While the old saying “One man’s trash, is another man’s treasure”, is certainly true for a garage sale, there are some items that should not be sold at garage sales. Mostly these items can cause safety hazards and have to meet safety requirements under the Hazardous Products Act.
Please be sure and read this before having your next garage sale. It would be awful if someone got injured by something you sold that was unsafe. Not everyone knows of these laws and many people are uneducated, so it is important for you to educate yourself to protect those that don’t or can’t.
Baby Items are the most commonly listed items:
Cribs
Anything that was made before 1986 does not meet the current safety standards and they are actually against the law to sell. Be sure yours was made after that date. And if it was produced after 1986, the mattress must fit snuggly into the crib, bars should be no more than 6 centimeters apart from each other, and of course any crib with missing parts, or heavy damage should not be sold.
Car Seats
They are getting stricter and stricter on the laws regarding car seats. Our children outgrow them so quickly, it’s tempting to sell the extras. If you can see the child that is going to be using the seat, and their height and weight do not equal the car seats intended height or weight, you might try to persuade the parent from making the sale. I know, it’s a lost sale, but wouldn’t it be better to be safe rather than sorry? You should also check to see if perhaps the car seat has been recalled and inspect it for any damage, cracks or an expiration date. Be sure all straps are accounted for and work properly.
Baby/Toddler Safety Gates
Remember those wooden gates that have a V or triangle shape and they fold up rather compactly but they expand rather large. Yes? Well get rid of them. They are a huge safety hazard and are actually banned in many places. They propose a safety risk by small children getting heads stuck, hands stuck, feet stuck, etc. If you have a different gate, be sure it is in working order and has all its pieces accounted for.
Please see What Not To Sell at a Garage Sale Part Two for several more items that should not be sold or need to meet safety standards.
Related Articles:
Garage Sale Season Has Arrived
Garage Sales: How And Where To Find Them
Why Should I Have A Garage Sale?
Collecting Items For a Garage Sale
Organizing Items For a Garage Sale
Pricing Items At A Garage Sale
Garage Sales: Frugal Ways to Clean Up Your Stuff
What Not To Sell at a Garage Sale Part One
What Not To Sell at a Garage Sale Part Two