There are a lot of advantages to buying things secondhand. It’s light on your wallet. It’s eco-friendly. You can stumble upon some truly cool and weird treasures in thrift shops. And there’s a deep sense of satisfaction when you give new life to items that would have otherwise ended up in the junkyard. However, this doesn’t apply to all used objects. Some things are best completely avoided if you ever spot them at a secondhand store!
One redditor started up a very interesting thread on r/AskReddit, asking folks to share their opinions about what they’d never, ever buy secondhand. Their answers were illuminating (with the exception of a few dumb jokes), and you’ll find them as you scroll down, dear Pandas. We’d love to hear what used items you’d be on the fence about getting. Be sure to share your thoughts with all the other readers in the comments!
Bored Panda got in touch with the author of the viral thread, from the UK, and they were kind enough to answer our questions. They noted that for some people, like them, secondhand items can be literal life savers. Read on for our full interview with the redditor.
#21
Dentures and hearing aids. I have seen used hearing aids for sale
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83points
#24
I play paintball. General rule of thumb is don’t buy anything used that protects your eyes or touches skin. Pre owned everything else.
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76points
#26
Bed sheets. No thanks. Hard pass.
We don't even bother trying to give them away to other people. Best we can do is donate to animal shelters so the furry ones have something soft to snuggle around in.
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61points
#27
Luggage. You don’t know what the former owner had in it, could set off dogs at the airport
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50points
#28
Mens pj pants. My husband started to look at some and I said, “nope. no way!” Some men wear pj pants all night and all day with no underwear for days at a time. Like the same pair for multiple days of sitting around the house not showering. Also not to mention teenage boys. I can’t get myself to let my husband buy used ones. It grosses me out.
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45points
#29
E-bike batteries, you never know what they've been through and when they explode they cause serious damage
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45points
#30
Water cooled graphics cards for a gaming pc. Made that mistake once. The seal broke in more than 1 place within 5 mins of taking it out of the pc. Only took it out bc temps were not making sense and I thought it might be low on water.
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45points
