# What to do with used infant seat?



## lalemma (Apr 21, 2009)

Okay - I suspect the answer is going to be "OMG, how can you even think of passing on a carseat?!?" - but I'm going to ask anyway.









(To forestall: Our baby was a wee preemie, so starting him in the convertible wasn't an option for our family.)

We just moved our baby to his convertible seat, so our infant bucket seat isn't being used. What are you supposed to do with used car seats? I've seen the stern recommendations to destroy them so as to be unusable and then throw them in the trash, but I am a conservation-minded person. Destroying and junking a perfectly good seat that got less than six months of use by one baby, was never in an accident, etc, makes me uncomfortable.

We don't know anyone nearby who's about to have a baby and could use the seat, and we have no immediate plans to have a second baby. So - what to do? I imagine there are no charities that take even lightly-used seats, and given the outraged "Never take a used seat!!!!" admonishments, I don't know if we could find a non-acquaintance who'd take it.

If the only thing to do is really to trash it (ugh.) - is it at least possible to disassemble it and recycle it in part? Ideas?


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## an_aurora (Jun 2, 2006)

Oh no no, no reason whatsoever to destroy a seat that's 6 months old, unless of course it was crashed or compromised in some way (straps washed, dropped, run over etc







). Do you have a friend who is expecting? You can certainly pass it along, or you could sell it on craigslist, or you can donate it to a women's shelter, etc.

Of course, if it was crashed or compromised, best thing to do is remove the cover, cut the straps, and write in Sharpie "DO NOT USE" all over the shell, and throw it out.

All of this is assuming you bought it new and that it is not expired


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## Katie T (Nov 8, 2008)

I agree with trying to sell it or give it away. I gave mine away, it wasn't expired or had been in a crash. Some people don't care if they buy a used seat. I wouldn't but other do all the time.


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## StephandOwen (Jun 22, 2004)

I agree with giving it away or selling it. Maybe call a local woman's shelter and see if they have a need for it. There are absolutely people who would love to have a safe carseat for their baby who can't afford it.


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## treegardner (May 28, 2009)

Personally, I would keep it. I know you said you don't have immediate plans to have another baby, but you never know.


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## SilverFish (Jan 14, 2010)

i would say, list it somewhere for a decent price, and see if you get any takers. if not, you can try the previous suggestion of giving it to a womens shelter or similar, and if you can't find one, i would also keep it. but if space is a premium, try selling it. i have bought a used car seat before and tend to trust that most people wouldn't sell a crashed carseat.


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## Drummer's Wife (Jun 5, 2005)

No reason to not pass it on. If you don't know anyone who could use it and can't sell it (I'd try Craigslist - I sold a carseat on there recently), I agree with donating it to a women's shelter or somewhere else that could use it.


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## mamadelbosque (Feb 6, 2007)

Yeah, no reason whatsoever not to pass it on if its perfectly OK. I sold both my baby seats when we were done. The first one back to a resale shop and the second to a friend for a friend of hers


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## blessedwithboys (Dec 8, 2004)

i personally would never buy a used seat froma stranger, but i would take a seat from a friend if i was sure that i knew the history of the seat.

if i was disposing of a crashed or expired seat, i would destroy it so someone who doesnt know better wouldnt just take it from next to the trash pail in front of my house.

if i needed to dispose of a perfectly usable seat, i would donate it to a place where it could go to a teen mom, with a request that she seek a visit witha CPST to learn how to use it properly. i say teen mom bc i was one


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## Mom2M (Sep 23, 2006)

We sold ours to a secondhand kids store with no problem. If I had a seat that I knew was not compromised, I absolutely would do it. There are lots of people who buy used car seats and you know that you are giving a good one to them rather than trashing something that is perfectly fine.


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## NiteNicole (May 19, 2003)

I think I sold one at a garage sale and passed another to a cousin. I don't have plans for another or room to store everything "just in case" so I thought I might as well pass them on while they were less than a year old.


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## MommaCrystal (May 25, 2006)

I sold mine at a kids tag sale. It went to someone I knew. She was thrilled. We actually knew we were planning on having another baby but that seat would have expired before the new baby came.


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## Llyra (Jan 16, 2005)

A lot of charity organizations will accept them. Look for women's shelters, charities with thrift shops, or organizations that serve families with children. My last infant seat was only about seven months when we finished with it, and we donated it to Goodwill.


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## buckeye_bebe (May 16, 2006)

If both of you possess fully functional reproductive organs (or you at least), I vote for putting it in the closet. That way you have it at the ready in case you encounter someone down on their luck or in desperate need. It also serves as a visual reminder to keep on top of your birth control


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## One_Girl (Feb 8, 2008)

I sold mine to a store that specializes in nice pregnancy, infant, and toddler stuff. They were very up to date on recalls and on how long a car seat is good for. If you plan on having another kid soon and have the room you should keep it though. I knew I was done and have never changed my mind so I was happy to have some cash for the seat.


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## claddaghmom (May 30, 2008)

I posted my Graco travel system on Craigslist...free to first to pick it up. I didn't want to sell it and drive the used-carseat market but at the same time no way was I tossing a good seat and stroller.


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## Caneel (Jun 13, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Llyra* 
A lot of charity organizations will accept them. Look for women's shelters, charities with thrift shops, or organizations that serve families with children. My last infant seat was only about seven months when we finished with it, and we donated it to Goodwill.

I gave mine seats to an aid organization/homeless shelter and they were thrilled to have them.


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## lalemma (Apr 21, 2009)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Caneel* 
I gave mine seats to an aid organization/homeless shelter and they were thrilled to have them.

Really! This is very good news - I had assumed that charities just wouldn't take used seats. But I'll call around and see if anyone wants this one.

Thanks, everyone!


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## sapphire_chan (May 2, 2005)

IMO, infant seats should, barring accidents, be used for at least 2 babies whenever remotely possible. They are outgrown sooo much faster than they expire, it's like they're meant for passing on to friends and family and charities.


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## indie (Jun 16, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *lalemma* 
Really! This is very good news - I had assumed that charities just wouldn't take used seats. But I'll call around and see if anyone wants this one.

Thanks, everyone!

It may depend on where you live. When I was in Mass. the thrift stores wouldn't take them, but here in Tenn. anything goes. Unfortunately I see thrift stores selling unsafe seats all the time.

I sold our infant seat at a yard sale. I figure people are going to buy used anyway. At least I know that person got a seat that had not been compromised.


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## Grace and Granola (Oct 15, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *treegardner* 
Personally, I would keep it. I know you said you don't have immediate plans to have another baby, but you never know.

ditto

The seat is good for 5 years from date of mfg, so you have time!


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## an_aurora (Jun 2, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Grace and Granola* 
ditto

The seat is good for 5 years from date of mfg, so you have time!

Most seats have a 6 year expiration; the only one with a 5 year lifespan is the Peg Perego


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## DevaMajka (Jul 4, 2005)

Definitely sell/give/donate!

It is so often recommended to NEVER buy a used seat (unless it's from someone you trust) because you don't know the history. It could have been in a crash.
When it comes to *selling* a used seat, _you_ (the seller) know it's still safe. There are people out there who are going to buy used seats (don't know better, money issues, etc), so it's best if the one they are getting is a nice safe one


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## sapphire_chan (May 2, 2005)

You could make it even safer by using permanent marker on the back "Purchased X/200X, expires X/201X" then it'd be more likely to get disposed of in the future. Which would be my one worry about putting it into the open market vs. friend/family/MDC mama.

And unless you're trying for a baby now, don't worry about giving it away in case of your own future baby. Those seats aren't expensive and odds are if you put the word out in FYT someone would know someone with a safe seat. We had four infant seats offered to us when I was pregnant with dd.


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## jillmamma (Apr 11, 2005)

My 3.5 month old DD is using a Graco Snugride that we got from a friend who got it from another friend. I figure the seat gets the best use that way since those buckets get outgrown so quickly.


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## texmati (Oct 19, 2004)

yup! donate, sell or give away!


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## Cinder (Feb 4, 2003)

I have no issue selling my seats that I know are still safe...I wouldn't buy one since I don't know what has happened to it, but I'll sell mine.

But, we gave Janelle's boulevard to one of my best friends for her then 1 year old (cause it was an extremely girly pattern...and I couldn't forsee River wanting to ever use it), our old infant carriers I threw away. River is still in his, but I'll toss his to when he outgrows it... All 4 of my kids were pukers...those seats have been spit up in so many times by the time they outgrow them, or we just move them out cause they get tired of the angle of the seat, I couldn't imagine using them with another kid. But, my kids are also really slow growers, Janelle was in her infant seat till 16 months, and we only moved her out cause she didn't like the angle any more, Travis was 9 months and moved out for the same reason, and River is 1 and still fine...he's not even 14lbs, so he has a long ways before he outgrows it.


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