10 Things You Should Not Buy New

[Spoofee]

You should not buy the following items new. You should find these items used.

- Books
- Blu-rays, DVDs and CDs
- Little Kids' Toys
- Jewelry
- Sports equipment
- Timeshares
- Cars
- Software and console games
- Office furniture
- Hand tools

* There are exceptions

[callmeCrazyButt]

Interesting!
I completely agree w/ the car one. I bought a first year Ford Focus and the thing turned out to be a pile of junk.

[K Ma]

Good article - I also read what not to buy used!

[mark71mark]

Good article - I also read what not to buy used!

Yeah, I like the one about vacuum cleaners...

"Exception: You're handy and don't mind teaching yourself vacuum repair."

[Bebop]

Definitley agree with the car. I bought a used mazda3 that was half a year used and got about $3000 off with some negotiating. I have to disagree with videogames though, gamestops and eb games barely take $5 off used. Waiting a year after a game comes out is too long of a wait like Halo 3 and the new metal gear solid especially online multiplayer games that loses its online user base after a year. Check used books before you buy them! I bought a used book for school and pages of the book were faded from some wearing and tearing .

[coolhiew]

Definitely on timeshare. You paid at least 50% less than the price of the resort price. Furthermore, it is not really used. Either you buy it from resort or buy it from someone else, someone if using what you buy anyway.

[picopir8]

I too disagree about video games. Most games now have online game play. If you buy new then you will have ample people to play online with. If you wait a year, most people would have moved on. Sure you can buy used within a few weeks sometimes, but like a previous post stated, you only save about $5 and you risk not having a manual, scratched disk(s), and other hassles. You can ususally watch sales and buy new for the same price as used anyway. And big ticket games sometimes get you promotional items if you buy at launch (free t-shirts, magnets, strategy guides, etc. which can be put on ebay to offset the cost).

[jrdnjstn]

I would have to add in buying used baby clothes...like at consignment shops. I used to buy both my kids clothes there when they were babies. babies go through clothes like crazy. I would find like Christian Dior baby clothes for 5$, can't beat that!

Used furniture too (good condition though). I've bought a table and chair set and a sleigh bed frame off of craigslist and they were both in great condition.

[U-Bob]

I also liked the article about what not to buy used.

Imagine yourself in a USED wetsuit lying on a USED mattress.

[groove1]

Yes, cars are a losing investment. There is no other product you would pay 20k for and a few years later have it worth no more than 50% of that, not to mention the cost of maintenance for a new vehicle.

I buy books on half.com and ebay and usually get nice ones for $1 or $2 and since they are shipped media mail, the shipping is cheap. A coworker has a sort of book club going on and they send books around to each other after each is finished with it.

[newsome815]

Thanks for the list!

[bassic]

The word "car" and "investment" should never be used in the same sentence. Having said that, I don't think it's fair to say that cars should never be purchased new. Every situation is different.

If you're looking to buy a high-end car that's loaded with accessories and options, and if you only plan on keeping it a few years, then you may be better off buying it used. If you're like me and only see a car as a means of transportation and not a status symbol, then buy a good base model car with no options, brand new, and keep it for 10 years or more.

You can get burned buying someone else's junk, especially off lease vehicles. I know many people who lease vehicles and don't give a damn about maintenance - they beat the crap out of their cars and don't ever change the oil because after their 2 or 3 year lease period, it's not their problem. On the other hand, some used vehicles are well taken care of and in that case it's probably not a bad idea to buy one of those and hold on to it for 10 years.

Every situation is different, and there are too many variables to simply state that you should never buy a new car.

[whttgr]

If this was posted by a regular user to "Hot Deals" it would be flagged and we'd get a "mark" on our accounts.

This is not a deal. and if you believe it so much that you post it on the front page, please spare us from posting deals on any of these items as NEW.

Tophernet has spoken.

Man, it's almost like you have the freedom to do what you want on your own forum or something! how ridiculous! ;)

[thuyvtang]

Check used books before you buy them! I bought a used book for school and pages of the book were faded from some wearing and tearing .

I buy all of my used books on ebay and amazon and before I do, I make sure to ask them if there are any signs of wear and tear on them. You can always get your money back from them if it's not what they say.

[whttgr]

The word "car" and "investment" should never be used in the same sentence. Having said that, I don't think it's fair to say that cars should never be purchased new. Every situation is different.

If you're looking to buy a high-end car that's loaded with accessories and options, and if you only plan on keeping it a few years, then you may be better off buying it used. If you're like me and only see a car as a means of transportation and not a status symbol, then buy a good base model car with no options, brand new, and keep it for 10 years or more.

You can get burned buying someone else's junk, especially off lease vehicles. I know many people who lease vehicles and don't give a damn about maintenance - they beat the crap out of their cars and don't ever change the oil because after their 2 or 3 year lease period, it's not their problem. On the other hand, some used vehicles are well taken care of and in that case it's probably not a bad idea to buy one of those and hold on to it for 10 years.

Every situation is different, and there are too many variables to simply state that you should never buy a new car.

But see, then i'll buy the car from you. I'll get a nice used car in good condition and save $10k or so off of what you paid for it! Then, after i have driven it for about as long as you did, i will sell it for a loss of only several thousand!