I love shopping at the Salvation Army because you never really know what you’ll find. It’s one of my favorite places to look for affordable furniture, vintage pieces, baskets, dishes, picture frames, books, and household items that would cost considerably more new.
But being a thrifter doesn’t mean everything secondhand is worth bringing home. There are certain things I will happily walk right past because they’re difficult to properly clean, have too many unknowns, or simply aren’t worth taking a chance on to save a few dollars. These are 10 things I personally wouldn’t buy used at the Salvation Army.
Underwear and Swimwear
Underwear is a hard no, and bras and swimsuits aren’t far behind. There are plenty of things I’m comfortable washing and wearing secondhand, but anything with prolonged, close contact with intimate areas is something I’d rather buy new.
Scratched Nonstick Cookware
Cookware can actually be one of my favorite things to inspect at thrift stores, especially quality stainless steel and cast iron. Worn nonstick pans are different because once the cooking surface is heavily scratched, peeling, or deteriorating, I’d rather leave the pan behind and spend the money on one in better condition.
Stuffed Animals
Stuffed animals are cute, inexpensive, and especially difficult to inspect beneath the surface. They can trap dust, odors, allergens, pet hair, and other buildup inside the fabric and stuffing, so unless there’s a compelling reason to buy one, I’d rather purchase something washable with fewer places for grime to hide.
Untested Small Appliances
I’ll absolutely consider a secondhand appliance if I can inspect and test it first, but buying one without knowing whether it works is a different story. That inexpensive blender, coffee maker, toaster, or lamp isn’t much of a bargain if you plug it in at home and discover it’s broken.
Upholstered Furniture
I love finding furniture secondhand, but I’m much more cautious when there’s a lot of fabric involved. Sofas, upholstered chairs, and other padded pieces can hide odors, stains, pet hair, allergens, and even pests in places you can’t easily inspect or clean.
Rugs
A beautiful secondhand rug can be hard to resist, but you have no idea what happened on it in its previous home. Dirt, pet accidents, moisture, odors, and allergens can settle deep into the fibers, and professional cleaning can quickly wipe out whatever you saved by buying it used.
Bed Pillows
This is an easy pass for me. Pillows spend hours every night absorbing sweat, body oils, saliva, dust, and allergens, so even one that looks perfectly clean on a Salvation Army shelf isn’t something I want to bring home and sleep on.
Mattresses
A mattress is another item where the unknown history outweighs the potential savings. Stains and obvious damage are easy enough to spot, but moisture, odors, pests, and years of wear aren’t necessarily visible from the outside.
Cribs
Baby gear is one category where I’m much less willing to gamble on a bargain. An older crib could have missing hardware, previous damage, a recall, or a design that no longer meets current safety standards, and I’d rather buy something with a known history.
Car Seats
I wouldn’t buy a car seat from a thrift store because appearance doesn’t tell you everything you need to know about its condition. You may not know whether it was involved in a crash, how it was stored, whether all the original components are present, or whether it has reached its expiration date.
