Thread: List of things not to buy at Garage Sales

For cribs, there are just so many recalls that I think it's hard to keep up with. The drop down sides are iffy at best and after a particularly rambunctious child has been in one, screws and bolts can shear.

But for me, there is also the peeing and pooping and puking and chewing on, etc.

Originally Posted by ftmom

Curious why people say no way to cribs? I have never bought one, but will be selling mine when we are done with it. I know tons that are sold after the baby is grown.

It is also illegal here I believe to sell a used crib. The reason is that once it is used, the manufacture does not have a way to notify you there is a recall. Also, years ago the bars were far apart and a baby could get stuck or hang themselves on the bars. There are strict regulations about how far apart the bars can be and other safety standards that need to be followed. If you buy a crib used, you do not know if the crib follows those standards.

I have a plan for bed bugs:

Wait till a really cold snap, pack our bags and leave them outside for a day or two, go to a hotel with the kids, turn off the heat and leave the windows open for a few days (with taps running). They cant handle the extreme cold that we get here

Having said that, I am actually really bed bug paranoid (especially in the summer) cause they are gross, but they havent made it to our part of the country yet.

I would never buy a carseat or helmet, and I am totally a shoe snob for my kids and would never do second hand except prewalkers for them, but I might buy a pair of fancy, out for dinner shoes for myself if I liked them enough. And why would I ever buy more stuffies.

On the bed bug front, I am totally paranoid about it. A hotel here was recently found to be completely infested with them. I also know of a small private college that had them. The hotel was permanently shut down and the college had to completely get rid of all their furniture in that dorm and pay a TON of money to have the problem fixed. Because I know that they have been found in this area, we are extra careful about it.

Originally Posted by ftmom

I have a plan for bed bugs:

Wait till a really cold snap, pack our bags and leave them outside for a day or two, go to a hotel with the kids, turn off the heat and leave the windows open for a few days (with taps running). They cant handle the extreme cold that we get here

That would not work here, we get tons of cold -40C every winter but it would freeze everything and damage so much.

With helmets, my first thought was bike helmets and I know at least in Canada there are now warnings not to use beyond 2 summers due to UV breakdown. Funny thing with me being a huge hockey fan I never thought about hockey helmets but I would not buy that either.

Bed Bugs I believe are normally killed by heat not cold.

Hey! Dont knock my plan, it helps me sleep at night! Bed bugs seriously skeeve me out.

Heat is usually used, because you have to reach and maintain very low temperatures to kill them with cold.

You would need to remove your electronics, and leave the hot water running, but I cant see what else would be damaged by the cold. Maybe I am missing something?

Originally Posted by mom2robbie

That would not work here, we get tons of cold -40C every winter but it would freeze everything and damage so much.

With helmets, my first thought was bike helmets and I know at least in Canada there are now warnings not to use beyond 2 summers due to UV breakdown. Funny thing with me being a huge hockey fan I never thought about hockey helmets but I would not buy that either.

You wouldn' know it this year though. So far our winter's been a joke. I heard that cedar oil kills bed bugs too.

Originally Posted by ftmom

Curious why people say no way to cribs? I have never bought one, but will be selling mine when we are done with it. I know tons that are sold after the baby is grown.

I have bought and sold cribs before. People here do it all the time. It has been so long since the laws changed on the slat size I doubt if you could even find a crib that old.

I am totally bed bug paranoid-- since I travel a great deal and most hotels have had an infestation of at least one room....if not more. I have things I do in a hotel room before I even open my suitcase (rip off all sheets, inspect behind the headboard, look under mattresses, etc) and I never ever keep my suitcase near anything soft (always in the bathroom on tile/marble!) I'm so scared to bring them home.

(www.bedbudregistry.com)-- turns out the more expensive hotels see them just as often as the cheap places, since many people pick them up while on international travel. Ick.Ick.Ick.

I agree with the list.....