Second-hand market: Also used toys under the Christmas tree

Given inflation and the economic crisis, there could also be used toys under the Christmas tree this year. “People are unsettled and are saving,” said Petra Süptitz from the market research company NIQ/GfK in Nuremberg. According to her, second-hand items are becoming more relevant. However, a consumer expert advises caution when purchasing.

The toy industry is also feeling the effects of the slowed buying mood in Germany. According to the experts, in order to save money, people primarily rely on cheaper products – or used ones, as representative surveys carried out in recent years on behalf of the online retailer Rebuy have shown. According to this, almost one in four people surveyed wanted to give away second-hand toys for Christmas last year. In comparison: in 2021 it was 14 percent of those surveyed.

More second-hand toys before Christmas

The Kleinanzeigen.de and Vinted platforms also find that people like to buy used toys before the festival. “There is an increasing increase in toy sales during the October to December period, probably as Christmas approaches,” a Vinted spokeswoman said. In a survey of more than 100,000 members, almost half said they opted for used items for cost reasons. But sustainability also plays an important role.

“There is increasing awareness that used items do not necessarily have to be bad,” said Süptitz. A representative survey for Christmas 2023 showed that 28 percent of those surveyed planned to give away something used for the holiday. The proportion was even higher among young people and people with children or lower incomes.

Used is not always better

According to the platform, building blocks, Playmobil figures and board games are particularly in demand among toys on Kleinanzeigen.de. A spokeswoman said that among the 300 million new advertisements in 2023, more than 20 million were for toys. A value that has remained relatively stable in recent years.

However, Kerstin Etzenbach-Effers from the North Rhine-Westphalia Consumer Center advises against only relying on second-hand goods. “Older toys made of soft plastic such as plastic dolls, plastic figures, plastic balls and inflatable toys should not be bought used,” said the expert. These could contain plasticizers, which are now banned because they can demonstrably damage the hormonal system.

“You may also need to be careful with older, colorfully painted wooden toys – at least if your child is putting objects in their mouths.” The paints could be contaminated with, among other things, excessive amounts of heavy metals such as lead and cadmium.