You may be interested in purchasing educational toys for your child but have a tight budget. Toys, especially electronic toys, can be expensive. This may lead you to consider purchasing used educational toys.
Many may scoff at the idea of purchasing used toys, but they do offer a number of benefits. One of those benefits is the ability to educate your child from the comfort of your home, without having to spend too much money doing so. That being said, you need to proceed with caution when buying second-hand educational toys. Because they are items are for a child, you need to know what you are buying first.
Before purchasing used educational toys, take box warnings into consideration. Most new toys come with boxes and instruction manuals that often outline age recommendations or warnings. You may be unsure whether the toy you want to purchase is age-appropriate for your child. In this instance, you can do one of two things – you can skip purchasing used educational toys or research the toy beforehand. This research should involve using the internet to find any warnings and the manufacturer’s recommended age range for the toy.
Recalls are another important factor to consider when buying used educational toys. The down-side to purchasing second hand is that these toys are difficult to associate with recalls. However, you shouldn’t necessarily blame toy owners for this, as they themselves probably are unaware. After purchasing a used toy, check online to see if that toy has been recalled. Examine consumer safety websites or perform a standard internet search followed by the word ‘recall’.
Missing parts and broken educational toys are another factor to take into account. When shopping online for used toys, it can be impossible to determine when the toy in question is in excellent condition. The same can be said for shopping for used toys at yard sales and thrift stores. This means that you cannot always guarantee that the used toys you will purchase will have all its parts or even work for that matter. Before buying a used educational toys, examine the toy closely before paying for it.
Consider cleanliness when purchasing second hand educational toys. If you child is still quite young, they may put the toys in their mouth. Thoroughly clean any second hand toy before giving it to your child. If you wish, you can wash them in the dishwasher, hand wash them or use disinfecting spray.
If you follow the above mentioned tips, you shouldn’t have a problem with purchasing second had educational toys.
Author bio
This article was written for Deals Direct and offers tips on purchasing second hand educational toys.