Things NOT to buy at a Washington Yard Sale

The weather is slowly heating up. We're arriving in Garage Sale season. If you hit up a local yard sale, there are some items you shouldn't buy at a yard sale.

Items You Should NEVER Buy at a Washington Garage Sale

Mattresses

The idea of using someone else’s mattresses is gross. Mattresses can be expensive. So, should you buy one from a garage sale? The experts say no.

Why? 

Bed bugs. 

Once they’re in your home, they'll wreak havoc.

Cosmetics

Experts say that even if the product is new in the box, you should still skip it. Why? The quality starts to dwindle the longer it sits. As for used cosmetics? That's a hard no.

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Running Shoes

The typical life of a pair of running shoes is 300-500 miles. When you buy used running shoes at a garage sale, you don’t know how many miles they have on them. Plus, running shoes could be full of bad toenail fungus. Nope. 

Keep this in mind as you browse Garage and Yard sales

'While it’s illegal to sell recalled products, the CPSC prioritizes compliance from major retailers rather than the resale market. If you’re shopping secondhand marketplaces, there’s no way to know for sure whether a product you’re considering is recalled, aside from searching online for the individual model. ' -Consumer Reports

Cribs

Like car seats, this one is all about safety. Consumer Reports explains that drop-side cribs were banned in the United States in 2011 because of the number of injuries and fatalities. It may also be difficult to tell which type of crib it is and if it’s been recalled in the past.

Used Video Games

They back up their products when you purchase used video games from a retro game retailer. Not the games you buy at a garage sale.

Bike Helmets

Safety standards are constantly changing, and one that you pick up at a garage sale might be able to protect your skull in an accident. Perhaps the helmet you took was involved in an accident. It can look good, but could be compromised.

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