In the March issue of ShopSmart, put out by the publisher of Consumer Reports, experts analyzed used baby gear to determine “when you can gratefully say yes and when you should gracefully say no thanks.”  I am devoting several posts to discussing their findings.  (I’ve already written about baby bath tubs, car seats, cribs, and high chairs.)

Here’s what ShopSmart had to say about used toys:

Safe: Stuffed animals and most children’s books make fine hand-me-downs. In the case of lead contamination in used toys, there are many home lead inspection kits which can be purchased for under twenty dollars which will tell you whether the toys are safe.

Unsafe: Avoid any toys that are chipped, as well as any small parts that can fit through a tube of toilet paper, since they present serious choking hazards for small children.

I will admit something: I did not purchase a home lead inspection kit to test my daughter’s toys.  But here’s something else to ponder: toys can have lead in them whether they are used or new.  After all, those toys in the thrift store were once brand new.

I seem to fall on the more cavalier side of allowing secondhand baby gear into my home, but now I’m wondering about other parents’ habits.  Did you purchase a lead inspection kit?  What did you find?  What are your own standards for secondhand toys–or even new toys?

Secondhand toys work for me.  For more Works for Me Wednesday tips, head on over to We are THAT Family.

I just found out that this week is a themed Works for Me Wednesday: the Greatest Hits Edition.  Actually, this post is similar to our most popular WFMW entry ever: How Do You Sell Your Kids’ Clothing?  I’m not sure why, but that was our greatest hit!