Does anyone know where Toddler Car seats (the 5 point harness type) are going now? I have usually inherited mine or bought them at Once Upon A Child but they have stopped selling them here in MN recently. I checked the thrift stores and though they had some they were too old to replace the current ones with and Craigslist prices seem high to me.
I had total sticker shock when I saw what the retail prices were for the seats I have been getting free or at the most $25.00 for the past 6 years. Truth is, I have had a thing for Britex and other high-end lines up till now but that just might need to change as I can't justify spending $1000 to replace them. Any good ideas on where to look for 4 newer toddler and one booster? Maybe I need to start hitting the suburban garage sales. I just hope they are not ending up in the landfills!
11 comments:
i've heard stores like Once Upon a Child (we have those in KS) and thrift stores can't sell seats anymore...b/c components could be compromised (car wrecks, weak plastic from too much heat, etc.), and the stores can't be liable. anyone know if that's the true case? it definitely makes sense.
i say go with the garage sales!
i have two booster seats with the backs on them, which can come off. you want them? i think they are graco and in pretty good shape. let me know, maybe then we could finally get together!
Suburban garage sales might be your best bet for inexpensive ones.
We have 2 Evenflo Triumph Advance DXLs and I love them! They are super easy to use and the covers come off for washing without having to remove the seats.
I read the Baby Cheapskate blog to find out what the best prices for new seats are.
Good luck!
You might try poking around here to see if you can find a good sale. She also has a "freepeats" group in a lot of areas where you can trade around kids stuff for free.
http://babycheapskate.blogspot.com/
i would have thought thrift store, craigslist or consignment shop... garage/yard sales work, though. i bought one there.
In our area, we have a parent community marketplace on the Berkeley Parents Network. It's a safe place to buy used seats. Anything like that in Minnesota?
No, but I keep humming this song:
"Where have all the car-seats gone?
Long time passing?
Where have all the car-seats gone?
Are they land-fill?
Where have all the car-seats gone?
Government recalled them, every one!
When will they please return?
When will they pleee-se return?
(sorry, I'm a bit silly. And I don't think they've been recalled, but most thrift stores are very leery of resale. Sad, but true.)
Dorothy - I have two toddler seats in my garage if you want to look at them. I don't need them anymore.
Let me know -
Liz :)
Do you have Babies 'R Us near you? The store near us is offering 20% off when you bring in your old carseats. I know that's not a huge discount, but ...
Thanks for the carseat offers - I am loking for ones that are less than 5 years old. :) d
I have just come upon your blog, and am really enjoying it. I only have 4 kids, none special needs and none adopted--and yet the things you write are opening my eyes to the greater world, challenging me, and encouraging me in my own parenting.
I just wanted to say that we too use 5 point seats for all our kids (our oldest is 8 but is a lightweight, so we are just more comfortable with her being restrained as safely as possible) and they are hard to find. The only 2 brands we have found are Britax and Nania, which is French but which you can sometimes find online.
Yes, they are expensive. No, I would not get anything else. Your kids are worth it!
And while I HATE the thought of "perfectly good" carseats ending up in a landfill, it is also a fact that the plastic of carseats deteriorates over time, and so you are only supposed to use them for about 6 years, esp. if the seats have been exposed to a lot of sun or heat. We live in a very moderate climate, and our yard is shady, so we have kept our Britax combination seat for 9 years. But when you get a seat from a yard sale, you never know how it has been treated and if it was in any accident that would also cause weakening of the plastic.
So, of course you are going to choose according to your family needs and finances--but I just want to encourage you to consider these things as you make your decisions.
If you decided a hand-me-down from a stranger is fine, then have you checked out freecycle? If you don't know about them, you SHOULD! I have gotten everything from a pop-up camper loan to an expensive euro toddler seat to a rosewood abacus to a hot tub (for a friend going through chemotherapy) through freecycle! An AWESOME community resource! : ) And you never know until you ask--you just might get that Britax for free! (If I was going to take a used carseat, I would be more comfortable taking the top of the line! ; )
Thanks for letting a perfect stranger comment--even if you do not post it, at least you will read it and it might be helpful.
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