What Are Some Best Secondhand Gift Ideas for Christmas?
Having started a journey down a more sustainable shopping path, I have enjoyed gifting thoughtful and often budget friendly secondhand gifts that are well appreciated by the recipient. Find 103 of some of the best ideas like an antique heirloom quilt for your mom, a meaningful locket for your daughter, vintage Nintendo gaming system for a boy, a luxury baby stroller for your grandbaby or a collectible vinyl record for your husband. Here are some of the best secondhand gift ideas for Christmas and birthdays as well as your top second hand gift giving questions answered.
Is it ok to buy secondhand Christmas gifts?
Yes! (Most of the time.) In the efforts to become more sustainable consumers, secondhand shopping is becoming much more acceptable. According to different polls, a majority of people say they would be fine with second hand gifts. Know your recipient since some people will just cringe at the thought. But if you purchase an item that is supposed to be pre-owned, it works much better. Think an antique book about a person’s hobby, an heirloom piece of jewelry or a vintage vinyl record of someone’s favorite artist.
Do secondhand gifts look cheap?
No! Often you can find brand new items in the box or with tags from online places like Ebay or Poshmark as well as in person locations such as estate sales or thrift stores. So many people get items as gifts they don’t want or can’t return and sell these brand new items as a discount.
Buying vintage or antique second hand gifts also appear luxury because more thought went into finding and purchasing thoughtful gifts than just clicking an Amazon button for a “just because I had to” gift.
How do I buy acceptable second hand gifts?
To summarize how to buy secondhand items that don’t come across as tacky, follow these guidelines:
- Consider the recipient and don’t give to those who would cringe at a pre-owned item
- Only give something in good to great condition (depending on the item and if it’s “supposed” to be old)
- Make a shopping list well in advance
- Shop according to people’s interests, not a specific item
This post contains affiliate links including Amazon Associate links for your shopping convenience. This is at no additional cost to you. All recommendations are my own because I believe in each product. See my full Privacy Policy here.
In This Article
Before you rush out and start buying second-hand gifts for everyone on your Christmas list this holiday season, read my post on How to Buy Secondhand Gifts for Special Occasions. There’s an acceptable way of buying second hand gifts, and a not-so-good way.
**Please note, I link these items to Ebay or Etsy to give you ideas, but some items e are best purchased in person because of shipping (mostly large items for kids). Search Facebook Marketplace in your area for all of these large items.
What Are Some Best Second hand Gift Ideas for Christmas and Birthdays? (103 Ideas)
What are Secondhand Gifts for Women?
Let’s face it, most women are easy to buy for anyway. So when you go secondhand shopping for your mom, sister or girlfriend, there are lots of items to choose from. Remember, the way to pull off good second hand presents is to put thought into something that uniquely interests her.
1. Vintage Locket
2. Mid Century Statement Bracelet
3. Unique Vintage Ring
4. Le Creuset Cookware
5. Quality Garden Tools
6. Antique Quilt
7. Crocheted Blanket
8. Potted Plant (Find a unique, vintage pot AND the plant at garage sales or estate sales!)
9. Vintage Tea Set
10. Vintage Artwork in a Vintage Frame
11. Vintage Book About Their Special Interest (ie vintage cookbook)
12. A Set of Unique Pots for Plants
What are the Best Second Hand Gifts for Babies?
Babies are hands down the easiest people to buy second hand items for. They don’t have any expectations, and there are so many baby toys, clothing and essentials at garage sales. Before my third baby was born, I took my older two to a garage sale and let them pick out a special item to give to the baby as a welcome gift. They were also able to pick out Christmas gifts for the baby. For $4, my kids were able to gift a soft blanket, a Spider Man onesie, a cute Santa outfit and a small toy to their new brother. You would have thought they had just given him the moon; they were so excited to be able to buy something they found.
13. Soft Baby Blanket
14. Quality, Name Brand Clothing
15. Wooden Activity Cube
16. Sound Books
17. Board Books
18. Baby Swing or Bouncer
19. Luxury Baby Stroller
20. Outdoor Baby Swing
21. Unique Baby Toy
22. Play Mat
What are Great Second Hand Gifts for Toddlers?
Like babies, toddlers are super easy to buy gifts for. And the nice thing is that garage sales are FULL of toddler toys that are in near perfect condition. The only problem you’ll have is not buying too many gifts! Have a clear idea going into garage sale shopping of what style and type of toys you’re looking for and limit yourself to items in really good condition. This will help you when you’re tempted to overbuy.
23. Sensory Box filled with Miscellaneous Items
24. Tricycle
25. Ride On Push Car
26. Water Table
27. Play Kitchen
28. Play Tool Bench
29. Little People Play Sets
30. Camping Chair
31. Thomas Wooden Train Set
32. Metal Tonka Trucks
What are the Best Secondhand Gift Ideas for Kids?
Don’t just think of toys when you look for kid gifts. Kid size tools, cooking utensils, gardening supplies and so much more can be found at garage sales. And don’t forget to find small items for stocking stuffers and Easter baskets!
33. Make your own Bird Watching Kit:
Binoculars, bird book, notebook and colored pencils
34. Electric Ride on Vehicles (find these on Facebook Marketplace)
35. Bicycle
36. Legos
37. Wooden Puzzles
38. Gardening Kit:
Hand tools, flower pot, watering can and a packet of seeds (from the store)
39. Lincoln Logs
40. Marble Run
41. Magna Tiles
42. Cooking Kit:
Kid size kitchen tools, measuring cups and spoon, apron (you can even get a cool vintage apron!)
What are the Best Secondhand Gifts for Girls?
Kids often receive too many new toys, so parents end up selling them without opening the packaging. I recently ran across four Schleich horse and barn sets worth over $100. The little girl’s grandma kept giving them to her for each special occasion. Since the girl had so many, the parents simply stopped opening the boxes. I bought them for a fraction of the price at $15 – $25 each.
But not all secondhand kid gifts need to be new in the box. I often pick up gently used toys, craft supplies and children’s clothes that my little girl will love.
43. Dollhouse
44. American Girl Doll, Clothing and Accessories
45. Calico Critters Sets
46. Doll Stroller
47. Doll Highchair
48. Tool Set
49. Pretend Play Food and Dishes
50. Working Toy Sewing Machine
51. Special Lamp for Nightstand
52. Critter Cage
What are Secondhand Gifts for Boys?
I have given the most second-hand presents to my son. He has been thrilled with good quality gifts we would have never been able to afford otherwise. Ride on battery toys have been the biggest hit, however, there have also been so many brand new, in the box toys from garage sales. We’ve given him a “brand new” sandbox excavator digger, Lego sets and so much more. The cost savings of buying lightly used (and even new in the box) secondhand kid gifts over new is incredible!
53. Sports Equipment for Their Favorite Sport
54. PlayMobile Set
55. Fishing Pole and Tackle Box
56. Binoculars
57. Hamster Cage and Supplies
58. Fish Tank and Supplies
59. Cowboy Boots, Rain Boots or Muck Boots
60. Dress Up Clothes (there are a ton of Halloween costumes sold that are great fun for dress up!)
61. Dinosaur Toys
62. Matchbox Cars and Race Tracks
What are the Best Secondhand Gifts for Teens?
Teens can often be difficult to buy the perfect gift for. But if you know their interests, then you can often find secondhand gifts that will make them happy.
63. New or Barely Used Games
64. Foosball Table
65. Air Hockey Table
66. Ping Pong Table
67. Pool Table
68. Vintage Star Wars Items
69. Vintage Comic Books
70. Vintage Nintendo Game System
71. Compound Hunting Bow and Target
72. Art Supplies
73. Inflatable or Regular Kayak
74. Paddle Board
What Are Some Secondhand Gift Ideas for Men
While I don’t usually buy secondhand tools as gifts, there are plenty more go-to gifts for men that you can find at garage sales or estate sales especially. But Ebay has also been a great source of “new” items that are being sold at a discount.
75. Hunting Gear
76. Fishing poles, Tackle and Lures
77. Camping Gear
78. Vintage records of Favorite Artist or Band (ie ZZ Top)
79. Vintage Record Player
80. Telescope
81. Historical or Biography Book
82. Golf Clubs
83. Vintage Shot Glass
84. Grilling or Smoking Tools
What Are the Best Second Hand Gift Ideas for Girl Friends?
It’s so satisfying to find a just because gift or Christmas presents that perfectly fit your friend. While you’re out and about, keep a list of special friends who would appreciate those unique preloved items that made you think of them.
85. Vintage Sunglasses
86. 1970’s Boho Coffee Mug
87. Vintage Bowl to Use as Jewelry Dish
88. Throw Blanket
89. Quaint Figurine that Has Special Meaning
90. Vintage Silk Scarf
91. Vintage Frame with a Special Photo
92. Set of Vintage Notecards
93. Unique Watering Can
What Are the Best Gift Basket Ideas?
You can find all these thrifted items fairly easily at garage sales. However, the best way to create a themed gift basket is to keep an eye open for an estate sale that is liquidating the household items for a person that had that specific interest. You can go to EstateSales.net to look for estate sales in your area. Many times there will be sales that have a vast collection of art supplies, crafting supplies, hunting or fishing gear,
94. Vintage Tin Filled with Homemade Goodies
95. For the Tea Lover:
Vintage tea cup and saucer, vintage tea tin, vintage spoon and (new) tea bags
96. For the Coffee Lover:
Two vintage mugs, vintage jar (filled with new coffee), vintage silver spoon
97. For the Book Lover:
Favorite book or genre in a vintage edition, a collection of vintage letters or postcards, a bookmark
98. For the Home Decorator:
A piece of (small) vintage original artwork or home decor, a vase and a catch-all dish (all in their decorating style)
99. For the Seamstress:
A stack of vintage fabric, a vintage thimble and a vintage sewing box
100. For the Gardener:
Plant mister (make sure it works), unique pot with plant, garden gloves and name brand hand tool (yes, these are all common secondhand, especially at estate sales)
101. For the Fisherman:
Vintage fishing lures, nice fishing pliers, a unique fishing knife
102. For the Young Artist:
Unused coloring books in their style, markers, watercolor supplies
(All of these items should be unused for a good gift. You can find LOTS of unused items, especially at “teacher garage sales” where retired teachers liquidate their supplies.
103. For the Young Crafter:
Various stamps and stamp pads (make sure in great, working condition), glue, an assortment of craft supplies like pompoms, wooden frames, popsicle sticks. (Estate sales and Ebay are awesome places to find large lots of unused craft supplies.)
Now that you know what are some best secondhand gift ideas for Christmas and birthdays, go ahead and make your list and start keeping an eye open for great gifts people will love! The possibilities are endless, and the treasure hunt actually puts the fun back into gift giving! Download your free editable garage sale shopping list for your phone to keep everything straight and start with just one person at a time.
FAQ about buying second hand gifts
Why should I buy second hand gifts?
- Secondhand gifts are often more budget friendly
- It is a great way to buy a nicer gift than what you would have been able to afford on a tight budget
- You can often find brand new items at cheaper than new prices at thrift stores and yard sales
- It is more sustainable, earth friendly gift giving by keeping items out of landfills and reducing manufacturing resources
- Supports local businesses or individuals trying to earn extra money by selling second hand
- Kids really don’t care if it’s barely used (and babies really don’t care)
- It puts the fun of the search back into gift giving and takes away lots of last minute stress!
Where can I buy great secondhand gifts in person?
The most affordable, budget friendly way to shop second hand gifts is in person, but you do pay for it in time. Shopping well in advance and patience to get the best gift is key. My favorite in person shopping is the following:
- Estate sales
- Garage sales
- Local thrift stores
- Antique stores
- Chain thrift stores (think Goodwill)
- Consignment sale events
Where can I buy great secondhand Christmas gifts online?
If you don’t have time to shop in person, there are so many online options to buy secondhand gifts.
- Ebay
- Etsy
- Thriftbooks
- Facebook Marketplace
- Vinted, Poshmark or Depop (These are not just for clothing. They carry all sorts of items!)
Read more Christmas gift guides and secondhand shopping tips
How to Buy Secondhand Gifts for Special Occasions
75 Kids’ Gifts to Make Helping Fun
100 Budget Friendly Vintage Gift Ideas from Etsy
25 Best Places to Shop Everything Second Hand
