Plan ahead
Buying preloved often requires more thought and preparation than buying new, so make time to find the perfect gift. Monica Marriott-Mills, who publishes on TikTok about secondhand style, starts by making a list for each person she needs to buy for.
“I make a profile of sorts, with things they like to do, colours they like to wear or if they’ve mentioned something they want, like a photo frame for their wedding anniversary,” she says. “I note all of this down on my phone and look it up when I’m in a charity or antique shop, which keeps things focused.”
Marriott-Mills buys 50% of her Christmas gifts secondhand, like many of her generation. According to a report by resale app Vinted, more than half of people aged under 45 buy secondhand items once a month or more, compared with 43% of all consumers.
If you’re tight on time, online secondhand marketplaces such as eBay, Vinted and Vestiaire Collective are a great place to start as you can browse and shop from home.
Buying secondhand may mean being able to afford a gift you couldn’t buy brand new. For instance, someone new to sewing might appreciate a sewing machine. John Lewis’s version starts at £135 new, but bids on eBay for similar models in working order start from as little as £10, or £45.99 buy it now price, still with the box.
Get up early
If you know that someone is in the market for homewares or electronics, keep an eye out for these at charity shops, junk sales, antique shops, car boot sales, flea markets and on online marketplaces.
Marriott-Mills says finding out what days deliveries get put out at secondhand furniture stores is a great way to get first dibs on the bargains. “At my local British Heart Foundation secondhand furniture store, it’s Tuesday, so I try to go there first thing,” she says.
“I appreciate it is a privilege to go out first thing, but you could go early on a Saturday or try during your lunch break.”
If you can’t get out, many of these stores have websites.
Search for kids’ gifts, too
On eBay, Vinted and Facebook Marketplace you can find loads of secondhand toys – some brand new, still in their boxes – that make perfect gifts.
LOL dolls come in at about £25 each new, but on eBay you can find a bundles of dolls in great condition from as little as £4. If you’re on the hunt for something bigger, such as a play kitchen, you can find loads on Facebook marketplace from £10. Brand new, they cost anything between £60 and £200.
With larger items, however, check where the seller is based as they are often collection-only, or the cost of postage could cancel out your savings.
Filter for designer goods
“You’ll find pages and pages of designer stuff on Vinted and Depop,” says Marriott-Mills. “Often people won’t even know if the gift is secondhand.”
You can filter searches for brand new items by adding “new with tags” to the search bar. For instance, a Ralph Lauren beanie hat generally costs between £80 and £110 brand new, but you can find them with their tags still attached on Vinted from £25.
Check for safety
With electronics or lighting, try them out first where possible to check they are safe and in working order. Luke Osborne, the deputy technical director at Electrical Safety First, advises doing some simple checks, including looking for a legitimate safety certification label on the product.
“First make sure the product isn’t subject to a recall by using the Electrical Safety First Product Checker, or listed on the OPSS product recall and alerts webpage,” he says.
“Also, check the product you’re buying is fitted with a three-pin UK plug, which should include a fuse – if the device comes with a foreign plug and adaptor, it may not have the protection afforded by a three-pin plug.”
When buying toys secondhand, it is important to check for loose parts or any signs of damage, as well as general wear and tear. Many charity shops sell battery-operated and electrical toys but these won’t always have been checked. Look for obvious signs of damage, such as battery corrosion, which could indicate the item is a safety risk. If the product looks fine, check whether you can return it before purchasing so you can test it out when you get home – make sure you keep the receipt as you’ll usually have 28 days.
When buying online from sites such as Vinted or eBay, the seller should clearly state whether the toys are in working condition. If one arrives but doesn’t work as described, you’ll usually be protected under their guarantees and can get your money back.
In Made for Mums’ useful guide to buying secondhand toys, they say to keep in mind that some older toys could contain traces of hazardous chemicals such as chromium, selenium and lead. You should be vigilant about recalled toys, the site warns, and these can often be found with a quick Google search. There are also markings you can look for on toys that indicate their safety and quality, including the Lion mark and the CE mark.
It is important to disinfect toys. For soft toys, this might include sticking it in the washing machine – just be sure to check the label. For wooden or plastic toys, a wipe down with soapy water is usually enough.
Look out for scams
Buying online can come with the risk of being scammed, but there are some strategies you can follow to help avoid it. “There are loads of ways to check if something is legit, and you should always start with reviews,” Marriott-Mills says. If a seller doesn’t have many reviews on a marketplace, or they aren’t great, be dubious. If reviews have reels of great reviews, you can probably trust you’ll get the item. “For designer goods, you can use websites like LegitGrails, which authenticates them,” she adds.
Look out for sellers that upload the original receipt along with the item, as this is a good way to verify that it’s real. Learning about hallmarks and engravings is another good way to check the legitimacy of jewellery and crockery. “I got my mum a silver plated bracelet and I know it’s real because of the 925 engraving,” she says. “Don’t be afraid to double check. At a car boot or antique store I literally stand there and Google them,” she says. Depop, eBay and Vinted also have buyer protection guarantees that usually mean you can get your money back if the item is significantly not as described
Present them well
A lot of secondhand gifts won’t come with the original packaging, but as long as you put in a bit of effort and wrap them well, they’ll still look wonderful under the Christmas tree. Cardboard gift boxes help any gift look great, but before you buy any, have a look at what you’ve already got at home. A shoebox carefully wrapped would make a great hamper and old perfume boxes are great for knick-knacks or stocking fillers.
