my eyes when I see people selling well-used kiddie plastic for too much money. My feeling is that if you’re done with it, it’s served you well, and you just want it out of your house, let it go cheaply.
I price things for less than I could probably get, simply because I want them gone immediately. The glorious feeling of the extra space is worth the extra $5 or $10 you might be able to squeeze out of someone.
Join a Facebook buy/sell group in your area for kiddie gear.
I stick with Kijiji for selling furniture and household items, but I find I have much better luck selling kiddie items within these groups. You’re able to post an item that more than 1,000 parents will see instantly, and it will start popping up in people’s newsfeeds as people comment — getting your item even more visibility.
Just pass it on.
If my kids receive an expensive toy or piece of gear, then yes, I’m more likely to sell it once they’ve outgrown it — although still pretty cheaply! But if a friend has passed along an item they no longer need, I pass it along to another friend once we’re finished with it, or I donate it to a resource centre for families.
I don’t think it’s right to sell someone’s hand-me-downs without sharing the profits with them. It’s bad Kijiji karma, or something — and then maybe that hideous exersaucer will come back to haunt you? That would really be torturous.
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Heather's Handmade Life 