10 Things You Should Never Buy Used

This one should be number 1. Do NOT buy a used sex toy because it can spread STDs and the recent Covid-19. Another reason is that they may be damaged (e.g., scratches), which can irritate your genitals.

Just like with car seats, if these have been in an accident, it's best not to endanger your skull by using them. Some internal, hidden damage could have occurred, so there's no guarantee that your self-inspection would catch any damage to the shell. This applies to helmets of all types - motorcycle, bicycle, skating, etc.

What should you do? The same as with a child seat - buy new or from someone you literally trust with your life.

Let's face it, a helmet may seem fine on the outside, but the inner shell might be damaged, thus affecting shock absorption. Helmets can only withstand one crash. You may not want to buy an old helmet either, as materials can also degrade after five to seven years, even when it's unused. This degradation occurs even faster if the helmet is made of polycarbonate.

Unless you know the previous owners well (and by know, I mean very well, like they are your sister or something), never buy a vehicle safety device for your child second-hand. If these seats have been in accidents - even minor fender-benders - they can be rendered unsafe. Without knowledge of the driving history of the previous owners, you don't want to risk using a car seat that won't protect your child in the event of an accident.

Seriously, people, it's disgusting. Have you ever seen a set of jets properly cleaned out? It takes a lot of chemicals and a lot of work - more than most people are willing to invest. It's easier for them to sell the hot tub than to clean it properly. And who knows who or what has been sitting in that tub.

What should you do? Buy a brand-new hot tub or find something else to spend your money on. Even if you're considering buying from family, you probably don't want to know them on that level.

Children's feet are developing at a rapid pace and are still very pliable. While wearing adult shoes that have been broken in by another person is uncomfortable, it can be downright detrimental to the development of a child's feet. Serious foot problems could result, potentially requiring corrective surgery later in life for the child. Please take the time to buy good, supportive shoes for your child, especially those that they will be wearing for an extended period of time.

Never put hard-soled shoes on your infant. Infants don't really need shoes until they are ready to walk. When that time comes, they should wear "walking shoes" designed to assist in the correct development of their feet. As long as it is not a safety issue, being barefoot is always best. If they are indoors or if you have a foot-friendly yard, let them run barefoot, or with socks indoors during the winter.

What to do? My advice is this: splurge on the pair or pairs that they will wear regularly. For instance, our son has one pair of tennis shoes that he wears almost daily to school. Since he wears these for a total of over 12 hours a day, it is worth buying him good, supportive, new shoes that can take the shape of his feet, rather than forcing him to adapt to shoes someone else has broken in.

I do use second-hand shoes from my sister-in-law, but only those shoes that were seldom worn by her son and will be seldom worn by ours. These are typically shoes for specific occasions, like church shoes that he'll only wear for a maximum of two hours one day a week. Other than his one good pair, we opt for cheaper versions for shoes that will not be worn much. Really, his long-term health is worth at least a few more dollars.

Just like shoes, skates are a personal item that molds to the foot of the wearer over time. Even if you can get past the thought of what might have been between the toes of the previous owner and have heavily sanitized the skates, they will never properly fit if they have been used for any length of time. Ill-fitting skates can cause significant discomfort and potentially damage your feet.

What should you do? Unless you really know what to look for, buy only from known sources who had the intention to skate but gave up quickly. That's your opportunity.

Then they would already be complete!

Okay, I'll admit, I know nothing about this one. But in my research for this post, I found a list of parts that could cause either serious headaches or real safety hazards if purchased used. I'm including it because although I don't rebuild or fix cars, I can see why it would be appealing to buy secondhand parts. Since it could be a huge mistake, I'm including it.

Given the cost of these TVs, it's understandable why buying used might be appealing. However, older models are prone to issues like images being burned into the screen. If you're buying an older model (which is likely if someone is selling it), you might end up with a TV that was manufactured before all the kinks were worked out, leading to frequent failures.

Without a store to return it to or a warranty to fall back on, you could lose a significant amount of money. What should you do? Be patient. As technology advances, the cost of these TVs will eventually drop. Even last year's models are already available at huge discounts, especially when stores are clearing inventory for the newest versions. Like computers (which I'm not adding to this list but am mentioning briefly), the rapid pace of technological advances makes it hard to justify buying used and having to deal with outdated technology.