In the day and age of online swap meets and the ubiquity of reseller sites like Craigslist, eBay, and Etsy, there's hardly anything you can't get secondhand anymore.
But should you?
For some items, saving a few bucks by buying them secondhand isn't worth the potential safety or health risks involved.
We've put together a list of 17 products that you should always buy new.
Bike helmets
When it comes to your safety, you should never shop secondhand. Minor scratches or dings in helmets that you might be unable to spot right away can cause their safety rating to fall.
Buying tip:According to Bicycling Magazine, some of the best bike helmets include the Giro Atmos, Louis Garneau Quartz and Bontrager Oracle.
Cribs
Cribs can stand a lot of abuse from cranky toddlers, but you want to make sure your children aren't put in danger by a potentially damaged bed. According to The New York Times, issues with unsafe cribs led to 150 deaths between 2007 and 2010.
Buying tip:Squidoo recently put together a list of the top ten baby cribs for 2013.
Laptops
Any small defect in a secondhand laptop will only get exacerbated over time. You also don't have the luxury of a warranty or customer service guarantee if you don't buy it new yourself.
Buying tip: If you are looking to buy something on the cheaper side, most retailers offer refurbished products that are still covered by warranties. And major electronics stores like Best Buy offer steep discounts on display models. Call around to ask beforehand.
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