Kids love toys. If you doubt the statement, take a kid to a toy store. That child will find several things in the store she would think she can’t live without. An hour in a toy store with a kid and you will find yourself walking out with multiple bags filled with toys and a precious smile on her face. Toys are more than just fun and games for the kids.
Speaking of toys, some toys can enhance a child’s cognitive development which involves thinking skills – the ability to process information to understand how the world works. Toys and play naturally provide opportunities for practicing different thinking skills, such as imitation, cause and effect, problem-solving, and symbolic thinking.
Most toys play a prominent role in providing kids with an opportunity to learn. A good toy would engage a child’s senses, encourage them to interact with others, and most importantly, spark their imagination.
The toys industry is a behemoth. Countless toys of various kinds and sizes are manufactured daily to meet the demands of this multi-billion-dollar market. There are so many categories to choose from:
- Stuffed toys
- Electronic toys
- Puzzles and brain teasers
- Construction and building blocks
- and so on.
On the one hand, where it is highly recommended to buy an ample number of toys for your kids, they don’t necessarily have to be brand new. Thrifting has its own pros, and it might seem a sensible choice when buying toys. There are a number of arguments supporting this statement.
When kids get a new toy, they usually keep it with them all the time. But it is a matter of days before the toy has served its purpose and is rendered useless. A child’s brain absorbs and retains information way more efficiently and hence when the toy has given all the child absorbs all the info quickly and the toy lies useless.
Choosing gently used toys over new ones has many benefits:
Care for mother earth
Manufacturing is a complex process that starts with sourcing raw materials.
Companies have to look for resources to cope with the demands of the market. A large amount of plastic and other minerals are used to make toys.
A lot of non-renewable energy is being used up every day in the process. Also, a lot of toxins are released into the ecosystem as a result of manufacturing. All these activities lead to harm to the environment and aid climate change. Global warming is another by-product of irresponsible mining and industries working mindlessly to produce new toys.
Buying used toys does not add toxins and pollutants to the environment and they do not require added resources from the planet or energy to produce. Recycling toys also helps the environment by keeping plastic and fabric out of landfills, rivers, and oceans.
Buying used items usually means shopping locally and this reduces the emission of greenhouse gasses. Purchasing locally is always better for the environment. Furthermore, when you shop at local retail stores for secondhand goods, you support local businesses and help reduce emissions from shipping and traveling further afield.
Don’t break the bank
Toy shopping is a fun experience for every kid as well as a parent. That way the eyes of kids light up in a toy store seems like an early Christmas for them. It’s a fun activity. But all of this comes at a price. High-end toy stores tend to charge ridiculous amounts of money for toys.
Thrifting is a sure way of getting high-quality products at very affordable rates. The same goes for toys. Gently used toys, in good condition, will give the same positive reinforcements and benefits of a brand-new toy while still being economical. Save cost – Buying second-hand toys costs much less than new ones. Sometimes they can be half the price or less than a new one. So with the same budget in hand, one could buy way more toys both in quantity, quality, and variety by buying used toys instead of new ones.
Also, the person or the store that sells you those used toys would reinvest the money back to buy new toys for their own kids and also save up some space. Hence, toy thrifting could prove to be a win-win situation for both parties.
Avoid unethical and controlling strategies of manufacturers
Second-hand shopping and ethical shopping work hand-in-hand. As a regular thrift toy shopper, you will be contributing less to the average output of manufacturers. This happens when we, as a global society, choose to buy fewer new products. Toy manufacturers make so much to sate a hungry market.
Reduce the demand, and we reduce the activities that contribute to pollution and the degradation of our environment. Also, manufacturing strategies used by companies that mass-produce toys are not convenient and conducive for their workers. Increasing demand for these massed-produced toys will only support exploitative and unethical practices. Often, they defy human rights.
While good companies out there are ethical and transparent with their methods and strategies, they are only a handful, and their toys tend to be quite expensive, with their prices above what an average person can afford.
Keep in mind
While buying used toys for your kids, there are a few points we need to keep in mind as buyers.
- Avoid toys that contain lead or lead-based paint. Check to see if the paint is flaking off.
- Make sure the toy is BPA-free.
- Check toys with small parts thoroughly and make sure that those parts are not loose and are not choking hazards.
- Make sure the toy would not shatter or break easily.
- Remember to check if the material on the toys or stuffed toys is flame-resistant.
- Avoid toys that have sharp edges.
- If you have chosen a toy that is battery-operated, check to see if it is working. Remember to also check for battery leakage.
- Don’t forget to give the toy a wipe down and sanitize it before wrapping it as a gift or giving it to kids to play with.
Now you know countless benefits of buying used toys and how it can help you save money and the environment simultaneously. Now we are going to tell you one of the best places to buy used toys. It’s our app called Push Post, here you can buy used toys for a great price. Download the app for the best deals.