Not every deal is a good one.
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Pass by a garage sale, and it’s easy to fall for the siren call of affordable items, especially when you spot something perfect for your home. But not every deal is worth buying. Sometimes, that’s because you simply don’t need anything new, but other times, it’s because the item could be unsafe or unhygienic.
In some cases, you might end up purchasing a radio that doesn’t work or a designer bag that proves to be fake. But, in a worst-case scenario, you might believe you’re getting a fabulous price on a pillow or a stuffed animal, but instead, you end up bringing home more than just a new item—you might be transporting tiny hitchhikers, too.
Buying pre-loved items is an affordable and sustainable way to be a consumer, and you can find things you won’t find in conventional retail environments—but there are some things to be mindful of. Want to make sure you don’t make any mistakes at your next secondhand outing? Here are a few items thrifting experts say you should never buy at a garage sale.
Related: 14 Valuable Collectibles to Look for in Thrift Stores
Games With Pieces
Avoid anything with a lot of parts and pieces that the original owners could have potentially misplaced. “This could be a puzzle, a board game, or an opened deck of cards. When buying these items, you run the risk that they might be missing a key piece or two,” says Virginia Chamlee, author of the book Big Thrift Energy. Unless you have the time to count out a deck of cards or check that every Monopoly house is present, it’s best to skip.
Stuffed Animals
Stuffed animals are a great gift for kids, but it’s best to pass on buying them at garage sales. “Stuffed animals and little kids go hand in hand. And little kids are, if we’re being honest, messy,” says Jeanine Boiko, owner of OkioB Vintage. “You’ll never know if that cute kitten stuffed animal was used as a tissue or as a support toy during potty training.” Unless you have a plan to wash and sanitize immediately, it may be best to leave stuffed animals behind.
Related: How to Wash Stuffed Animals the Right Way
Coffee Mugs
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A mismatched collection of coffee mugs can be charming, but they can also easily look cluttered. Unless you have a plan to be artfully mismatched for an eclectic look or you are a collector looking for a certain mug, consider leaving these pieces at the garage sale.
Designer Goods
Chances are, you won’t find a real Hermes scarf or Louis Vuitton bag at a garage sale at an affordable price point, says Boiko. If you hope to score a valuable item and can’t decipher between real and fake she recommends passing on designer pieces. That said, you might not care about authenticity—and on occasion, you might find a treasure—just be warned that replica luxury designer items are rampant.
Reusable Water Bottles
While it might be tempting to reach for that secondhand Stanley cup at a garage sale, used water bottles might harbor harmful bacteria or mold, says vintage seller Sarah Jane Hidalgo.
You don’t know what happened to the bottle before it reached you and, while they are typically not designed for the dishwasher, it’s possible the previous owner may have thrown it in. That exposure to extreme temperatures can ruin the insulation.
Salt and Pepper Shakers
Liudmila Chernetska
Small knickknacks, like salt and pepper shakers, can be cute, but thrifting experts recommend against buying them at garage sales. “Vintage salt and pepper shakers are little dust magnets that, unless you are selling an entire collection to a salt and pepper shaker collector, they are very difficult to resell,” says Natasha Raé, owner of VintageEarthLLC. “Today they are seen as souvenir junk and could possibly contain dangerous levels of lead.”
Bike Helmets
Helmets can pose a safety concern when it comes to shopping secondhand. “You do not know if the helmet has been compromised in any way, in an accident, or somehow damaged,” says Hidalgo. “The inside of the helmet might be damaged, so there’s no way to know sometimes just by looking at it.”
Plastic Food Storage
Who hasn’t tried to get rid of their ever-expanding collection of plastic food storage? This is one of those items you’ll reliably see at garage sales, but Hidalgo says to leave it behind. “Plastics can break down over time and release chemicals into food, especially if heated, washed, or reused many times. Signs that a container is degrading include discoloration or cloudiness,” says Hidalgo. Plus, there’s no way to know what was stored in it? There’s always a chance the previous owner used it for something that wasn’t food safe.
Related: 7 Hidden Gems to Look for at the Thrift Shop
Baby Items
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Baby items, like car seats and cribs, can be dangerous to purchase from garage sales. “For car seats, you do not know if the car seat was in an accident or exposed to extreme elements,” says Hidalgo.
When it comes to cribs, safety standards are continuously changing so an old crib may have obsolete or recalled parts. Plus, used baby bottles might harbor harmful bacteria, contain BPA, or have hairline cracks that might eventually break and cause harm, Hidalgo adds.
Potential Projects
Unless you’re an avid DIYer who intentionally looks for projects, try to steer clear of items that need a lot of work. “I always tell people to stay away from ‘project pieces.’ These are the chipped vases or off-kilter tables that you buy because they’re so cheap,” says Chamlee. “You might tell yourself you’ll fix it, but more likely than not, you’ll end up with a garage or storage unit full of un-fixed ‘project pieces.'”
Wool
While wool may indicate that an item is high quality, it also means it’s vulnerable to moths and other hungry critters. “On top of that, holes and damage are hard to spot with the human eye,” says Valencia. “They’re not always obvious gaping holes—they could be tricky to see.” And, in the worst-case scenario, you could purchase the sweater only to find you’ve bought moth larvae, too.
Retro Appliances
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Retro appliances may look stylish, but that doesn’t mean they’re functional or a good buy. “Unless you are using retro appliances for display only, it’s best to avoid them,” says Lauren Shaver, founder of Bless’er House. “Some heating elements and wiring could be faulty and dangerous.”
Non-Stick Cookware
There are certain chemicals in cookware that haven’t stood the test of time, so generally, you should avoid any cookware that isn’t stainless steel, cast iron, or other durable material. “Steer clear of cookware that has scratched non-stick coating since this can release harmful chemicals into food,” says Shaver.
Electronics
There are almost always electronics sitting out at a garage sale and they can be tempting to buy, particularly if you stumble upon something you’ve been on the hunt for. But in some circumstances, Chamlee says to leave the electronics behind.
“If you can’t plug it in at the garage sale, and the owner has no idea if it’s functional, it’s best to leave it behind,” says Chamlee. “Electronics are often costly to repair so what seems like a great deal could wind up being a significant investment.”
Pillows and Mattresses
“Mattresses and bed pillows might be the number one item to avoid purchasing secondhand,” says Hidalgo. In fact, most thrift stores no longer accept donations of secondhand mattresses or bed pillows because of the risk of bed bugs, Hidalgo adds.
Related: How to Clean a Mattress the Right Way
Read the original article on Martha Stewart.